South African logistics company – the Bridge Shipping Group – is currently undergoing a rebranding exercise. “The decision to undertake the rebranding follows on the agreement for the privately-owned global logistics and warehousing company C. Steinweg - Handelsveem B.V. (C. Steinweg) to acquire a majority interest in the Bridge Shipping Group in June 2012,” says Colin Emanuel, Chief Executive Officer of the Bridge Shipping Group. “We have increasingly seen the enormous amount of value that the C. Steinweg name and brand provides to our local and international clients. The C. Steinweg brand represents a company that has forged a phenomenal reputation in the logistics market for some 166 years. It is renowned for offering world-class logistics services centred on reliability and consistency,” adds Emanuel.

C. Steinweg has been a major player in the logistics and warehousing industry for the past 166 years, including its warehousing accreditations for global commodity exchanges like the London Metal Exchange, London International Financial Futures and Options Exchange (LIFFE), and New York Board of Trade (NYBOT).
“The Bridge Shipping brand continues to hold an extensive amount of goodwill and reputation throughout Sub-Saharan Africa. However, we acknowledge that through our association with the C. Steinweg group of companies, we have been able to increase our service offering and as a result, our reliance on the brand has increased,” Emanuel points out. The acquisition has enabled the Bridge Shipping Group to offer its clients a global solution to their shipping requirements using C. Steinweg’s some 77 locations in over 32 different countries.

“The added impetus of this global footprint has far-reaching positive benefits for our clients. The joint knowledge and expertise of the two synergistic brands underlines a common goal of ensuring clients’ cargo is expeditiously, efficiently and safely transported from its source to its final destination. This global door-to-door service offering is a major differentiating factor for the Bridge Shipping Group in the market,” adds Emanuel. “The rebranding process entails the updating of all email or electronic signatures, the reprinting of letterheads and documents, the upgrading of the Bridge Shipping Group’s website and the replacement of signage. We aim to complete the entire process by June 2013,” says Emanuel. “Being a part of the C. Steinweg group of companies and its solid and renowned brand has a huge amount of intrinsic value to the local and international community. The positive effects of rebranding the Bridge Shipping Group, in alignment with the C. Steinweg brand, will continue to reinforce our position as a sustainable customer-centric logistics entity,” Emanuel concludes.