BY THE end of August 2005, the CTSI Philippines Distribution Center (DC) will be completed. With a total covered area of 180,000 square feet, the DC has three stories with warehouse space as well as office space. More so, it has an open area measuring at 70,000 square feet with a concrete ramp connecting the first and second floor, which increases warehouse efficiency. The first and second floor is 74,000 square feet while its third is 32,000 square feet. Complete with racks, forklifts and all the necessary equipment, the new DC is set to become a busy center for warehousing. At the same time, it will also serve as the Philippine Station's new home.

Philippine Station General Manager Lito Austria is clearly excited about its potential in the local market. "The current economic slump has compelled companies to look for more efficient ways of doing business," he enthuses. "The trend has been for companies to outsource their non-core companies and focus on their core competencies like manufacturing, packaging and the like. This creates opportunities for CTSI Logistics as more and more companies will be looking for the value added, cost efficient kind of service that we are offering."

With the DC being what Austria terms as an "intelligent warehouse," his sentiments come as no surprise "We offer not just warehousing services, but also a whole host of other logistics services," he explains. "We have a warehouse management system which can be enhanced to cater to the needs of each specific client."

With much promise, the Philippine DC is another addition to CTSI's growing list of facilities that offers clients the edge to improve their business efficiencies. So much so for Austria since he expects the DC to "symbolize the continuing growth and stability of CTSI."

"Having our own DC in the Philippines is symbolic of our strong presence in the country and our emergence as a strong player in the Philippines logistics industry," adds Austria.

As CTSI Logistics forges on to fulfill its vision of being the best logistics provider, it sees many challenges and opportunities to provide clients the world over services that speak to their needs at reasonable costs. And the Philippine DC brings it a big step closer to that coveted title. "The Philippine DC is an integral part of our vision of becoming a total logistics solution provider," imparts the general manager. "Because a full range of logistics services – such as warehousing, inventory management, freight forwarding, distribution and logistics consultancy – will all be available under one roof."