Bahrain-based Trans-Continental Shipping, one of the leading shipping and freight forwarding companies, envisions continuous diversification of its business as it continues to invest in new facilities throughout the region

Trans-Continental Shipping (TCS), one of the leading shipping and freight forwarding companies, sees bright prospects for the company as it embarks on a merger which is set to bring it in the league of global players.

"We are at the freehold of a merger which will take us from being a regional player to a global player," says Yusuf Al Rayes, managing director, Trans-Continental Shipping.

Having achieved its target last year, the Bahrain-based company says it is on its way to achieve significant growth this year, too. "Last year was on target, and this year we have achieved significant growth by expanding our capabilities through collaboration on joint ventures," Al Rayes says.

TCS was founded in the Kingdom of Bahrain in 1996 by Yusuf Al Rayes when he began to cater for the demand for tally and supervision services required at the Mina Salman port of Bahrain.

The year 2001 proved to be a pivotal year for the company in terms of business growth. Expansion into the competitive sea and airfreight forwarding industry proved lucrative and filled the niche for end-to end-transportation solutions.

Al Rayes further diversified the company to include Non Vessel Owning Common Carrier (NVOCC) operations worldwide and subsequently a shipping agency which represents over 19 shipping lines.

Recognising customer demand for supply-chain-solutions, the company in 2014 invested in warehouse facilities providing third party logistics (3PL).

Subsequently, this year, TCS opened a branch in Qatar, established a logistics station, managing operations on behalf of its principal shipping lines and air cargo carriers.

Expressing his vision for the company, Al Rayes says: "We at TCS have taken advantage of Bahrain’s strategic location by providing import and export customers a boutique of logistics advantages that include end-to-end supply chain management.

Our intra Gulf network rapidly moves cargo throughout the GCC. And our international service delivers cargo worldwide. Our extensive knowledge of customs clearance and documentation requirements will help expedite the delivery of shipment, avoiding costly and inconvenient delays. We arrange export and import customs clearance across our network including border control formalities."

"We know that saving time and money is critical in business and, therefore, we are able to handle all kinds of customs formalities and our network allows us to expedite shipments on a time definite shipping basis," he adds.

Commenting on the business levels in the domestic market, Al Rayes says that business levels have improved partly due to the government’s efforts to promote the manufacturing base in Bahrain, which in turn has increased the levels of downstream suppliers. Going forward, TCS envisions continuous diversification of its business proportion as it continues to invest in new facilities throughout the region.

The company is now introducing new key performance indicator (KPIs) and has just completed its business plan for the next three years.

"We will remain flexible as our niche market within oil and gas depends on their demand as we tailor make solutions to meet their needs," he concludes.