Bibby Distribution has won a five and a half year warehousing and distribution contract with Parlane International, an importer of modern home accessories.

The PWC Logistics group, which includes Geo Logistics, TransOceanic, and Trans-Link, is rebranding as Agility.

Atlantic rate rise From the beginning of 2007, Maersk Line is to charge an extra $300 for each container travelling from Europe to North America. Hapag-Lloyd is also raising rates for the North Atlantic and the US West Coast.

Logistics legend John Harvey is back. Keswick Enterprises, Harvey’s investment vehicle, has bought DDS (Corby), the warehouse and delivery company, and renamed it Enterprise Logistics.

Wincanton, has won the distribution contract for bulk loads of aviation products and diesel fuels to various RAF stations, warships and Ministry of Defence sites in the UK.

TNT Logistics has changed its name to Ceva Logistics following its sale by TNT Post Group to private equity investors.

Rentokil Initial, which owns express operator City Link, is buying Target Express for £210 million. So far, it says, it has received acceptances for 90 per cent of the share capital with the balance expected no later than the end of the year.

Christian Salvesen pushed up sales 7.5 per cent to £433m in the first half but tough conditions in the transport market meant that profit before tax and exceptionals was down from £8.1m to £7.1m.

Andrew Austin has been appointed vice president of European operations at Schneider Logistics. He will be based at Venlo in The Netherlands.

Skills for Logistics is a one of twenty-five sector skills councils (SSC), covering the main sectors of UK plc.