CEVA to expand in West Africa and Central Asia

Milan, Italy, 17 January 2011 – CEVA Logistics, a leading global supply chain management company, has today announced its further expansion into West Africa and Central Asia, areas which will be managed under CEVA’s Southern Europe, Middle East & Africa (SEMEA) region.

CEVA’s decision is in response to its growing customer base in the energy sector and represents a significant strategic opportunity to become the leading player in these geographies.

West Africa is a fast growing market and offers energy companies many opportunities to significantly grow their business. CEVA has decided to establish its own offices, and has recently incorporated its own subsidiaries in Angola, Congo and Nigeria, managed by a team of highly qualified professionals. The network of offices in the region will allow CEVA to strengthen its offering for its customers, providing them with efficient local solutions, value added services and the highest global logistics standards.

Central Asia is also a very promising market for energy organizations, who are increasingly investing in the area. CEVA has consolidated its presence by creating its own network of offices, in particular in Kazakhstan with headquarters in Almaty and a branch in Aktau. The office in Almaty will also function as the coordination point for operations in Turkmenistan, Azerbaijan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan, complementing the services provided through the existing hubs, in order to enhance its ability to respond to customers’ local requirements.

CEVA has extensive global experience in the energy sector with a significant presence in the Americas, Asia Pacific, Northern Europe and the Middle East, and will apply its global best practices to these new locations, with a strong emphasis on Operational Excellence and compliance, which are crucial in this sector.

Gianfranco Sgro, President of CEVA’s SEMEA region, said: These investments are a great opportunity for us. Our long-term strategy, based on driving Operations Excellence and our approach to customer satisfaction will play a decisive role in our growth plans. We also have a unique knowledge of local countries and the specific requirements of our energy customers which will be crucial factors in our goal of becoming the most admired energy logistics provider in these countries within three years.

CEVA will offer a wide range of tailored and high quality services, with a focus on integrated end to end solutions, ranging from origin services (such as warehouse and hub management, air and ocean international transportation, charter solutions/heavy lift services and turnkey project management), to destination services (such as customs brokerage, domestic distribution and ship’s agency and husbandry services).

Marcelo Franceschetti, Senior Vice President, Global Energy Sector, CEVA, added: We have a deep knowledge of the specific characteristics of all these countries and their policies, such as local government requirements and restrictions for the importation of particular goods. This know-how and our strong emphasis on compliance, represent critical expertise that will allow us to support our customers’ growth plans. Our operational procedures are fundamental to optimize the time and cost of shipping to Central Asian and West African countries. It is also a personal pleasure to see CEVA establish a firm presence in these markets.

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CEVA Logistics provides world class supply chain solutions for large and medium-size national and multinational companies across the globe. As an industry leader, CEVA offers customers complete supply chain design and implementation in contract logistics and freight management, alone or in combination. CEVA’s integrated global network has facilities in over 170 countries and more than 46,000 employees; all dedicated to delivering consistently excellent operations and supply chain solutions. For the year ending 31 December 2009, the Group reported revenues of €5.5 billion. For more information, please visit www.cevalogistics.com