Source: APM Terminals

With the docking of the Florida Highway ship, owned by K-Line, on 15 March 2022, roll-on roll-off (RoRo) operations returned to APM Terminals Itajaí. More than 460 premium segment vehicles from BMW Group Brazi were unloaded. This is the first time that the manufacturer, which has imported vehicles through the ports of Santa Catarina since 2013, received vehicles on a RoRo vessel.

For Aristides Russi Júnior, Managing Director of APM Terminals Itajaí, the return of RoRo operations to the terminal is a clear reflection of the direction the company has been moving in. “As a Global Company, we have evolved in every possible way, both through technology and process improvements, to offer the best solutions to our customers,” he says.

For BMW Group Brazil, the imports facilitated by APM Terminals Itajaí also represents a key moment for the company. “This is an important milestone in the history of BMW Group Brazil, as we adapt to the global model of maritime logistics and support the development of a port hub to receive the RoRo ship in Santa Catarina. It is a measure that contributes to the development of logistics in the State and also opens doors for other companies with logistical needs to benefit from this achievement in the future”, comments João Batista Martins, Senior Manager of After-Sales Logistics at BMW Group Brazil. “Concentrating all operations geographically close to our Araquari plant brings us great process and time optimizations”, reinforces the executive.

Flexibilty to support all cargo types

In addition to the commercial importance that the operation represents for the entire logistics chain in the region, the Commercial Manager of APM Terminals Itajaí, Daniel Belisário, also emphasizes the company’s experience and flexibility in handling different types of cargo, in addition to containers. “The logistics market demands increasingly creative and flexible solutions. The same customer that operates using containers, may on other occassions need support with air freight logistics, warehousing or even project cargo. Becasuse of this, we always have to be ready and that’s what we’ve been working towards”, highlights Belisário.

This was the luxury brand’s first operation at APM Terminals Itajaí, but is unlikely to be the last. The East Coast South America service operates monthly and supports the import of vehicles from BMW and MINI.