DANZAS OPERATING PROFIT JUMPS 74 PERCENT

   The Swiss forwarding and logistics group Danzas reported a 74 percent
increase in its operating income for 1998, to 61 million Swiss francs ($44
million), from SFr35 million the previous year.
   The group’s intercontinental division, responsible for international
ocean and air freight forwarding, generated operating profit of Sfr 52
million ($38 million), compared to SFr 45 million in 1997.
   The group’s net income rose 56 percent, to Sfr 56 million ($41 million),
from SFr 36 million in the previous year.
   Gross sales were up 5 percent, to SFr 7.22 billion ($5.23 billion) and
net sales rose 4 percent, to SFr 4.84 billion ($3.5 billion).
   Last year, Danzas reorganized the group into four business units
–consumer solutions (logistics for consumer goods), industry solutions
(logistics for industrial goods), intercontinental (ocean freight, air
freight, project business) and Euro-cargo (European surface transport).
   Danzas said it carried 320,000 TEU of ocean freight last year, an
increase of 16 percent.