will it ever recover to the 38p i paid for them??

noticed in Shares rag , Simon Porter of Virgin Cargo has said " aerobox containers are heavier than currently used by the airline which was satisfied with their durability" - can anybody confirm or wishes to refute these remarks.

here is the whole article with the simon porter which puts the quote in context:



Uncanny Solutions

With ULD repair costs sky-high, airlines can hardly contain their composite hopes for the new Aerobox

By Roger Turney

onsider the ULD. The ubiquitous, utilitarian and universal unit load device has served the airline industry these past three decades without complaint. Well not quite so, but then there has never been anything to replace the standard aluminum ULD, so complaint has to some extent been pointless.

Besides, what has there been to complain about? Stab a penknife through a soda can and you get some idea of what a forklift truck can do to a ULD. That and the consequent damage or injuries the jagged edges of a ripped container can do to cargo, baggage and handlers.

Then there is the downtime and cost of taking a container out of service for repair.

As an average rule of thumb each widebody aircraft out there is capable of carrying around 20 ULDs and each airline will have to purchase three sets of containers for each widebody aircraft in its fleet. At an average cost of $1,000-$1,200 for each container, it is a major investment for any carrier. Particularly as the lifespan of a standard aluminum ULD can be as short as three years.

Repair costs vary around the world, but average $120, and each ULD will probably get repaired at least twice a year.

One major ULD repair station at London Heathrow claims to repair more than 35,000 ULDs each year. The universal ULD, it appears, has become an expensive piece of hardware in today's cost-slashing airline environment.

Switzerland-based Unitpool, a subsidiary of ground handler Swissport that manages containers on a pooled basis for about 16 airlines, estimates the bill for ULD repairs runs to $225 million worldwide. The company has started a campaign called "Stop ULD Damage" that includes stickers that can be slapped onto containers, perhaps to cover the dents and dings.

Unit Loads

It is at Heathrow that another possible solution is being rolled out. Virgin Atlantic Airways planes will start carrying the first ULDs that a U.S. research company, Aerospace Composite Structures, based in Albuquerque, N.M., claims will bring the first real change to ULD construction since the first pieces of aluminum were snapped together.

The company has been working for a number of years to develop composite technology, initially for the U.S. defense industry, including the Strategic Defense Initiative project. This new composite was a low cost, high impact and damage tolerant material with exceptional durability.

Called Aeroplaz, the material may be more durable than space-based missile defense and it is coming to the air freight world in the form of a new, lighter, cheaper and more damage resistant unit load device for the airline industry.

Introducing the Aerobox, the new ULD, which it is claimed is virtually indestructible, even to the attentions of the most wanton of forklift drivers. Aerobox is being developed and produced on capital raised on the London Stock Exchange, which is why the innovative container is being launched primarily to airlines in Europe.

Russ Colbourne, commercial director of Aerobox has no doubt that his new box will succeed. "It is everything the airlines have been looking for in a ULD and more," he said.

Not only is the Aerobox 12 percent lighter than the standard aluminum ULD, says Colbourne, it also has some remarkable characteristics. "Damage a normal container with a forklift and it causes jagged edges, requiring the unit to be taken out of service for up to week, with a repair cost of over $100," explains Colbourne. "Pierce an Aerobox with a forklift truck and all you need to do is stick on a patch made of the same composite material and the unit remains in service."

A more permanent repair can be made with what might be called existing technology: A household iron is used to simply heat and press the temporary patch into permanent place. "It really is that simple,"

says Colbourne. No need to send a container off to a repair station and no need to take a container out of service."

The other main virtue of the Aerobox is the ability to collapse the box into a flat-pack state. In this way up to 12 units can be stacked to take up the same space as one ULD on an aircraft. "This should have enormous benefit for carriers who have strong traffic imbalances on certain routes," says Colbourne.

The Aerobox, says Colbourne, has received U.S. Federal Aviation Administration approval and the okay from the United Kingdom's regulators is expected to follow.

UK carrier Virgin will be the first carrier to undertake trials with the new ULD with 10 units being circulated throughout the airline's system.

Africa Tests

It is an opportunity Simon Porter, operations manager at Virgin Atlantic Cargo is looking forward to with some relish and he knows just where he will be sending the first units.

"Every airline has its own difficult destination and we will be sending our boxes to Lagos in Nigeria. If they return from there in one piece then we might have a success on our hands."

But Porter raises questions about the other qualities of the new Aerobox. "Our current fleet of aluminum ULDs are very durable and in actual fact lighter than the Aerobox. We also doubt if we would have a need to flat-pack our units. Virgin has developed a very tight joint control of both its cargo and baggage containers, so as to virtually eliminate any route imbalances."

But adds, Porter, the main attraction of the Aerobox would be its on-line repair capability: "Every one of our containers goes for repair at least twice a year. Even though we can have them turned round in as little as 24-48 hours there is still a major cost involved."

According to Colbourne, Cathay Pacific, Singapore Airlines, Air-India and Qantas have agreed to try the boxes and Air France is expected to sign up. Other company sources said United Parcel Service was strongly interested .

The prospect of a large commitment from the Asian carriers excites Colbourne most, however. "Our current manufacturing facilities are in Albuquerque, but if we get substantial interest in the Far East then we will consider developing a production facility in China," he says.

Either way, ULD repair stations around the world may have some quiet times ahead, unless they order steam irons.

eurofox , thanks , seems the jury still out but like the bit about easy repair.

great article. thx for posting. am still keeping a close eye on this stock

Is the aerobox container cheaper than an aluminium ULD.What is it made from?Sorry to be so unknowledgeable,but have just discovered this one.Thanks

This is a stock I've made money in before - you have to be patient and buy it when everything is quiet - then watch it explode. Technically they have a very good product but it took them a while to get the production aligned with the orders - now they are ready!

and the sooner the better!! i bought at 38p, any thoughts of where the price could go and when??

Last para of following article:

http://business.scotsman.com/latest.cfm?id=4097103

Air cargo group Aerobox is trying to grab a slice of the market with a more robust freight box which distributes the load more evenly. Tests showed its boxes suffered 25% less damage than aluminium containers. Shares are interesting speculation at 18p.


Also rated an interesting speculation in "The Business" pink newspaper - can't get the web link yet but have the paper itself - text is as follows:

Transporting goods by air is risky. All cargo containers, the aluminium boxes that sit in a plane's hold, get bashed so often they need repairing twice a year. The fate of the goods inside is another story. Aerobox has a solution and is in a race to grab a slice of the market with a more robust freight box. The company's Aeroplaz thermoplastic panels have a honeycomb design - so the load is evenly distributed. The boxes can cut the expense of operating air cargo containers by half thanks to reduced damage.
Last month, Aerobox revealed that, after having flown 12,000 test flights, its boxes suffer damage rates that are less than 25% of those of aluminium containers.
The company's boxes are certified for use by the US and European aviation authorities, and production at its site in New Mexico is to be ramped up. The company now needs to win big orders. It has delivered 100 boxes each to Virgin Atlantic and Aer Lingus. Saudi Airlines is the biggest customer with an order for 500. Virgin is to receive 150 more.
The boxes sell for between 700 and 1,100 generating around 650,000 of turnover. The 2004 numbers will only show 300,000 of sales due to' timing of deliveries. So far the company has racked up losses have about 4.3m and 2005 is the big year when it must deliver higher turnover. Broker Seymour Pierce forecasts 1.8m pre-tax profit on l0m of sales this year. The orders need to start coming in fast to achieve this progress.
Assuming an average price of 800, the company has to book 12,500 box sales this year. There's the possibility of 1,500 more going to Virgin, and Aer Lingus has an option to buy 900 more, but the company will need bigger airlines to commit. Trials are taking place with a third of the world's top 25 carriers. Competitors are unlikely to take Aerobox lying down. The company believes it has 18 months before rivals gain certification for similar boxes.
The shares have been as high as 41p in the heady days after flotation in 2003, but have slipped as low as 14p. On the face of it, the house broker's estimate of earnings per share of 1.7p for this year makes the shares look cheap - if the orders get delivered.
The share price will react sharply to trading rumours between now and the next results, probably in March, which should include guidance in whether the 2005 numbers are achievable. Until there's more certainty, the shares are an interesting speculation.

Andrew Griffiths is managing editor of the Aim & Ofex Newsletter

Does anyone know how many aluminium boxes are currently in circulation with the world's airlines ? If ARX boxes are so indestructible then repeat business looks like a non-starter. The value is mainly in expanding the first-time purchases!

Wakey Wakey People, In the Daily Mail today article by Brian O'Connor.

THE deserts of New Mexico have been home to scientific innovation since the fateful day in July 1945 when Robert Oppenheimer's team set off the first atomic bomb and changed the course of history.
Recent innovations from the US national laboratories are less shattering. At Sandia, south of Los Alamos, researchers spent years designing a better cargo container for airlines. Their work laid the foundations for Aim-quoted tiddler Aerobox.
The bulk of global air cargo moves in aluminium containers. These are light and strong, but when damaged, their jagged edges cause injuries and pose flight safety hazards. Typically they cost 500 each but annual repairs can cost 250 and take them out of service for two months each year.
The Sandia scientists worked on light carbon and boron composites but these were too brittle. A group of private investors developed a coating of glass fibre on a 'honeycomb' base of polypropylene, baked and laminated for extra strength. This proved so resilient that it was intact after being dropped from 60 feet.
In 1988, the group formed Aerospace Composite Structures. In March 2003, UK investors led by Michael Edelson bought ACS for 8.4m and floated on Aim as Aerobox. Edelson, nicknamed 'Shell-meister', has launched a string of companies.

Both the UK Civil Aviation Authority and the US FAA have now cleared most of the designs.The first 100 boxes were made in 2003 and Aerobox opened its own factory in Rio Rancho, New Mexico, last April.
Finance director Richard Scott says the boxes sell at a 50pc premium to aluminium containers but save up to 80pc on repair costs and pay for themselves within two years. Each box can save an airline around 500 over five years.
The first takers - Virgin Atlantic and Aer Lingus - were each given 10 boxes free. Virgin went on to order 250, Aer Lingus 100 with an option on 900. Saudi Arabian Airlines has ordered 500 and may take more.
There are almost lm containers in use around the world. Airlines spend 75m to 150m a year replacing them. Cargo trade is growing at 6pc a year.
Aerobox's target is to win lOpc of the market within a year and ultimately 25pc-plus, making it the industry standard.
This is high ambition for a company valued at 24m. The shares, which hit 39'/2p a year ago, have come back to 17p. Rivals, the aluminium giants Alcan and Nordisk, are pricing aggressively.
Aerobox raised 4.8m in November but could need more. Last year it had a wrangle with Watermark which was marketing the box.
To become cash neutral, Aerobox needs to sell 600 boxes a month. One-third of the top 25 airlines have agreed to try them. There is also interest from builders and car and truck makers.
You may need patience but the shares have a great deal of long-term promise.

excellent post. thx cavman2

And from me.cavman2( albeit belatedly)

Spread has come down from 10 to 5 and we had a few buys today.

i am getting tempted....

Proptrade,
Go on you know it makes sense. Well at least have a little dabble.

ok...by the end of the week...just a dabblr though

Obviousy another believer in the ARX story.

AeroBox plc
22 February 2005



AEROBOX PLC

(the 'Company')

Holdings in Company

The Company was informed on 21 February 2005 that Framlington Investment
Management Limited holds 13,178,572 ordinary shares in the Company. These shares
represent 9.80% of the Company's current issued share capital of 134,509,309
shares.



- Ends -

Enquiries:

Richard Scott Finance Director, AeroBox plc +44 7986 423891

Trevor Phillips Holborn +44 207 929 5599
Jonathan Wright Seymour Pierce +44 207 107 8000

Website:


www.aeroboxplc.com


Notes to Editors:

The Aerobox air cargo container is the result of a decade of research and
development into composite structure panels. The strength and thermal resistance
of the AeroplazTM thermoplastic composite panels enables Aerobox to develop
custom made solutions for a wide range of applications. The unique construction
of AeroplazTM provides for improved strength and durability that can reduce
costly repairs by over 75% as well as improving reliability, utilisation and
safety.

Morning everyone - old friends and new faces alike.

Dipped my toe in at 20.75p (my intraday timing was always crap!) after a BUY recommend in RHPSG.

With the cc against Watermark settled, regulatory approval in US, UK, EU and actual boxes in use with Virgin etc and several airlines with orders, this looks like a no brainer from hereon in. Apart from the much cheaper mainitenance costs (in spite of higher initial purchase price, which will come down as volume increases, I am sure) I especially like the application to specialist cargo with refrigeration units being developed and lower spoilage rates for e.g. drugs - worth more than the cheap maintenance in the long run.

Plus, once the airlines business is up and running, think of the other applications for this fibre panel technology. I do love a fundamental invention with multiple applications to existing industries.

After a somewaht volatile 12 months, let's hope we've got it wrapped up now.

SD

Lets hope so SD wish I had more cash to average down as bought in at 30p... Oh well...

Any forecasts, Stockdog?

With only 146m shares in issue and with today's volume, I'd have expected a bigger rise. How's the money situation with this firm? Is there likely to be an issue to raise working cash?