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In this Issue: ZIM Integrated Shipping Services Ltd. | Africa Logistics Network (ALN) | NATCO Middle East >>> Dear Readers, Week four has arrived and today is Thursday January 23rd, 2019. |
One week to go and we’ll have cleared the first month of the year already. It also means that I am that much closer to fifty-six than I am to fifty-five. I used to believe that age was only a number and I was always in the mood to entertain customers, going out until the early hours because I was sure I could sleep when I got old. Now I am ‘old’, although of course you’re only as old as you believe yourself to be. There are people in their thirties who act like they’re in their fifties and vice versa. I suppose all kinds of things in life can influence the way that we tackle aging. One thing that I can say for sure regarding going out until the early hours entertaining content providers, friends or colleagues, is that it’s now much harder to do. |
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A few drinks nowadays and I am off to the races and, although I have had many of my ‘wiser’ thoughts after having downed a couple of drinks, excessive drinking is a problem these days and it now takes much longer to recover. Clint Eastwood, the famous American actor/director, once told Captain Mackay in Dirty Harry 2, ‘you’re a legend in your own mind’. Another quote of his was ‘a man’s got to know his limitations’. I will certainly drink to that. Alcoholism is a taboo but it is still everywhere in our society. More often than not, it comes from a combination of stress, hard work, duty to perform and other kinds of pressures. Alleviating these pressures by any means possible includes the option of drinking to excess. Alternatively, you can get into drugs, of course, which have quicker but much more long term and dangerous effects. I think we all need to take a step back once in a while in life and ask ourselves, ‘do I need all this’, or ‘am I happy about what I do,’ maybe even, ‘don’t I actually have enough money’? I was told at an AA meeting once that if you point at someone, three fingers point back to you. Instructive, right? |
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Well, enough of the ‘arm-chair philosophy’ and back to the world in which we live, for better or for worse. In this week’s issue, I believe that you will find the interviews very interesting! First, we travel to the State of Israel and speak to its biggest ship owner with roots in this Middle Eastern country – a ship owner who has global container services and serious ambitions in moving project and OOG cargoes around the world. Next, we travel to Italy and speak to a founder of a successful Africa-focussed network that is linking up freight forwarders, not only in Africa, but increasingly globally as well. They’ll give you food for thought on why you should join them. We finally end our interview string in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia as we speak to a strong project freight forwarder with ample experience in delivering cargoes, also to inland points in the desert. They shed a light on whether you should be using Jeddah or Dammam as an ideal gateway, so do take your time to read about this company. |
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We have some interesting business intelligence that also involves the possibility of obtaining a new passport. Passports are, as we all know, the keys to freedom, travel or both. After more general shipping news from this past week, we provide you with trade intelligence before rounding off our newsletter with both Video and Picture of the Week and Wise Words, of course. Until next week, |
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ZIM Integrated Shipping Services Ltd.Interview with Mr. Michael Shvarzman |
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ZIM Lines, I believe, generally accepts flat-racks and special equipment. How about break bulk cargo by container ship and OOG – is that something you carry on a regular basis? If so, are there any particular trade lanes where you mainly accept OOG and break bulk?
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ZIM regularly carries OOG and break bulk cargo around the world. We have participated in many complicated projects transporting special equipment.
Ormat technologies, a leading provider of renewable energy power plants, is a veteran ZIM customer. For many years ZIM’s special cargo experts handle the carriage of heavy and out-of-gauge Ormat Units. Last week, another 39-ton unit was handled by ZIM team, headed to Chile. We have a dedicated, experienced team to help customers with finding solutions to suit their needs regarding such cargo.
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Africa Logistics Network (ALN)Interview with Mr. Marcello Saponaro |
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These days, there are a lot of networks out there, how do you ensure that you stand out among these other networks?
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Well, we are the only network that covers 98% of Africa. This should be enough incentive if you are interested in working there. Also, ALN allows a limited number of members per country and many of them joined us in our first year. Actually, every one of our conferences contains a lot of one-to-one meetings, but mainly they serve as environments for us to all have fun together, which is really important to build confidence and trust between each other.
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NATCO Middle East – Jeddah, Saudi ArabiaInterview with Mr. Irshad Hussain |
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Can you tell us about the history of NATCO in the Middle East? When was the company established, where is it headquartered and who are the owners of the company today?
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Ever since the establishment of NATCO Middle East, back in 2002 in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, the company never looked back and went on to open branch offices in Riyadh and Dammam in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, as well as in Dubai, United Arab Emirates and in Bremen, Germany, under the name Towerpro Logistics GmbH. We have our headquarters in Dubai, United Arab Emirates and Mr. Syed Abbas Ali is the managing director/owner of the company.
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Shipping News | Commercial |
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Editors note: Malta, which is featured below as photo of the week, besides being a strategically located shipping hub is a good choice for the would be investor and even offers the possibility to acquire a national Maltese passport which ranks among the most desirable passports worldwide. Read more about it here in this presentation given to us by B3G Ltd Mr Gustafsson, whom you can reach at christer@gustafsson.com.mt in case you are keen to know more. I lived there for 3 years and still have a condo there, I highly recommend it.
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Shipping News |
China Navigation to Acquire the Bulk Shipping Activities of Hamburg Süd |
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Editors note: With the name Hamburg Süd soon gone from the radar after being gobbled up by Maersk Line it now seems that also the bulk activities of the company are history. However, those activities will be taken over by another company with impressive history ie. Swire Group.
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Hamburg Süd and The China Navigation Company (CNCo), a subsidiary of the Swire Group, today announced an agreement for CNCo to acquire the bulk shipping business in Hamburg Süd which includes Rudolf A. Oetker (RAO), Furness Withy Chartering and the bulk activities in Alianca Navegacão (Aliabulk).
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Chipolbrok, the renowed breakbulk shipowner controlled by Poland and China, has gone to Hollywood, one of their breakbulk vessels was used as a backdrop for a Hollywood film |
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The working title of the movie is “Power” and the script was penned by Mattson Tomlin. It concerns „a heithened sci-fi action thriller“ set at Portland during a drug epidemic. The drug in question gives people a range of super power. Gordon-Levitt will play a cop whose job is to get the drug off the street but realizes that the only way to fight the users is to take the drug himself. Starring is Rodrigo Santoro, Machine Gun Kelly, Jamie Foxx and Joseph Gordon-Levitt.
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Ocean Alliance: the world’s largest operational agreement between shipping companies is extended until 2027 |
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Editors note: Mega-alliances and now also longterm thinking seems to be the order of the day at least if judging by this recent press release from the worlds no. 4, CMA CGM who together with other containership owners are now married until 2027. Indeed no Brexit here it would seem.
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The CMA CGM Group, a worldwide leading shipping group, is pleased to announce that Rodolphe Saadé, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the CMA CGM Group, signed today the extension of the Ocean Alliance cooperation until 2027. The signing ceremony took place in Hainan, China, with the executives of COSCO SHIPPING, Evergreen and OOCL.
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Video: China’s ever-expanding highway network |
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Editors note: An efficient road network is essential to successful shipping to/from the ports. The development of many countries depends on road access. It is a marvel to behold the development of China’s road network, already the World’s most extensive and often built in difficult conditions. See this brief video:
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Sector News |
South Korea’s Miwon Specialty Chemical Plans Plant in Columbia, South Carolina |
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South Korea-based Miwon Specialty Chemical Co. USA, a specialty chemical manufacturer of raw materials and subsidiary of Miwon Specialty Chemical Co. Ltd., plans to invest $19.5 million in a new production operations in Columbia, South Carolina.
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Skako Vibration Wins 25 Mio. Dkk Order In Morocco |
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Skako Vibration has landed an order worth 25 million. DKK on delivery of scrubber technology to a Moroccan phosphate mine. The customer is l’Office Chérifien des Phosphates, which is one of the world’s largest phosphate producers.
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Algiers Metro TBM factory acceptance |
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A CREG TBM has undergone factory acceptance ahead of delivery to the Algiers Metro Extension project. The 10.5m-diameter EPBM will bore a the 9.5km from El Harrach Station to Houari Boumediene International Airport. The contractor is Seli Overseas.
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Sibilia supplies vacuum units to Eurocement plants |
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Italy’s Sibilia has supplied vacuum units to Eurocement’s Voronezh and Peterburgcement plants. In connection to the order workers at the plants also underwent three days of associated training. The cement producer also plans to use equipment from Sibilia at different plants in the country.
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Featured Video |
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BBC Citrine – From Yangzhong to Labuan Uki – Ship loader, Mobile harbor crane
Another impressive load by BBC Chartering here shown in a video provided to us recently. BBC has a very size-able fleet and is highly ranked in dependability.
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Featured Photo |
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Malta is a small but very nice island located strategically in the Mediteranean. A huge container port well located and used for transshipment is located at Marsaxxlok. Here a great shot taken just prior to landing in clear weather at MALTA.
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And here is a picture from the container terminal taken that day.
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Quote and Proverb of the Week |
“Rather go to bed without dinner than to rise in debt.”– Benjamin Franklin |
“Bees have honey in the mouth and a sting in the tail.”– Ancient Philippine Proverb |
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