GRINDROD LIMITED
The IVS Swift
PROVIDING SHIPPING AND LOGISTICS SOLUTIONS
One hundred years ago, Captain John Edward Grindrod started Grindrod & Company, a clearing and forwarding agency and marine surveying business. Twelve years later he and Mr Leon Renaud purchased the 150 ton steamer 'Frontier' as she lay disabled on the Durban breakwater. Refloated and re-equipped she began trading to Port St Johns and East London carrying sugar, oil, timber, hides and wool and occasionally livestock. Their company, The SS Frontier Company was the predecessor of the founding company of Unicorn Shipping and the Grindrod group.
Grindrod today lists numerous proud achievements, including being named the top listed shipping company in the world in 2004 and 2005 and as the top listed company in South Africa for 2004 and 2005. In 2009 and 2010, the group received the accolade as the number one JSE listed company over 10 years. Grindrod continues to develop its BEE status in respect of its South African domiciled businesses and received the KwaZulu-Natal Best BEE Deal/Project of the Year award in 2010.
Grindrod Limited is traded on the Johannesburg Stock Exchange and offers a worldwide range of high-quality shipping and freight services by land, air and sea.
The business is all about moving cargo seamlessly from point of departure to final destination providing customers with simple, convenient solutions to complex operational exercises. Grindrod's head office is in Durban, South Africa and is represented by subsidiaries, joint ventures and associated companies worldwide employing about 5000 skilled and dedicated people. The group has grown in size and stature, modernized its operations and adopted an entrepreneurial decisionmaking approach. International and local partners have been introduced, including black empowerment initiatives.
Grindrod has four operating divisions, namely: Shipping, Freight Services, Trading and Financial.
SHIPPING
The Grindrod Shipping Division has a large, modern fleet, sound expertise, good customer bases and firm partnership relationships. The modern fleet of dry cargo vessels and product & chemical tankers trade globally under the banners of Island View Shipping International (IVSI) and Unicorn Shipping. The bunker tankers operate under the banner of Unical and provide a bunkering service to vessels in the ports of Durban and Cape Town.
IVSI is focused on moving dry bulk cargo such as minerals, coal, ores and agricultural products whilst the Unicorn tankers, ship liquid chemicals and petroleum products.
FREIGHT SERVICES
Freight Services encompasses a major share of the local ships agency business, sea freight (container feeder service in Southern Africa) and land freight logistics.
Grindrod's Ships Agency is a leading player in its field offering many worldwide ship operators a broad spectrum of services in South Africa, Namibia, Mozambique, Malawi, Zimbabwe, Botswana and Swaziland.
The Seafreight Logistics business, Ocean Africa Container Lines, in partnership with Safmarine, operates a feeder service around the southern African coast.
The landbased operations in southern Africa are focused on dry and liquid bulk terminals, intermodal solutions, rail, port operations, road transportation for liquid and dry bulk cargo and all facets of traditional logistics, i.e. international freight forwarding, contract logistics and specialized industry-solutions (automotive, projects, furniture, perishables).
TRADING
The Trading division trades in the following commodities: agricultural, industrial raw materials, marine fuels and lubricants.
FINANCIAL SERVICES
Grindrod Bank Limited is a registered Financial Services provider, regulated by the South African Reserve Bank. Established in 1994, Grindrod Bank has matured into a competitive merchant bank, offering a highly personalized approach to financial services through its genuine relationships with private, corporate and institutional investors. Its operations, covering all of South Africa, are conducted out of Johannesburg, Durban and Cape Town.
