New products and services showcased at mulitmodal 2012 as exhibitors sign up

Exhibitors are signing up by the dozen for Multimodal 2012, the UK’s only annual event focused on the transport and logistics industries. The show, which takes place at Birmingham’s National Exhibition Centre on 1st to 3rd May, has so far attracted over 200 exhibitors from across the full range of supply chain, freight and logistics services. Many are returning yet again to the highly regarded exhibition, and over 50 companies will be taking a stand at the show for the first time.
 
New this year to Multimodal is AAA Transport, whose Global Logistics Operation has been providing high quality transport and warehousing services for over 25 years. The Tilbury–based company claims to offer innovative supply chain solutions moving beyond traditional logistics and transportation services, including warehousing, freight forwarding and customs clearance, an Customs approved ERTS (Enhanced Remote Transit Shed), and  a logistics, haulage and pallet network.
 
Also debuting at Multimodal 2012 is Able UK, which operates several multi user ports and logistics facilities on the Humber and the River Tees. Able Humber Port (AHP) has a river frontage of over two and a half miles, covers almost 2,000 acres and is the largest site available for port-related developments in the UK. AHP is currently one of Europe’s premier multi-user vehicle handling facilities (with a further 650 acres just recently made available). 
 
Another newcomer – this time from Russia – is Vnukovo-Cargo Ltd, a brand-new and technologically advanced Mail & Cargo Facility and one of Russia’s biggest facilities in its class. Its main lines of business are the handling and storage of cargo and mail freighted by air, truck or rail and ancillary agency and forwarding services. The facility is located inside Vnukovo International Airport.
 
Many exhibitors use Multimodal to launch new products and services for the industry. One of the most innovative and practical of these is offered by Metrocargo, who have developed a full automatic system for transferring containers direct from rail transport to road or quay without the need for shunting operations, or for a whole train to be unloaded. This aims to make rail transport much more economically viable, by reducing the time it takes to transfer containers from rail to road or 
quayside to a matter of a few minutes. The system reduces rail stops from hours to minutes and can increase rail terminal daily throughput six-fold. 
 
Another innovative product on show at Multimodal comes from articulated forklift truck technology pioneer Flexi Narrow Aisle. Visitors to the company’s stand will be able to see how the Flexi range of articulated fork lift trucks has been developed specifically to improve storage, handling and customer order assembly efficiency within manufacturing and logistics operations. Flexi trucks provide a more space-efficient solution by eliminating dead aisle space required by counterbalance or reach trucks. Depending on the building, says the company, this can increase usable storage space by between 25 and 50 per cent, making handling operations significantly more efficient and significantly reducing the cost per pallet stored.
 
Multimodal has traditionally attracted a vast array of visitors from the UK’s ranks of manufacturing retailers, importers and exporters.  This year is no exception with  registrations received so far from companies such as Abacus Lighting, Actavis, Aldi, Brother Industries, Crown Packaging, Danone, Geomedics, Hasbro, Iceland Foods, International Timber, JML, Johnson Matthey, Matalan, Pace PLC, Morphy Richards, Panasonic, Sony, Suzuki, Total and Wilkinsons. 
 
And returning to the show again this year are family run business, Potter Group Logistics, which provides specialist storage, handling and distribution solutions focusing on the chemical, paint and coatings, agricultural, pharmaceutical, building material, paper, food and drink and eco industries. 
 
Stuart Taylor, Business Development Director of Potter Group Logistics comments, “We’ve always had good experiences with Multimodal, it is an excellent venue to showcase our integrated freight, transport and logistics services. In the past the exhibition has brought in promising new business enquiries and contacts so we have high hopes for this year’s show”.
 
To see the comprehensive list of exhibitors at Multimodal 2012 visit www.multimodal.org.uk 

Source: Multimodal