Client Services News

Independent finance and capital structuring partner RCP Finance has successfully secured a $15 million credit facility from a leading Asian lender for The Hawks Pvt Ltd., a distributor of high-quality fuel in the Maldives.The Hawks caters to a range of local businesses including resort hotels, super yachts and navy vessels, with a total portfolio of more than 452 clients.Part of the credit facility has been used to facilitate the acquisition of the Bro Developer, a 2007 oil and chemical tanker with a carrying capacity of 15,000dwt.

Marine salvage, rescue, emergency response and specialized services company Resolve Marine announced that Deputy CEO Joseph Farrell, III has been appointed Chief Operating Officer. In the combined role he oversees all operations and administration including emergency response, projects, Alaska, shared resources, HSEQ, strategy and M&A, finance, government relations, human resources, marketing, and alternative investments.Farrell, III, was appointed Deputy CEO in April 2022 and brings 17 years of field operations and business experience at Resolve Marine…

Expanding to strengthen support in Asia, International Registries, Inc. and its affiliates (IRI) opened offices in Vancouver, British Columbia and Qingdao, China today. This is the first Canadian office of IRI and the 11th office in Asia. The opening of the Vancouver office expands on the historical and powerful link between Vancouver and China, while Qingdao opens to facilitate inspections and client services in Northern China. Both offices will serve Republic of the Marshall Islands (RMI) corporate and maritime clients. Annie Ng, Head of Asia and Managing Director, Vancouver Office will remain Head of Asia and reposition to lead from Vancouver.“Vancouver is an important cultural and trading link between North America and Asia…

Trade group the American Salvage Association (ASA) announced a new leadership team at its annual general meeting in New Orleans last week.Michael Jarvis, director of marine operations at Northstar Marine Inc was elected as the new ASA president.Nadja Knoulton. president of Laredo Construction, Inc. will serve as ASA's new vice president.Joseph Farrell III of Resolve Marine Group will be stepping into the ASA secretary/treasurer position.Outgoing ASA president Lindsay Malen-Habib…

Maritime Payment Solutions, LLC (d/b/a ShipMoney), a provider of payment solutions for maritime companies, announced two new hires. Vanessa Torres has joined as Strategic Client and Business Development Manager in Manila, and Theo Tsokos is the Client Account Manager in Athens.Torres will be responsible for managing clients in the Philippines and Southeast Asia, including Maersk and V. Ships, among others. With more than 20 years of professional experience, she will act as liaison between ShipMoney and regional client offices.Tsokos will be responsible for managing clients in Greece and Cyprus, including Scorpio and Tsakos-Columbia.“We are very pleased to welcome Vanessa and Theo…

Resolve’s Lindsay Malen-Habib takes the helm to become the American Salvage Association's first woman presidentLindsay Malen–Habib has been named president of the American Salvage Association (ASA) effective immediately, the trade group's executive committee announced Monday. She becomes the first woman to assume the role.Fort Lauderdale, Fla.-based Malen-Habib is currently Resolve Marine Group’s manager of client services, and she has been an active ASA member for more than 10 years…

The global towage operator Svitzer held a ceremony on the River Thames  to officially christened Svitzer Meridian as the latest - and tenth - vessel in its Port of London fleet.During a naming ceremony held on the River Thames with guests representing a variety of customers and partners – including vessel builder Sanmar – the 70 tonnes bollard pull Azimuth Tractor Drive (ATD) Svitzer Meridian was officially christened by representatives from multinational electricity and gas utility company National Grid Grain LNG, who are godparenting the vessel.Meridian, whose name was chosen to reflect Maritime Greenwich’s Prime Meridian longitude line – and Svitzer’s longstanding links with the local area – has been in operation at the Port of London since November 2018…

A series of presentations organized and presented jointly by Resolve Marine Group and the SNAME - Greek Supper Section was held Wednesday, June 6 at the Posidonia 2018 exhibition in Athens.The two-hour event included a total of four presentations – two from SNAME and two from Resolve  – focused on the issues of direct and prompt response to merchant vessels’ accidents and damages that have shaken the global shipping community over the past three years.The event was attended by…

Resolve Marine Group has strengthened its senior team with the appointments of Lindsay Malen-Habib as Manager of Client Services and Dimos Iliopoulos as its Representative in Greece. Both will report to Resolve’s Director of Client Services, Daniel Dettor. Malen–Habib has 15 years’ experience in maritime emergency response, business development and marketing and will be based in Resolve’s head office in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. Malen-Habib has extensive experience in emergency response contingency planning…

Q88 LLC, a software as a service technology provider to the maritime industry, has opened an office in Athens, Greece. According t o the company, the new office further increases the its presence in Europe and will serve as a key hub for client relations and business development. “The Greek shipping community is so important to our success as a company and the industry as a whole. Having a presence in Greece is something we are very excited about. The Athens office will allow us to further strengthen relationships in the region and allow us to tap into the pulse of the industry,” said Fritz Heidenreich, president and founder of Q88.

Hunter Marine's Operations Division has selected MarineCFO’s Vessel 365 fleet optimization technology, along with Endurance Personnel for managing time cards, scheduling and personnel reporting functions, and Endurance Maintenance, a complete maintenance solution from scheduling, outside services and capacity planning to quality control. Darrick Lee, Hunter Marine Purchasing Manager said the company will use MarineCFO's suite of products to achieve Subchapter M compliance and to help streamline existing business processes.

MarineCFO Offers Vessel365 & Homeport365. Industry technology services provider, MarineCFO, has announced the “Sub M 90” Program commencing February 25, 2016 and terminating June 22, 2016. According to Tug & Barge Solutions, a Sub M consultant and MarineCFO partner, the Office of Management & Budget (OMB) received the Final Rule version of Sub Chapter M from United States Coast Guard on February 12, 2016. The OMB has until June 22nd to review the Sub Chapter M Final Rule prior to publication in the Federal Register. The MarineCFO “Sub M 90” Program kicked off on February 25, 2016 to support towing operators during this OMB review process. All Sub Chapter M impacted owners are eligible to advance order their onboard Vessel365 subscription through June 22, 2016 by contacting MarineCFO.

Veson Nautical, a  provider of commercial maritime software and services, has announced that despite challenging times in the shipping industry, the company has added 42 new clients from around the globe over the past 18 months. Twenty of the new clients are from the wet and gas segments, including shipping notables such as BW Maritime Pte Ltd, Dorian LPG (USA) LLC, ENGIE (formerly GDF Suez Energy Management Trading), Hoegh LNG, and PetroChina International (Singapore) Pte Ltd. Nineteen new clients include well-known dry bulk companies such as Nova Marine Carriers SA, South32 Marketing Pte Ltd and Western Bulk ASA. Trafigura Pte Ltd is one of three new clients that manage a mix of dry and wet business.

“ABS is first and foremost a safety company,” says Richard Korpus, “but safety can arise on many different fronts. Dr. Korpus is Chief Scientist, Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) for the American Bureau of Shipping. In this role Korpus supports the Chief Technology Officer (CTO) and underlying organizations through a focus on developing and applying CFD technology. He believes CFD has the potential to change how some of the most challenging problems in marine and offshore classification are solved in the future.

The Panama Canal Authority (ACP), which administers the canal, is looking at building a Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) import terminal near the Canal. The ACP has been awarded a US Trade and Development Agency grant to help fund a feasibility study for the project, which it is considering for when the expanded canal is opened next year and the waterway is expected to handle considerable liquefied natural gas tankers. A statement from the U.S. Trade and Development Agency says that it has awarded a grant to the Panama Canal Authority (ACP) to support the planning of a liquefied natural gas (LNG) import terminal. When the Panama Canal expansion project is completed next year, the Canal is expected to handle significant LNG tanker traffic.

The U.S. Trade and Development Agency informs it has awarded a grant to the Panama Canal Authority (ACP) to support the planning of a liquefied natural gas (LNG) import terminal. The Panama Canal is expected to handle significant LNG tanker traffic upon completion of the canal expansion project next year. To capitalize on this growth, the ACP is interested in developing LNG-related infrastructure projects, including an import terminal. “The U.S. Government is very pleased to partner with the Panama Canal Authority through this USTDA grant as the ACP looks to develop a LNG import terminal in the coming years to take advantage of the Canal expansion project,” said Chargé d’Affaires Kevin M. O’Reilly, who signed the grant agreement along with ACP Administrator/CEO Jorge L. Quijano.

In 2008 the USCG issued the tanker final rule for salvage and marine firefighting (SMFF) under the Oil Pollution Act of 1990. This rule primarily required tank ships and barges carrying oils as defined in the 33 CFR 155 as cargo to pre-contract qualified salvors to promptly respond to a marine casualty in U.S. waters. While tankers were the primary focus of the new rules, Non-Tankers – defined by the USCG as any vessel over 400 gross tons – waited quietly for a likely turn with SMFF requirements.

SpecTec has appointed Evan Efstathiou as Executive Director of SpecTec Americas. Mr. Efstathiou has worked in Veson Nautical as the Director of Client Services for over 3 years, and he has cooperated with SpecTec in many projects, including one that was highly successful signed with Hyproc. Evan has graduated from MIT and Harvard School of management and worked the last 11 years in the Maritime and Oil&Gas worlds.  His role as Executive Director will be primarily to boost the SpecTec business in the whole of the American continent and promote high level businesses.

Change in Organization’s Bylaws Specify Revised Board Tenure and Structure. The ISS (International Superyacht Society) announces its 2012-2015 Board of Directors and Past Presidents Council. ISS elections are held annually by peer selection. During 2011, ISS membership ratified changes to the Association’s Bylaws which now state that a total of 24 elected Board members will serve three-year terms. During the 2012, 2013 and 2014 election cycles, the ISS Board will be in transition. For the current year and based on a democratic voting system, ISS members have awarded eight Board positions for three years and four Board positions for one-year terms with the opportunity to re-run for the 2013-2016 term.

Industry Leader Continues Strategic Path of Growth. Denison Yacht Sales is pleased to announce its acquisition of Generation Marine, a Fort Lauderdale-based yacht brokerage and service company. Generation Marine's reputation in the trawler and explorer yacht categories helps strengthen Denison's position in this segment of the yachting market. "We feel strongly that the trawler and expedition markets will continue their steady growth," said Bob Denison, owner of Denison Yacht Sales.

Mauricio Garrido, Vice President, Salvage and Emergency Response for Bisso Marine Co., Inc. (Houston, Texas), has been elected President of the American Salvage Association (ASA) at its recent meeting in Arlington, Va., October 5, 2009. Tim Beaver, Chief Executive Officer of Global Diving & Salvage, Inc. (Seattle, WA), has been elected ASA’s Vice President. Paul Hankins, Vice President for Operations, Donjon Marine (Alexandria, VA), has been elected Secretary/Treasurer. In addition, David Devilbiss, Alaska Regional Manager for Global Diving & Salvage; Dan Schwall, Managing Director for Titan Salvage; Bob Umbdenstock, Vice President for Client Services for Resolve Marine Group…

Veson Nautical, the US-based developer of software solutions for the commercial maritime community, announced the addition of four professionals to the company’s Boston headquarters office. Veson Nautical has hired Haorong Li as Director of Professional Services; Mikhail Elkin as Software Engineer; Suchit Patel as QA Engineer; and Brenna Venkatesh as Marketing and Events Associate. Haorong Li, Veson’s new Director of Professional Services, has more than 10 years of experience implementing enterprise software solutions for operations management, supply chain optimization, planning, scheduling and logistics. His combination of hands-on…

It is expected that the USCG will begin stepping up compliance measures and holding companies more accountable to the codes and regulations of the Maritime Security Act of 2002 (MTSA). The anticipated actions by the USCG, combined with the current cost of normal security procedures, will make it increasingly more difficult for companies to balance compliance with manageable security budgets. In addition, companies that lack the knowledge and experience to maintain full compliance run the risk of compounding the cost burden with regulatory financial penalties. Complicating matters even further, affected U.S. companies must now also comply with the Safety and Security of Every Port Act (Safe Port) and the Transportation Workers Identification Credential (TWIC).