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Worldgate Express Lines looks back on 25 years of rapid growth

SINGAPORE's Worldgate Express Lines Pte Ltd, a provider of international sea and air freight forwarding, looks back over two and a half decades of astonishing growth as it celibates its 25th anniversary.

"Over the years, Worldgate has grown in strength in the field of forwarding to a total logistics solution provider, supported through our own overseas offices and a worldwide network of agents and partners," said a company statement.

Two years after the business commenced in 1990, Worldgate started in ship chartering, ship management, ship agency and related businesses.

In 1999, Worldgate Express Lines (India) was established in Chennai with three offices in Chennai, Mumbai and Kolkata to provide forwarding and agency services. In 2000, the company set up the fourth Indian branch in Hyderabad and then in Bangalore.

Worldgate Express Lines (India) Pvt Ltd then changed its name in 2002 to Worldgate Express Lines International Pvt Ltd to better reflect its international Freight Forwarding, shipping and logistics services, said the company statement.

In 2003, Worldgate Express Lines International Pvt Ltd set up the sixth Indian branch in New Delhi. Later that year, the company established China Int'l Freight Co (S) Pte Ltd in Singapore.

This was a joint venture with China Int'l Freight Group of Taiwan, which specialises in transpacific traffic to the US and Canada. The group negotiated and signed more than 15 service contracts with several shipping lines.

Worldgate Express then established its seventh Indian branch in Cochin in 2005 and in 2007 acquired the 35 per cent of WG (BD) Express Ltd to be present in Bangladesh when it had offices in Dhaka and Chittagong.

Later that year, the company was established in Sri Lanka, opening an office in Colombo and in 2011 opened its eighth Indian office in Coimbatore, then opening a ninth in 2012 in Ahmadabad.

Another joint venture, FWF Logistics (S) Pte Ltd, specialising in warehousing and distribution, was established in Singapore in 2013 with Fuji Unyu Logistics Co Ltd of Japan with the firm's European partner.

In 2014, the company set up its 10th Indian branch in Pune as well as increasing its holding in its Bangladesh affiliate WG (BD) Express Ltd from 35 to 48 per cent.

The company is in the Secured Trade Partnership (STP) - 2014, a "prestige status of recognition awarded by Singapore Customs Authority after passing stringent criteria", said the company.

"At the moment, there are fewer than 140 companies in Singapore, and fewer than 10 in logistics industry been awarded this status," said the company statement.

"With our STP status, when we handle your shipment, regardless sea or air freight to country like the US, Japan, China and many other STP participating countries, your consignee will enjoy faster customs clearance.

"We are proud to receive the SME Asia Award 2014 from Asia Business Journal and Trade & Industry Association (Singapore) in recognition and affirming of our business achievement, recognition not only to how we grow our business, but more importantly how we conduct our business in an ethical and responsible manner," said the company statement.