In this interview, Roy Murdock, Warehouse Manager at deugro Houston, USA, kindly grants us an insight into his job and deugro’s expanding warehousing activities in the USA.
Roy is a seasoned logistics professional with more than 25 years of experience in the oil and gas sector. Throughout his career, he has successfully managed complex logistics operations and supported a wide range of large-scale energy projects. His expertise spans the coordination of transportation, storage, and supply chain solutions in demanding environments. Recognized for his reliability and hands-on approach, Roy consistently contributes to efficient operations and the successful execution of projects across the industry. As Warehouse Manager at deugro Houston, Roy manages the operations at deugro’s warehouse facility COLT at the Cedar Port Industrial Park in Baytown, Texas.
COLT is strategically located adjacent to the Houston Ship Channel and near all major Houston port terminals. This means it provides easy access to the major highway system, ensuring the swift movement of goods and materials. With a total space of 47 acres (19 hectares), or slightly larger than 2 million square feet (185,000 square meters), it offers extensive laydown areas, including indoor space, to accommodate various activities for the company’s new and existing clients in the project and supply chain industries.
Hi, Roy. Thank you very much for taking the time for this interview. To help us better understand your role, could you briefly tell us something about your daily work and your key responsibilities?
Last year, you expanded deugro’s warehouse and laydown space footprint in Houston by adding a second facility named COLT, which stands for Cedar-Port Operations and Logistics Terminal. How is it developing?
Roy: The expansion and development of the COLT facility at Cedar Port Industrial Park has been developing very well and represents a major step forward in supporting complex project logistics in the Houston region. This facility has proven to be a great addition to the services we provide, giving us the extra capacity and flexibility needed to support growing project demands in the area. With its strategic location near the Houston Ship Channel and major port terminals, COLT allows us to provide efficient cargo handling, storage and project support services while maintaining the operational standards our clients expect. Our goal is to create a facility that not only supports today’s project demands but continues to evolve as our clients’ supply chain requirements grow.
As a company best known to be a leading project freight forwarder, what led deugro to expand into warehousing services and what added value does this integration offer your clients and their projects?
Roy: Our expansion into warehousing services was driven by our commitment to becoming a true single point of contact for our clients. As project demands grow more complex, we recognize the need to offer a fully integrated solution that goes beyond just transportation. By adding warehousing, we provide a complete end‑to‑end service with the level of quality, visibility and flexibility required in today’s challenging environment. This integration allows our clients to streamline coordination, reduce handling risks and benefit from faster, more efficient project execution.
Could you tell us more about the types of clients and industries you primarily serve at COLT? What kind of cargo do you typically store there, and are there any specific size or weight limitations—especially when it comes to project cargo?
Roy: We work with a broad range of clients across multiple industries, and our warehouse is designed to handle most types of cargo commonly associated with project logistics. While we can’t accommodate every possible cargo type, our infrastructure and equipment give us the flexibility to manage the majority of our clients’ oversized, heavy or specialized items. This allows us to support a wide variety of project needs while maintaining safe, efficient and reliable handling standards.
deugro is widely recognized as one of the leading global project logistics forwarders. Does this deep expertise and experience influence your warehousing services and approach? And in what ways do your clients benefit from this?
Roy: deugro’s long-standing expertise in project logistics plays a major role in how we approach our warehousing services. Our proximity to key project sites, industries and clients, combined with our deep understanding of their processes and cargo requirements, directly shapes the way we operate. We’re not just offering storage—we’re providing a service that is fully aligned with the realities of complex project execution.
Our experience in handling oversized, heavy lift and highly specialized cargo means we know exactly what is required to ensure safe, compliant and efficient handling from the moment cargo arrives at the warehouse until it moves onward by truck, rail, barge or ocean vessel. This integrated approach gives clients greater reliability, fewer handover points and a more controlled flow of materials throughout the entire project life cycle.
Is there anything you offer that conventional warehousing providers typically don’t?
Roy: Our warehousing services go beyond what a conventional provider typically offers because they are directly integrated with deugro’s project logistics expertise. We’re able to support clients with a level of coordination, compliance and technical / engineering understanding that standard warehouses usually can’t provide. Our team is trained in project‑specific handling requirements, regulatory considerations and multimodal transport planning, which allows us to manage cargo with greater precision and reduce risks during transitions between storage and onward transport. This creates a more efficient, transparent and fully connected experience for our clients across the project life cycle.
Given the high demand for warehouse space, is it still possible for clients to book cargo at your facility? What should interested parties keep in mind during the process, and who can they reach out to for more information?
Roy: Yes, it is still possible for clients to book cargo at our facility, although availability can vary due to the high demand. The best approach is for clients to reach out directly to their original point of contact within deugro. That team member will coordinate the request, confirm capacity and ensure that all operational requirements are aligned. Maintaining communication with your deugro contact helps streamline the process and ensures that clients receive the appropriate support and services throughout their booking. Direct inquiries can also be made to COLT@deugro.com.
