Customer Care News

Sinwa Group announced it has reached an agreement to acquire Francois Marine & Offshore from Northern Marine Group.Francois Marine & Offshore has Asian ship supply operations and infrastructure in Singapore, Hong Kong, Shanghai and Busan. The acquisition does not include the subsidiary Francois Marine B.V in Rotterdam, nor Francoise Offshore Catering.Thomas Zimmerhaeckel, Sinwa chairman and managing partner at Asean Strategic Partners, said, “The addition of Francois Marine & Offshore…

Berg Propulsion has signed a key supplier and cooperation agreement to provide systems integration capability for Yaskawa Environmental Energy / The Switch permanent magnet (PM) and power electronics products. The cooperation creates a new and combined force offering the robustness and efficiency of propulsion systems where electric motors directly drive the propeller shaft, consolidating Berg’s growing presence in electric propulsion.“This is the latest step in Berg’s strategy to become a fully-fledged electrical propulsion systems integrator,” said Stefan Sedersten, CEO, Berg Propulsion.

It is not something that pops to mind often: the massive, market-changing advantages of a high-powered, fuel-efficient, cleaner V8 diesel outboard engine. Then, you aren’t a salmon farmer with aquaculture farms in the Norwegian fjords or an islander in the Maldives who drives a Zodiac to work. But, if you are Joel Reid, these are just some of the many things on your mind.Joel Reid is the Global Sales Director of Cox Powertrain a British start-up based in Shoreham-by-Sea, close to Brighton, UK.

Leonhardt & Blumberg (L&B), Germany’s largest independent charter owner of 15,000-35,000 DWT container ships and ship management company, has renewed its long-standing partnership with Marlink for the provision of quality  global VSAT connectivity."Marlink’s managed connectivity service excellence and digital solutions are recognized as a strong foundation for the ship management company L&B’s on-going fleet digitization, which will deliver more efficient and greener maritime operations," said a press release."Marlink has established a firm position of trust through its existing partnership with L&B, thanks to consistently high quality of service and an active…

Princess Cruises, the Carnival-owned cruise line, has taken delivery of its fourth Royal-class ship, Sky Princess, at Fincantieri's Monfalcone shipyard in Trieste, Italy.The vessel is the 17th ship Fincantieri has built for Princess, but it is the first to be custom built with the line's MedallionClass technology integrated into its infrastructure.The new unit, at 145,000 gross tons with accommodation on board for 4,610 passengers in 1,830 cabins and 1,411 crew members crew, is built on the basis of the successful sister ship project of Royal Princess, Regal Princess and Majestic Princess, all built from the same shipyard of Monfalcone starting from 2013…

Celebrating its first year of Roll-on Roll-off (Ro-Ro) operations, APM Terminals Itajaí, Brazil discharged more than 31,000 vehicles this month. The Terminal also recorded a productivity record, unloading 961 vehicles from the American Highway ship at 05.40 on September 7.Traditionally focused on container operations, the opportunity to handle Ro-Ro cargo arose in March 2018. The prospect of diversifying their portfolio was seized by the terminal, after identifying that many of the facilities, skills and experience from its container operations were transferable.After driving the vehicles out of the ship, they are routed to a special area of the terminal for inspection and secure storage before onward transportation.“After four months of negotiation and tests…

The largest shipbuilder in Europe Fincantieri has floated Princess Cruises’ new Enchanted Princess out of the building dock at its yard in Monfalcone, Italy.The Italian shipbuilding company based in Trieste said in a press release that interior fittings will now begin, leading the fifth Royal-class ship to its delivery, scheduled in 2020.The ceremony was attended by Firouz Mal, Princess Cruises director new build services, while Fincantieri was represented, among others, by Roberto Olivari, director of the shipyard in Monfalcone. The Godmother of the ceremony was Miss Marinella Cossu, a historic employee of the yard.The new unit, at 145…

Fincantieri’s subsidiary Vard Holdings Limited (Vard), one of the major global designers and shipbuilders of specialized vessels, signed a contract with the Australian cruise operator Coral Expeditions for the design and construction of a second expedition cruise vessel. The unit will be named “Coral Geographer”, sister ship of “Coral Adventurer” which entered the owner’s fleet last April.As for the first vessel of the class, “Coral Geographer” will be 93.4 meters long, will have a guest accommodation capacity of 120…

Twill, a digital freight forwarder designed to make shipping simple, has announced a change in its brand affiliation from Damco to Maersk.Launched in April 2017, Twill was created as a ‘Damco innovation’ and operated as a partner with the freight forwarder and supply chain management company, which is part of A.P. Moller - Maersk.The realigning of the brand will make it possible to offer Twill to all Maersk customers, in line with the A.P. Moller - Maersk strategy to become a global integrator of container logistics offering end-to-end solutions.The easy-to-use online Twill platform provides greater control of shipments by offering instant price quotes and booking…

Navico, parent company to marine electronics brands Lowrance, Simrad, B&G and C-MAP, announced today that Jamie Elgie has been appointed to the position of senior vice president and chief operating office of the Americas.In his new role, Elgie will be responsible for all sales, marketing and operations activities for the Lowrance, Simrad, B&G and C-MAP brands throughout North, Central and South America.Elgie came to Navico from Wilson Electronics, a manufacturer and marketer of cellular infrastructure equipment based in Utah, where he served as chief marketing officer.

Sultan Ahmed Bin Sulayem, Group Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, DP World, has met senior  executives from India’s Tata Group to explore opportunities for cooperation, knowledge sharing and best practice. Discussions covered logistics and supply chain operations, innovative customer care and creating high quality, sustainable services. The meeting was attended by Ahmed Al Haddad, Chief Operating Officer, Jafza, and Mahmood Al Bastaki, CEO, Dubai Trade. Bin Sulayem outlined DP World’s operations across 40 countries, and its role in enabling trade across the global supply chain by providing industry-leading services, including the Jebel Ali model of integrated port and free zone, which is now gaining popularity around the world.

Crowley Maritime Corp.’s solutions group announced that it is reorganizing and establishing new leadership to better serve customers in need of engineering, project management and government services. Solutions is the company’s dedicated, full-service engineering, project management and government services team, reporting to Crowley’s Todd Busch, senior vice president and general manager, technical services. Jay Edgar, who is new to Crowley, has been appointed vice president and leader of the company’s newly formed engineering services team…

The Deutsche Schiffahrts-Agentur (DSA) has been operating an office in Munich since October 2016, meaning it is now represented in four German cities. In addition to the new office in Munich, there are locations in Dusseldorf, Frankfurt am Main, and Stuttgart. Founded in 1987 as a joint venture between the Hamburg Süd shipping group and Deutsche Afrika-Linien (DAL), DSA brokers all Hamburg Süd services for its customers. “DSA stands for personal customer care and a powerful local presence in Germany. At the same time, it provides all the services of one of the largest shipping companies worldwide – this is what constitutes the special added value for its customers,” says Uwe Gaede, General Manager Area Central Europe for Hamburg Süd.

The Mawingu Express, Maersk Line's direct service from India to Kenya, offers the fastest transit times in the market and better port coverage to bring business closer to East Africa. "Through our global connections coupled with superior customer care and market expertise, we serve as the perfect partner to realise your business ambitions in the region," says a statement from the company. • Mombasa - Benefit from our direct service the Mawingu Express which has the   fastest transit time. • Dar es Salaam - We load on the Mawingu Express and then do an easy transhipment in Salalah via our Masika Service with competitive transit times. • Port Sudan and Djibouti – We do transhipments in Jebel Ali or Jeddah and connect to our dedicated Horn of Africa Service.

The Mawingu Express, Maersk Line's direct service from India to Kenya, offers the fastest transit times in the market and better port coverage to bring clients closer to East Africa, claims the company. "Through our global connections coupled with superior customer care and market expertise, we serve as the perfect partner to realise your business ambitions in key markets in East Africa faster than ever before," says the statement. • Mombasa - Benefit from our direct service the Mawingu Express which has the   fastest transit time. • Dar es Salaam - We load on the Mawingu Express and then do an easy transhipment in Salalah via our Masika Service with competitive transit times.

International container volumes through the Puget Sound rebounded strongly in 2015 with The Northwest Seaport Alliance handling more than 3.5 million 25-foot equivalent units (TEUs), an increase of 4 percent. Container volumes grew despite the slowing Chinese economy and volume declines earlier in the year during West Coast labor negotiations. The ports of Seattle and Tacoma formed The Northwest Seaport Alliance in August to strengthen the Puget Sound gateway—the third largest in North America—and create more economic opportunities.

The Port of Felixstowe, the Port of Britain has walked away with the coveted Rail Freight Group 2015 Customer Care Award for its continued and sustained improvement in customer service. This Award recognises the port’s commitment to delivering for its customers’ real needs by consistently making every effort to ensure continuity of service and minimum disruption to supply chains. “We are delighted to have been honoured with the prestigious Customer Care Award by the Rail Freight Group. In 2014 the prolonged Ipswich Yard track lengthening works caused an extended and unexpected period of disruption, posing many challenges for cargo owners, the port and freight operators.

The keel laying ceremony of the new unit for Princess Cruises was held today at Fincantieri Monfalcone Shipyard. The new vessel, which has been ordered by the Carnival Group for the shipowner Princess Cruises, will go to sea in 2017 and it will be the first vessel to be designed and built specifically for the Chinese market. With its 145,000 gross tonnage, the ship will host 3,560 passengers and will be built on the basis of the successful project of the twin vessels “Royal Princess” and “Regal Princess”, built in the same shipyard and delivered in 2013 and 2014, respectively. These ships represent a new technological benchmark in Europe and worldwide for their innovative layout, the outstanding performance and the top quality of their state-of-the-art technology.

Raytheon Company announced the launch of its new subsidiary, Raytheon Anschuetz USA LLC, located in San Diego, Calif. According to the company, Raytheon Anschuetz USA LLC aims to reinforce customer care and support for Raytheon Anschütz navigation systems in the United States for commercial ship owners and shipyards as well as government entities, including the Coast Guard, Military Sealift Command, Navy and Army. “In January 2012, Raytheon Anschütz returned to the U.S. navigation systems market with the establishment of a San Diego-based regional sales office. Now, we are taking the next step to becoming America’s new center of navigation excellence,” said Frank Christophersen, president of the new subsidiary.

A new 20-meter aluminum patrol vessel, AD Comet, has been delivered to Mohamed Saqr Alfalahi General Maintenance to replace the company’s current vessel, undertaking general and patrol duties in the Abu Dhabi waters. The twin-screw vessel is built according the latest standards in the closed aluminum newbuilding shed at Albwardy Marine Engineering in Sharjah (Damen Shipyards Sharjah). Yuji Nakamori, General manager of Mohamed Saqr Alfalahi General Maintenance commented, “The delivery…

Commissioner William P. Doyle's remarks at the Commission Briefing on Mid-Atlantic and Northeast Port Congestion Forum, November 13 2014 in Baltimore, MD. On October 1, 2014, Commissioner Lidinsky and I hosted the Mid-Atlantic and Northeast Port Congestion Forum at the World Trade Center in Baltimore, Maryland. I want to thank all the FMC staff for their participation in setting up and managing the day’s event. David Tubman and Jewel Jennings-Wright worked tirelessly for weeks helping to locate attendees and participants. Thank you both.

Based on its recent analysis of the Latin American contact center outsourcing services market, Frost & Sullivan recognizes Teleperformance with the 2014 Latin America Frost & Sullivan nearshore Company of the Year Award. By leveraging its unparalleled nearshoring expertise acquired through more than 70 million hours of service to United States (US) clients for over a decade, adopting a multichannel strategy, and maintaining a robust technology portfolio, the company has stayed on a  promising path of growth, leadership and innovation. "Teleperformance's nearshore team that is composed of educated, ethical, service-oriented, bicultural and bilingual agents…

DNV Petroleum Services’ (DNVPS) independence from Det Norske Veritas (DNV) less than a year ago led to the creation of Veritas Petroleum Services (VPS), a new entity that continues to retain its global leadership in fuel management services and enduring collaborative partnership with DNV GL. Just as its new name draws on its illustrious past, VPS, the leader for maritime testing and surveys unveiled  a new brand and visual identity that represents its maritime roots as well as…