Panalpina opens Chongqing branch

Basel, February 3, 2010 - Panalpina is expanding into western China by opening an office in Chonqging, following its Wuhan Centralized Services Center and Chengdu office. From Chongqing, Panalpina can offer its customers a strategic mix of overland transportation, an extensive global air network and access to international ocean ports via the Yangtze River. In addition, it has launched its innovative full rail to Europe-Russia solution to better serve its customers. “This new location in Chongqing further strengthens our leadership role in the market. Panalpina has been operating in this western region for ten years now and with the opening of this office, we are taking the next important step in our Go West strategy,” said Dr. Rudolf W Hug, Chairman of the Panalpina Group. “Almost 35 years ago Panalpina opened its first office in China and since then we have been committed to local growth and expanding our presence. Today we have 20 branches and 1’500 employees in the Greater China region,” added Dr Hug. Panalpina has invested in very knowledgeable employees with significant supply chain and logistics management experience which is a rare commodity in this market. The Panalpina Group The Panalpina Group is one of the world's leading suppliers of forwarding and logistics services, specializing in end-to-end supply chain management solutions and intercontinental air freight and ocean freight shipments. Thanks to its in-depth industry know-how and state-of-the-art IT systems, Panalpina provides globally integrated door-to-door forwarding services tailored to its customers' individual needs. The Panalpina Group operates a close-knit network with some 500 branches in over 80 countries. In a further 80 countries, it cooperates closely with partner companies. Panalpina employs approximately 15’000 people worldwide. Launched in 1976, Panalpina Greater China is headquartered in Shanghai, and now has a workforce of more than 1,500 employees located at 20 branch offices. Panalpina Greater China covers three major districts: Yangtze River, Bohai Bay and Pearl River Delta, and the Taiwan Business Unit.