The Competitive Edge Our Services Provide

Excerpted from an interview with Mikael Gagnon, Business Development Manager for Groupe Somavrac since 2017

We are close to our customers, and we are always proactive in providing guidance, support, and advice to help them continuously improve their supply chain efficiency. The competitive edge they derive from each of our main services helps make Groupe Somavrac a benchmark company when it comes to the multimodal logistics of bulk product.

“We are always trying to maximize our supply chain efficiency and lower costs for our customers, by choosing the right handling equipment and assigning the right warehousing location and work team.” – mikael gagnon, business devlopment manager for groupe somavrac

Stevedoring: strategic positioning

The strategic location of our maritime facilities in Trois-Rivières and Bécancour provides several benefits, including

• Shorter wait times for ships
• Lower wait time fees and demurrage charges
• Centralized alternative to major urban centers, with easy access to the Great Lakes
• Less road traffic and construction
• Strategic position for road transportation: located along Highway 40 (westward toward Montreal, with better direct access than Highway 20) with easy access to both Montreal and Quebec City-bound directions
• Bulk specialist for load relief heading to Ontario – an alternative to containers

Warehousing: access

Access by sea, rail, and road represents a distinct advantage for warehousing. Each one of our warehousing terminals has been specially designed and located to keep handling costs low. Our customers seek out our warehouses and tanks located near a railway or marine dock to lower their supply chain expenses. In summary:

• Groupe Somavrac tanks and warehouses are all near the Saint Lawrence Seaway, railways, and strategic roadways (near highways 40 and 55).
• In Bécancour, tanks are connected to a network of pipes that makes ship-to-tank and tank-to-customer-facility transfers possible. It’s an innovative, modern site that uses advanced technology to track inventories.
• Most tanks and warehouses are near handling and transformation facilities: bagging/debagging plants, sifting domes, and/or solution preparation tanks.
• Space available for new dry and liquid bulk infrastructures.

Handling and transformation: diversification

We have adapted as markets have developed over time. We have focused on development and flexibility to meet our customers’ various requests. This way of working has helped the company diversify in terms of expertise: “We can handle and transform just about any type of bulk safely and efficiently,” states Mikael Gagnon. Here are some of the handling services we provide:

• Small-format bagging
• Large-format bagging
• Drying
• Sifting
• Intermodal transshipping (transfers)
• Multimodal packaging, e.g. adding protection to big bags to be shipped
• Solution preparation and dilution

Transportation: hazardous materials 

Some types of cargo must be handled with extreme care due to the risk they pose. The Groupe Somavrac team is particularly cautious with this type of cargo and uses adapted methods and equipment to minimize the risk of incidents as much as possible. With Groupe Somavrac, chemicals, toxic products, and flammable materials are in good hands. We are proud to offer the following road transportation expertise:

• Cryogenic transportation service
• Several carrier certifications, including Transportation of Dangerous Goods (TDG) Classes 2-3-4-5-8-9
• Drivers experienced with chemicals and hazardous materials
• Wash stations that keep tankers and trailers clean – ideal and mandatory when transporting hazardous materials