Deputy managing director Dr Mohamed Amin Kassim told Starbiz the certification proved that the company's international freight forwarding activity, transportation and warehouse management services were carried out in accordance with Islamic regulations.
The group's contract assembly line in Port Klang.
“For more than a year, we have been remodelling our logistics processes and operations to cater for the halal market.
“Now, we are confident to meet our potential customers from the halal industry. We will be able to cater to their entire logistics needs,” he said.
The major products from the halal industry include food, pharmaceutical and cosmetics products.
Dr Mohamed Amin Kassim
He added that Century Logistics could also rely on its international offices in Thailand, Dubai, India and China to penetrate into various halal markets and strengthen the linkages among those markets.
“Our small and medium size entrepreneurs as well as the big players in the local halal industry can utilise our services and expertise to carry out their logistics and supply chain management. We can also can assist them to get into new halal markets,” he said.
In preparation to provide halal logistics services, Mohamed Amin said, Century Logistics had specialised trucks, warehouse, containers and would consider building a cold-room facility depending on the demand.
“If there is an immediate need to use a cold room facility, Century would seek assistance from a reliable third party provider.
“We hope our venture into halal market will translate into a higher turnover for the company this year,” he said.
Century Logistics had recorded stellar financial performance for financial year ended Dec 31 with 305.9% increase in net profit to RM20.7mil against financial year 2006.
In the first quarter ended March 31 in its current financial year, the company's net profit was up 371.2% to RM9.8mil against the corresponding quarter.
Mohamed Amin said this uptrend in profits was due to the company's strategy in providing innovative and cost effective supply chain solutions to its customers.
“We have established trade lanes that link China, Thailand, Malaysia, India, Sri Lanka, Pakistan, Bangladesh, United Arab Emirates and South Africa. This is a strategy that we are working on with shipping lines and air carriers to build ample goods traffic within all these countries.
“This will eventually provide a platform for regional freight competency and developing value-add services in specific hubs. In fact, we have successfully chalked profits in less than a year in China,” he said, adding that the company would also be investing in the Middle East.
“We are excited that our branding initiative is flourishing with this regional expansion and the fact that we are also supported by accredited agents in 23 other countries gives us tremendous credibility.
“We believe that in another two years the contribution from our regional operations shall surpass our current local performance,”
On its oil logistics business, he said the group hoped to maintain the contribution from this segment although two of its floating storage units were dry-docked for two to three months this year.
“We had anticipated less contribution due to the dry-docking but surprisingly our customers have been trading on higher volume despite the absence of the two units. The two dry-docked units should be joining the rest of Century Logistics's four other units before end of this month,” he said, adding that the oil logistics segment had contributed 37% of the group's total revenue in its previous financial year.
