Wexco trio clock up 150 years – and a lot of successes- in Australian and world air freight, passenger services
AirCargo archive stories issue 234
Thursday, 29 January 2015
Few – if any -Australian air freight companies can boast having a dedicated team where three of them – including the boss – have clocked up a total of 150 years in the aviation industry, writes John Newton.
In 2014, David Williams - chairman of Sydney-based airline cargo sales and general sales agent Wexco Aviation Services - along with company director Russell Freeman and West Australian cargo manager Geoff Lord all achieved the milestone of 50 years in the industry.
Wexco chief executive officer David Williams is a third-generation industry player and his long list of achievements was rewarded with an Order of Australian Medal (OAM) for his services to international trade, especially in the field of transportation and freight forwarding.
“At the age of five, I was going around the Sydney wharves with my grandfather and father. My grandfather started a customs brokerage – Hull & Co – after returning from the First World War. At 12, I was working in the business in my school holidays and after completing my education started full-time, later obtaining my Customs brokers licence. A third generation Customs broker, Hull & Co was one of the pioneer freight forwarders, representing Pension Airfreight, a New York-based air freight forwarder.”
In1970, TNT acquired the family business and Williams worked for Rudders, then the international arm of TNT. “TNT joint ventured with Schulman , a US-based air freight forwarder. “I moved to the joint venture and at 24 was heading up its operations and marketing. I set up the TNT network of agents in Europe, giving TNT a global forwarding presence.
According to Williams, at that time there were only narrow-bodied aircraft and it was the start of the high-tech boom in Australia. “We chartered 707F and DC8Fs to move the outsized computers. B747 came to the market and I left TNT to start Fliway with Kevin Wymes - providing the high tech industry with door-to-door solutions using specialist trucks in Australia. Fliway expanded to New Zealand, Hong Kong and Singapore with a combined staff of 1500 in 18 offices, making it the largest privately-owned freight forwarder in Australia.
“The company grew and we did a joint venture with Fritz companies in the US and sold out to them in 1995. I moved to the US as senior vice president Fritz Customs and trade consulting with the aim of integrating door-to-door operations and to cut out the silos. When UPS bought Fritz, I headed up UPS TMS, the trade management consulting group of UPS. They wanted me to move to Atlanta and I wanted to return to Australia, so we agreed to go our separate ways.”
A former chairman of the Australian Federation of International Forwarders (AFIF) – just one of an impressive list of other major industry roles, as well as government boards and regulatory commissions - Williams joined the Wexco team on his return to Australia. “We worked hard to get where we are today,” he added.
AI first for Freeman Russell Freeman started his career in 1964 as an office junior with Air India and for the next 10 years worked his way through reservations and ticketing before joining the airline’s sales department. Air India used Boeing 707 aircraft and had services operating between Nandi/Sydney/Perth and on to India. In 1975, Freeman joined JAT Yugoslav Airlines when the carrier started an online service to Australia using Boeing 707s before changing to DC-10 aircraft. He held the positions of Australian sales and marketing manager/cargo manager and airport manager. “They were mostly at the same time, which is something I valued as it allowed me to experience all facets of airline operation,” he said.
“During my 17 years I was the company delegate in the commencement of both BSP and CASS, as well as an original member of the Board of Airline Representatives. However, in July 1992, the airline withdrew service from Australia due to US sanctions imposed by the crisis in the Balkans. I had a short stint of six months with JES AIR which operated Airbus services to Australia from Bulgaria before it withdrew service from the market.
“After that, I joined Aeroflot Russian Airlines as station and cargo manager when it had online services to Sydney from 1993-1996. Freeman’s involvement with Wexco began in 1979 when working with JAT and meeting David Williams for the first time. “David had arranged with the airline’s head office to consolidate European freight and use the service of the airlines to perform the task. In turn, Wexco was appointed to represent the needs of JAT with air freight from Australia – so after my time with the airlines ceased in 1996 I commenced work with Wexco Airfreight, as it was known, becoming a director and business partner.
“I believe with my airline background and David’s unmatched career in freight forwarding that we have created a cargo GSA of great strength and knowledge. Just looking at the150 years of experience between myself, David and Geoff it makes me feel old, but it has been a great privilege to work in the aviation industry that has given me fond memories.”
Dramatic change
Like Freeman, Geoff Lord, who set up Qatar Airways’ cargo operation in Perth, said he’d seen many changes in the air cargo industry in the past 50 years – the biggest being the development of aircraft.
“In the 60’s, a freighter was likely to be a DC3 with little payload little more than three tonnes and a range not more than 300 miles – a bit different to our freighters of today with payloads upwards of 130 tonnes and the capability of flying non-stop half way round the world. And probably the biggest change has been in reservation systems, which today are highly sophisticated and effective. If I recall correctly, in the 60s there were no systems – a brief notation in a diary and that was it!
“I’ve been lucky, some amazing experiences and a great privilege to work with so many different cultures,” said Lord, who has worked in airport management, passenger sales and marketing and more recently, in international air freight, with spells in wholesale travel, inclusive tours and freight forwarding. At one, time he was even contracted to the West Australian government.
The genial Scot began his career as a traffic officer at Edinburgh airport with British United Airways – later to become British Caledonian (BCal) – after which he went on to serve in a number of overseas postings with the airline in West Africa, the Middle East and Singapore.
“Sadly, BCal began to fall on tough times and I was made redundant in 1975, but there were always other opportunities including a stint in Liberia with the French logistics agent SCAC. But after a series of coups I decided it was time to leave!
“Another spell in Edinburgh as marketing manager with third level carrier Air Ecosse also ended abruptly when it went bust.
“Finally, before deciding to emigrate to Australia I got a job as marketing development manager with YBA Kanoo in Bahrain – the first and largest IATA travel company in the Middle East and GSA to British Airways, Singapore Airlines, Qantas, American Express and Hilton hotels.”
Lord arrived in Australia in 1982 and joined Singapore Airlines in passenger sales, later moving into air freight and becoming cargo manager for the carrier. In 1994, he successfully tendered for a six-year contract as chief executive officer to the Airfreight Export Council with the WA government. Following this, he joined DHL as airfreight export manager, then in 2005 was awarded a six-year contract with Emirates as cargo manager WA, after which he planned to retire.
However, in 2012, Wexco offered Lord the position to start up and establish Qatar Airways’ cargo operation in Perth. The industry journeyman is still with Wexco and “thoroughly enjoys working with a highly professional and dedicated team”.
Wexco trio clock up 150 years – and a lot of successes- in Australian and world air freight, passenger services
AirCargo archive stories issue 234
Thursday, 29 January 2015
Few – if any -Australian air freight companies can boast having a dedicated team where three of them – including the boss – have clocked up a total of 150 years in the aviation industry, writes John Newton.
In 2014, David Williams - chairman of Sydney-based airline cargo sales and general sales agent Wexco Aviation Services - along with company director Russell Freeman and West Australian cargo manager Geoff Lord all achieved the milestone of 50 years in the industry.
Wexco chief executive officer David Williams is a third-generation industry player and his long list of achievements was rewarded with an Order of Australian Medal (OAM) for his services to international trade, especially in the field of transportation and freight forwarding.
“At the age of five, I was going around the Sydney wharves with my grandfather and father. My grandfather started a customs brokerage – Hull & Co – after returning from the First World War. At 12, I was working in the business in my school holidays and after completing my education started full-time, later obtaining my Customs brokers licence. A third generation Customs broker, Hull & Co was one of the pioneer freight forwarders, representing Pension Airfreight, a New York-based air freight forwarder.”
In1970, TNT acquired the family business and Williams worked for Rudders, then the international arm of TNT. “TNT joint ventured with Schulman , a US-based air freight forwarder. “I moved to the joint venture and at 24 was heading up its operations and marketing. I set up the TNT network of agents in Europe, giving TNT a global forwarding presence.
According to Williams, at that time there were only narrow-bodied aircraft and it was the start of the high-tech boom in Australia. “We chartered 707F and DC8Fs to move the outsized computers. B747 came to the market and I left TNT to start Fliway with Kevin Wymes - providing the high tech industry with door-to-door solutions using specialist trucks in Australia. Fliway expanded to New Zealand, Hong Kong and Singapore with a combined staff of 1500 in 18 offices, making it the largest privately-owned freight forwarder in Australia.
“The company grew and we did a joint venture with Fritz companies in the US and sold out to them in 1995. I moved to the US as senior vice president Fritz Customs and trade consulting with the aim of integrating door-to-door operations and to cut out the silos. When UPS bought Fritz, I headed up UPS TMS, the trade management consulting group of UPS. They wanted me to move to Atlanta and I wanted to return to Australia, so we agreed to go our separate ways.”
A former chairman of the Australian Federation of International Forwarders (AFIF) – just one of an impressive list of other major industry roles, as well as government boards and regulatory commissions - Williams joined the Wexco team on his return to Australia. “We worked hard to get where we are today,” he added.
AI first for Freeman Russell Freeman started his career in 1964 as an office junior with Air India and for the next 10 years worked his way through reservations and ticketing before joining the airline’s sales department. Air India used Boeing 707 aircraft and had services operating between Nandi/Sydney/Perth and on to India. In 1975, Freeman joined JAT Yugoslav Airlines when the carrier started an online service to Australia using Boeing 707s before changing to DC-10 aircraft. He held the positions of Australian sales and marketing manager/cargo manager and airport manager. “They were mostly at the same time, which is something I valued as it allowed me to experience all facets of airline operation,” he said.
“During my 17 years I was the company delegate in the commencement of both BSP and CASS, as well as an original member of the Board of Airline Representatives. However, in July 1992, the airline withdrew service from Australia due to US sanctions imposed by the crisis in the Balkans. I had a short stint of six months with JES AIR which operated Airbus services to Australia from Bulgaria before it withdrew service from the market.
“After that, I joined Aeroflot Russian Airlines as station and cargo manager when it had online services to Sydney from 1993-1996. Freeman’s involvement with Wexco began in 1979 when working with JAT and meeting David Williams for the first time. “David had arranged with the airline’s head office to consolidate European freight and use the service of the airlines to perform the task. In turn, Wexco was appointed to represent the needs of JAT with air freight from Australia – so after my time with the airlines ceased in 1996 I commenced work with Wexco Airfreight, as it was known, becoming a director and business partner.
“I believe with my airline background and David’s unmatched career in freight forwarding that we have created a cargo GSA of great strength and knowledge. Just looking at the150 years of experience between myself, David and Geoff it makes me feel old, but it has been a great privilege to work in the aviation industry that has given me fond memories.”
Dramatic change
Like Freeman, Geoff Lord, who set up Qatar Airways’ cargo operation in Perth, said he’d seen many changes in the air cargo industry in the past 50 years – the biggest being the development of aircraft.
“In the 60’s, a freighter was likely to be a DC3 with little payload little more than three tonnes and a range not more than 300 miles – a bit different to our freighters of today with payloads upwards of 130 tonnes and the capability of flying non-stop half way round the world. And probably the biggest change has been in reservation systems, which today are highly sophisticated and effective. If I recall correctly, in the 60s there were no systems – a brief notation in a diary and that was it!
“I’ve been lucky, some amazing experiences and a great privilege to work with so many different cultures,” said Lord, who has worked in airport management, passenger sales and marketing and more recently, in international air freight, with spells in wholesale travel, inclusive tours and freight forwarding. At one, time he was even contracted to the West Australian government.
The genial Scot began his career as a traffic officer at Edinburgh airport with British United Airways – later to become British Caledonian (BCal) – after which he went on to serve in a number of overseas postings with the airline in West Africa, the Middle East and Singapore.
“Sadly, BCal began to fall on tough times and I was made redundant in 1975, but there were always other opportunities including a stint in Liberia with the French logistics agent SCAC. But after a series of coups I decided it was time to leave!
“Another spell in Edinburgh as marketing manager with third level carrier Air Ecosse also ended abruptly when it went bust.
“Finally, before deciding to emigrate to Australia I got a job as marketing development manager with YBA Kanoo in Bahrain – the first and largest IATA travel company in the Middle East and GSA to British Airways, Singapore Airlines, Qantas, American Express and Hilton hotels.”
Lord arrived in Australia in 1982 and joined Singapore Airlines in passenger sales, later moving into air freight and becoming cargo manager for the carrier. In 1994, he successfully tendered for a six-year contract as chief executive officer to the Airfreight Export Council with the WA government. Following this, he joined DHL as airfreight export manager, then in 2005 was awarded a six-year contract with Emirates as cargo manager WA, after which he planned to retire.
However, in 2012, Wexco offered Lord the position to start up and establish Qatar Airways’ cargo operation in Perth. The industry journeyman is still with Wexco and “thoroughly enjoys working with a highly professional and dedicated team”.
Few – if any -Australian air freight companies can boast having a dedicated team where three of them – including the boss – have clocked up a total of 150 years in the aviation industry, writes John Newton.
AI first for Freeman
Like Freeman, Geoff Lord, who set up Qatar Airways’ cargo operation in Perth, said he’d seen many changes in the air cargo industry in the past 50 years – the biggest being the development of aircraft.
