Despite the Coronavirus Outbreak, The Northern Italian Ports of La Spezia and Ravenna are Operational

On February 24th, the number of confirmed cases of coronavirus in Italy had reached 229 and the World Health Organization and European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control arrived to support authorities.

Contship Italia Group terminal operations will continue as normal in the northern Italian ports of La Spezia and Ravenna. Contship, “will continue to monitor the evolving situation and issue updates when necessary.”

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(World Maritime News)

Crown Helps The Clift Royal Sonesta Hotel With Charitable Contributions

The Clift Royal Sonesta Hotel in coordination with Compass Family Services is re-purposing used furniture that would have ended up in a landfill to families in need. The project is the inspiration of JLL Senior Project Manager, Matthew Boone. The hotel is renovating and new furniture is being installed. Crown is honored to be managing deliveries of furniture to families benefiting from this contribution.

 

 

Crown Featured in SanLeandroNext.com’s Green Business Profile

Green Business Profile: Crown Worldwide Moving & Storage

In 2020, the San Leandro Sustainability Office is highlighting different green businesses around San Leandro. Businesses can become certified green businesses through the Alameda County Green Business Program after completing a certain set of criteria. Among those is Crown Worldwide Moving and Storage LLC in San Leandro.

Crown is a world-class full-service global provider of transportation and relocation services (International transport, Commercial relocations, Domestic household good transportation, Storage and Asset management and Automobile transport).

Pinpointing San Leandro as both a hub of the Bay Area and close to the Port of Oakland, Crown moved its headquarters here from San Francisco in 1976. Not only did this move reduce overhead in the form of less expensive office and warehouse space, but Crown was able to decrease drive-time for local moves thus reducing vehicle emissions, fuel cost and labor cost.

Over the years, to protect the environment and its community, Crown has made numerous changes in order to become more sustainable. This meant helping avoid the depletion of natural resources and purchasing products to minimize environmental impact, toxins, pollution and hazards to workers and safety to the community. This in turn helps maintain and protect an ecological balance for society at large.

Some of the changes had the added benefit of overhead cost reduction. Crown’s installation of LED lighting and T-5 fixtures was the greatest success from a cost standpoint. As Crown’s Chairman Robert Bowen notes, “There was a considerable reduction in Crown’s electric bill afterwards and it was supplemented by a rebate from PG&E. Furthermore, the purchase of electric forklifts reduced the cost of propane and eliminated the need to store hazardous products. Getting acceptance from some employees was challenging since they were used to having products of convenience no matter their impact on the environment. However, through consistent messaging from management, they began to see the value of these improvements.”

Crown has managed to achieve a number of sustainability best practices, including:

  • Replacing the light fixtures in warehouses with T-5 and LED
  • Installing motion light fixtures in warehouses
  • Eliminating plastic bottles from vending machines
  • Replacing paper, plastic and polystyrene products in lunch rooms with glassware and silverware
  • Placing containers at every work-station, rest room and lunch room to collect and dispose of products for recycling
  • Placing containers in every lunch room for food waste
  • Covering the office windows with reflective film to reduce heat infiltration
  • Installing interior motion detector light switches in offices
  • Installing exterior day-light sensors on flood lights
  • Purchasing electric forklifts for warehouses
  • Recycling all corrugated medium products
  • Recycling metal and e-waste
  • Conducting work sessions to educate employees how to conserve energy and eliminate the use of household products harmful to the environment
  • Setting default settings for printers to be double-sided
  • Focusing management software and processes on the elimination of paper documents and digitization of documentation

Chairman Bowen urges business owners and managers, “Make the protection of our environment a top priority. Promote and educate your workforce to do the same, not just at work, but at home.  Create a team to drive your program each and every day, otherwise, your efforts will be ineffective and not taken seriously. Finally, voice your opinion on environmental issues with your local, state and federal elected officials, your friends, your co-workers and your family.”

How to Pack Houseplants

If you are planning to take your indoor house plants with you on your next move, there are several important items you must consider before moving day.

Green leafy indoor plant.

FEDERAL REGULATIONS

According to federal guidelines, house plants qualify as “perishable” items and are not allowed on regulated moving vans traveling more than 150 miles to their destination. They are also not allowed to be packed on regulated moves that will take more than 24 hours to complete. Ask your moving agent for specific details about your move so you can make necessary accommodations.

STATE REGULATIONS

Some states like California, Arizona and Florida have laws that regulate plants and soil to prevent the spread of certain insects and diseases. It is generally recommended that you repot your plants several weeks ahead of time in commercially available soil to avoid unnecessary quarantine. Check with your destination’s department of natural resources to get the most current information about plant regulation.

RECOMMENDATIONS

The changing temperatures and lack of fresh air in a moving container can be harmful to your plants. When preparing for a long-distance move, the safest, most certain way to transport houseplants is in a stable, temperature-controlled environment like the back seat of your car.

If you are unable to make accommodations for your houseplants, consider taking cuttings to replant. You’ll want to wrap cuttings in wet moss and packing paper to pack in a plastic grocery bag. Place bags in a small box and fill gaps with crumpled newsprint.

For more tips on packing click here.

(source: United Van Lines)

The Panama Canal Authority Responds to Low Water Levels

In February, the Panama Canal Authority (PCA) will implement a series of new measures to sustain the operational water level of the Canal. Gatun Lake, the main source of water for the Canal, has reached a historic low due to several years of lower than average rainfall and rising temperatures. These measures include:

  1. Freshwater surcharge for all vessels over 125 feet in length
  2. Variable fee (depending on Gatun Lake levels at the time of transit) ranging from a minimum of 1% – 10% of the vessel’s toll
  3. Reduction of the number of daily reservation slots
  4. Handling service fee applied to all visits for transit at the time they are created in the system

The PCA believes,“the new measures will allow the Panama Canal to better anticipate the number and type of ships transiting the waterway, and therefore allocate water resources accordingly.”

Relocating for a Job is Big Decision

Will this job be worth the expense and the stress of moving? Even if you are completely confident in the job and company there are other considerations.

  1. Who’s affected? If you have a family, you’ve got to think about how they’ll feel. Does the new city have a good school system and enough activities to keep everyone happy?
  2. Do you like the new city?
  3. Cost of Living: how far will your salary go?
  4. What’s traffic like?
  5. How do you defeat your moving stress? Hiring a qualified and experience mover like Crown can help alleviate this stress. We can guide you every step of the way.

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(www.entrepreneur.com)

Winter Safety Tips

Learn from the mistakes of the naughty Christmas elf as you and your loved ones celebrate the holiday season.Naughty-Elf

While the holidays are a characteristically joyous time of year, they can also be hazardous if simple safety precautions aren’t followed. Learn from the mistakes of the naughty Christmas elf as you and your loved ones celebrate the holiday season.

    1. Do not use electronics near water
    2. Never sleep with electronics under your pillow
    3. Keep batteries safely stored in their packaging they can be deadly if swallowed
    4. Do not leave space heaters unattended when in use
    5. Keep decorations at least 3 feet away from any open flame
    6. Never play with fire
    7. Do not run cords under carpets, rugs, furniture, or out of windows
    8. Do not overload outlets
    9. Sometimes less is more be careful not to over decorate
    10. Always turn off decorations when you’re sleeping or leaving your home
    11. Inspect all decorations and discard any that are damaged or worn
    12. Keep your natural Christmas tree hydrated and water it daily

(Source: United Van Lines)

Packing Tips for Dishes

Moving across country or getting special china out for the holidays? These tips will help you keep your dishes safe.

  1. Wrap and stack plates in bundles up to four and bowls in bundles of two to three. Wrap china separately before bundling.
  2. Wrap glasses and mugs individually.
  3. Wrap the stem of a wine glass with a folded sheet of paper before wrapping in packing paper.
  4. Wrap items with lids, such as teapots, in paper and then wrap in additional paper creating a bundle.
  5. Pack items in the dish pack lined with crumpled paper, beginning with the heaviest items first. Place bundles of plates and bowls on their side. Build layers separated with cardboard and use cell packs for glasses and stemware, as well as collectibles or other breakables.

See the full article for more tips and a video.

OFFICE MOVE PRE-MOVE CHECKLIST TIPS

Selecting a qualified mover is paramount if you want to have a successful office move. As a member of the Commercial Relocation Network, Crown is affiliated with 50 of the largest office and industrial relocation companies in the country. Members of this group are the best commercial relocation companies available in the United States.

The moving process can be easier than you anticipate, if you follow the plan provided by your move consultant and think about these questions when creating a pre-move check list:

  1. Have all desks been cleared and emptied?
  2. Have file cabinets been secured and are there spare keys available if original keys are lost?
  3. Have tall supply cabinets and shelving units been emptied?
  4. Have all electrical assets such as computers, printers, monitors, peripherals and phones been disconnected and labeled properly?
  5. Have all printers been serviced and ink cartridges removed if required?
  6. Are all pictures and dry erase boards off the walls and ready to move?
  7. Did you empty and disconnect the break room refrigerator if you have one?
  8. Is all perishable trash emptied?

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(Commercial Relocation Network)