Jacanna Customs & Freight - New Lynn

Jacanna Customs & Freight is well-known in the automotive industry, but it doesn’t just deliver vehicles – it can move almost anything for anyone.

And the FIFA Under-20 World Cup 2015 proves the point with the company’s logistical expertise being integral to the success of the planet’s second-largest men’s tournament featuring “the beautiful game”.

Jacanna handled about 50 tonnes of products by air freight for FIFA and Adidas, and made deliveries to stadiums and hotels for staff, players and volunteers.

“It ranged from suits and sewing machines to kits, drinks bottles, and training and match balls,” says Ken Quigley, managing director. “It goes to show we don’t just do cars.

“For instance, we transported everything for the Brazilian and North Korean teams from the Tarmac at Auckland International Airport to their hotel in New Plymouth where they were for group stages. We were also responsible for looking after Ghana, Portugal, Panama and Austria.”

The logistics process for the world cup has been a tight ship. When stadiums closed as their involvement in the tournament ended, it was then a case of exporting everything back to countries around the world.

“The whole operation involved months of planning,” says Quigley. “We needed about 300 cubic metres of space – the equivalent of about 12 20-foot containers – in storage just for FIFA and Adidas.”

It was essential to be flexible 24/7 during the tournament, which ran from May 30 to June 20 and involved seven host cities – Whangarei, Auckland, Hamilton, New Plymouth, Wellington, Christchurch and Dunedin.

“Our warehousing team did an exceptional job and Blair Cosford, national operations manager for general cargo logistics, was on the ball throughout the whole process.”

Jacanna’s work included liaising with Customs, for instance, when it came to temporarily importing cargo to minimise duty and GST payable on equipment that needed to go back to source countries when the tournament ended.

“As a logistics provider, it has been demanding but if you prepare well as a business everything will go to plan,” explains Quigley.

“There was no wiggle room with this competition. On hand, there was the draw for the group stages, which meant everyone knew what country was playing where and when.

“Then the knock-out stages threw up unknowns. For example, Uzbekistan knocked out Austria, which meant a trip up to Whangarei to pick up the Austrians’ gear, so that tied up staff and trucks.”

“Jacanna has been great to work with,” says Lisa Tyer, transport and travel manager for FIFA’s local organising committee (LOC). “Ken and his team have been really accommodating and professional in their processes, and with warehousing, transport and logistic requirements as required by the LOC.

“With the nature of a world cup – from the pre-tournament phase, group play and knock-out stages up to and including the final – it is important to be proactive, flexible and have a detailed, planned process for each stadium and match scenario, and also to adapt quickly to the environment, weather, results and requirements a tournament brings.

“Jacanna assisted with local ground transport in some host cities, Customs clearances and Ministry for Primary Industries advice to our teams as needed, and also with storage and warehousing pre-tournament as equipment, uniforms and freight arrived from around the world.”

For football-mad Quigley, some perks came with the work. “It was great working on this project because I’m so passionate about football,” he says. “It was exciting meeting teams and stars of the future.”

“It’s been brilliant being involved with such a professional organisation as FIFA. It did a great job, right down to ensuring triple-thick cartons were used for the return of items and limiting cargo damage.

“Along with the cricket and rugby world cups, this under-20s tournament has been massive for New Zealand.”