Family-owned business, Hunter Cargo and Customs has leveraged the networks of ICN to grow its business and expand into new industry, such as defence and renewables.
Established in New South Wales in 1986, Hunter Cargo and Customs services clients across Australia.
The company provides fully integrated freight service – air, sea, road and rail – as well as providing help with customs clearance and warehousing.
Owners Ashanthi and Wayne Kruger took over the business from the founders in 2013, with Ashanthi taking on the role of managing director and Wayne as General Manager.
According to Wayne, ICN Consultant Dusko Bajic has shown an interest in the company, and through his connection with HunterNet has provided leads on defence opportunities.
“Defence is one of our target markets. Dusko is aware of that and he has contacts there and has referred us to them. And we have been able to convert that into business.”
“Working with Dusko, and word of mouth, has given us traction.”
Hunter Cargo and Customs is also targeting renewables and has been able to take advantage of the ICN network in that industry as well.
The company provides end-to-end freight services to a range of clients Australia-wide, from helping import needed goods, getting them through customs, storage and delivering to site are required.
Its full suite of services includes:
- Export airfreight: Urgent cargo freighted to and from anywhere in Australia Sydney to connect with first available flight to major trading centres, including warehousing, customs clearance, delivery and distribution.
- Export sea freight: Break bulk services and containerised cargo services to and from anywhere in Australia to the world.
- Import air freight: includes pick up from supplier, arranging export paperwork and fly on first available flight.
- Import sea freight: Full container loads to and from anywhere in Australia Newcastle Port via Singapore from Europe and South East Asia fortnightly. Less container loads from all major trading centres to anywhere in Australia Sydney weekly.
- Warehousing and packaging
- Customs clearance
- Marine insurance
“Our agent overseas liaises with the suppliers, finds out when the manufacturing process is complete and ready to pick up and we do everything from that point to get it to your doorstep, anywhere in Australia,” Wayne said.
“And the reverse, we can get goods from anywhere in Australia and export to anywhere in the world, via air or sea freight.”
Current and recent projects include freight services for:
- the export of 23 oversized pieces of bulk freight, such as pontoons and gangways, to Yokohama
- freight services for Summerhill Solar Farm, west of Newcastle
- dismantling and re-locating a 250-Tonne Danieli extrusion press plant including its associated equipment (electrical switchboards, cooling tower, etc.) to India.
The company is also in the process of tendering for work with various tram and light rail systems; and for ship unloaders at ports.
With COVID affecting international freight, the company weathered the storm, seamlessly moving staff to work from home and manage the supply chain.
“They were a few weaknesses, but we did the best we could with what we had. The whole supply chain was quite challenging, but we survived it by going paperless, working remote and having a good infrastructure in place,” Wayne said. “We were also eligible for JobKeeper, which helped.”
For more information about Hunter Cargo and Customs see their website.
