Inchcape Shipping Services and Horizon Air Freight have jointly announced a new partnership that will streamline Inchcape’s last-mile spares logistics and door-to-deck delivery throughout the Americas.

The alliance is set to strengthen Inchcape’s new Marine Supply Chain Solutions (MSCS) service line that manages integrated marine services for shipping companies across all ports, for enhanced customer efficiency, simplicity and value.

Inchcape customers can now use the Horizon WorldTrack portal, which gives them real-time, consolidated updates on all their purchase orders.

“Prior to partnering with Horizon, management of this service was a detail-intensive process internally. Horizon has really streamlined that process, allowing our customers to log in and extract any documents or data they require,” says Crystal Waldroup, senior manager of MSCS – Americas.

Inchcape, as one of the world’s oldest and largest port agency and marine services providers, has created MSCS as part of its vision for a “smoother, smarter ocean”.

In this connection, the company needed a logistics partner with excellent internal processes, timely communications, resourceful solutions and technical sophistication – and Horizon fit the bill.

“I was in search of a marine logistics company which would partner closely with us as we built this service line together,” Waldroup explains. “I wanted a partner which had a global network of transportation companies already in place, and could handle both last-mile and door-to-deck deliveries anywhere in the world.”

She adds: “Horizon was the obvious choice. We had worked informally with Horizon before and knew their reputation as the logistics company that could solve the most complicated shipping challenges. The time was right to formalize a true partnership.”

Horizon CEO Steve Leondis says: “I couldn’t be happier with this new partnership. Inchcape shares our commitment to do whatever it takes to keep ships sailing safely and on schedule. We look forward to serving their customers throughout the Americas.”