Husbandry Services News

Funds managed by global investment firm Carlyle and private equity firm Stellex Capital Management announced they have completed the sale of Titan Acquisition Holdings, a bi-coastal leader in ship repair services and marine and heavy complex fabrication, to an affiliate of Lone Star Funds. The initial definitive agreement of the sale was announced in February 2023 and the final close took place on June 15, 2023.Titan is comprised of Vigor Industrial LLC, an infrastructure, defense…

Lone Star Funds has reached a del to buy U.S. shipbuilding and repair group Titan Acquisition Holdings from peer investment firms Carlyle and Stellex Capital Management. Financial terms were not disclosed.Titan is comprised of Vigor Industrial LLC, an infrastructure, defense, and maritime services company based in Portland, Ore.; MHI Holdings LLC, a ship repair, maintenance, and other ship husbandry services company based in Norfolk, Va.; and Continental Maritime of San Diego (CMSD). Key Titan customers include the U.S. Navy, U.S.

In one a dramatic U.S. shipbuilding and repair move it was announced today that The Carlyle Group (NASDAQ: CG) and private equity firm Stellex Capital Management signed a definitive agreement to acquire and merge Vigor Industrial LLC, an infrastructure, defense, and maritime services company based in Portland, Oregon, and MHI Holdings LLC, a ship repair, maintenance, and other ship husbandry services company based in Norfolk, Virginia.The transaction, subject to customary closing conditions…

Wilhelmsen Ships Service lifts off with Airbus, bringing drone delivery to one of the world’s busiest portsPairing Wilhelmsen’s ships agency expertise and safety standards with Airbus’ expertise in aeronautical vertical lift solutions, the Agency by Air project brings shore-to-ship drone delivery to one of the busiest ports in the world, Singapore.Launching at Singapore port’s Marina South Pier in quarter three 2018, Wilhelmsen Ships Service and Airbus will be piloting the delivery of spare parts…

GAC Taiwan won an agency contract from Donggi Senoro Liquefied Natural Gas (DSLNG), Indonesia’s leading LNG provider, to handle its vessels’ calls and provide discharge agency and husbandry services at the ports of Taichung and Yung An. Managing Director Kenny So says the contract win comes after the steady growth of agency business for all types of vessels, including LNG carriers, since the opening of GAC Taiwan’s shipping office in Kaohsiung in 2017.   “Winning the DSLNG business reinforces our optimism about the future of the LNG agency business in Taiwan, which is the world’s fifth largest LNG buyer. We expect the number of LNG calls to rise, as Taiwan increases its LNG imports to drive power sector growth.”

The recent implementation (January 19, 2018) of the long-delayed small Vessel General Permit (sVGP) requirement has major implications for environmental regulations in general, and specifically how the compliance difficulties continue for vessel owners with no real end in sight. Moreover, the U.S. Coast Guard’s (USCG) recent publication of NVIC 01-18 (March 1, 2018), while helpful in advising owners on how to comply with the ballast water regulations, does not relieve vessels from the underlying requirements…

GAC Fujairah has been awarded a husbandry contract by the Kuwait Oil Tanker Company (KOTC) to provide ship supply services, spare parts handling and a range of other logistical services to its vessels arriving in Fujairah, Khor Fakkan and Singapore anchorage. As part of global shipping, logistics and marine services provider GAC Group, GAC Fujairah worked in close cooperation with the Middle East Regional Office in Dubai and GAC Singapore to secure the deal. Under the contract, the GAC team is set to handle approximately 450 jobs a year, a figure which is likely to grow as the KOTC fleet expands. This is the third time GAC Fujairah is appointed by KOTC to provide husbandry services to its vessels.

Inchcape Shipping Services (ISS), the world’s leading maritime and logistics service provider, has expanded its global business with Danish tramp shipping company, NORDEN A/S, with a new contract for crew logistics and husbandry services. Under the additional agreement for the dry cargo and tanker specialist, ISS will co-ordinate over 2,800 crew changes per year across 32 vessels worldwide, as well as husbandry and disbursement account processing. The arrangement with ISS will support NORDEN’s operations and accounting teams and provide a single point of contact and remittance, negating the need for multiple, regional agents. ISS will help improve cost scheduling for core services and ensure greater transparency.

GAC Russia said it is expanding eastwards with the opening of new branches at Nakhodka and Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk to meet demand for shipping services as opportunities open up in Far East. According to GAC Russia, this means it is the only ship agent with a presence throughout the interconnected Arctic region and Far East: at Murmansk, Kandalaksha, Sabetta, and now Nakhodka and the capital of the Sakhalin region, Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk. Arkady Podkopaev, GAC Russia’s General Manager, said, “GAC has been active in Russia since 2001 and has built a strong network of offices in the European part of the country. As the Russian Federation focuses on developing political and economic relations with the Asia-Pacific region, the country’s Far East has moved to the top of the agenda.

Inchcape Shipping Services (ISS), the world's leading maritime and logistics service provider, is driving a global roll-out of its new cargo and agency platform, YourISS2. Designed to increase efficiencies, standardise processes and documents and enhance service delivery, the innovative platform also gives ISS customers the transparency and data they need for instant, informed business decisions, cost savings, performance and trade analysis. With Canada, Mexico, Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar and Mexico among the latest countries to go live, YourISS2 is now available in all ISS locations and can be used by all stakeholders in the process of cargo or husbandry services.

The Scandinavian arm of the world’s third largest container shipping company CMA CGM has signed an agency, husbandry and NOx reporting agreement with GAC Norway for its ships calling at the port of Oslo. The CMA CGM Group has a fleet of 470 vessels serving 400 of the world's 521 commercial ports. In 2015, it transported an estimated volume of 13 million TEUs and vessels from its fleet make 52 calls per annum to Oslo to load/discharge a wide range of goods carried in containers from around the world. Its weekly service links the Scandinavian ports of Oslo, Moss, Brevik and Gothenburg with the CMA CGM hub in Rotterdam, and beyond to its global network.

Deal to provide agency, husbandry and NOx reporting at Oslo. The Scandinavian arm of the world’s third largest container shipping company CMA CGM has signed an agency, husbandry and NOx reporting agreement with GAC Norway for its ships calling at the port of Oslo. The CMA CGM Group has a fleet of 470 vessels serving 400 of the world's 521 commercial ports. In 2015, it transported an estimated volume of 13 million TEUs and vessels from its fleet make 52 calls per annum to Oslo to load/discharge a wide range of goods carried in containers from around the world. Its weekly service links the Scandinavian ports of Oslo, Moss, Brevik and Gothenburg with the CMA CGM hub in Rotterdam, and beyond to its global network.

Maersk Line, has appointed GAC to provide husbandry services for its vessels calling at Hong Kong. Maersk Line is part of the Maersk Group, headquartered in Copenhagen, Denmark. It operates 608 container vessels and has 374 offices in 116 countries. The company employs 7,100 seafarers and 25,500 land-based employees. Under the two-year contract, which commenced on July 1, 2015, GAC will handle more than 1,000 calls by Maersk Line and MCC vessels per year at all ports and terminals in Hong Kong.

With Royal Caribbean’s Quantum of the Seas home-ported in Shanghai for 2015 and TUI Cruises launching its inaugural Asian season, eyes are on Asia’s expanding cruise market. However, while Asia may be unexplored territory for many cruise owners and ships service suppliers, Wilhelmsen Ships Service (WSS) is established and already servicing numerous local and international cruise customers across the entire Asia Pacific region. Boasting an industry-leading cruise-specific ships agency network…

The vessel is one of the Atomflot fleet’s five atomic icebreakers; one atomic lighter carrier, four special purpose vessels and a floating crane used to clear passages and escort ships through the Northern Sea Route, as well as to the North Pole. GAC Russia’s teams in Murmansk, Moscow and Novorossiysk helped prepare Arctic class icebreaker Yamal to leave the Atomflot base just outside Murmansk for a tour of duty in the seaway which shortens the distance between Europe and Asia by thousands of miles.

Inchcape Shipping Services (ISS)  has had its port agency and tanker husbandry services contract significantly enlarged by Petrobras. The Brazilian government-owned energy giant, which already uses ISS in Brazil, Chile, USA, Asia Pacific and China, has now requested that ISS support its expansion to 17 new port call locations in Central America and the Caribbean. ISS will handle Petrobras’ crude, clean products and LNG tankers, ensuring fast and safe turnaround of vessels in port or at terminals, ensuring all permits and clearances are in place and correct and issuance of cargo documentation.

Wilhelmsen Ships Service recently arranged transportation of an oil rig from Edmonton Canada, through the United States to Kuwait. The land based oil rig consisted of 3,675 cubic metres of cargo with the heaviest unit being 52 tons. The rig was transported on behalf of our customer, Burgan Company, which specializes in well drilling, trading and maintenance. Burgan is the leading company in Kuwait for oil well exploration, drilling and work-over. “The challenge was crating and dispatching 45 truck-loads of cargo across 3,800 km from Canada to Houston Port, U.S.

Due to political unrest & public demonstrations a State of Emergency & curfew declared in Port Said, Ismailia and Suez. According to GAC, navigation in the Suez Canal is running normally, unaffected by the curfew. Transit registration formalities are being coordinated between the Suez Canal Authority and agents. All husbandry services in Port Said are suspended until the security situation in the city permits safe and secure handling. Husbandry services in Suez City can be arranged as usual, but will be partially affected by the curfew as movements within the city will not be permitted between the curfew hours of 2100 and 0600. Source: GAC

G2 Crew Services, the J/V  between Griffin and GAC, teams with iVitta to provide a cell phone SIM that covers more than 1,000 ports worldwide. "Web access on board vessels remains the exception rather than the rule and most crew rely on text messages and phone calls to stay in touch while away from home," said Simon Morse, Executive Chairman of Griffin. "Currently their choice is to either to carry a bag full of different SIMS each with a separate telephone number and credit balance or pay ‘roaming charges’ of up to $5 per minute ex Europe. iVittamobile offers a single SIM supported by 650 local carriers so crew can make that same call for as little as 9 cents per minute," he said.

Inchcape Shipping Services (ISS), a maritime services provider, was selected to provide support logistics to the Jan De Nul Group for an offshore energy megaproject in Australia.   The Belgium-based Jan De Nul Group specializes in dredging operations around the world and has appointed ISS Australia as its agent for the importation of 15 vessels into North West Australia.  The business also includes port agency, husbandry services and other logistics support. Working as part of the Wheatstone project in the Northern Carnarvon Basin, one of Australia’s largest resource ventures, Jan De Nul will be involved in a pipeline stabilization project.  To date, eight vessels have already been imported into the country with a further seven vessels due to arrive between now and October 2013.

Inchcape Shipping Services China launches pollution regulation intermediary service. Inchcape Shipping Services (ISS), the world’s leading maritime services provider, today announced the launch of an intermediary service for ships calling at ports in China. The move is in response to new pollution prevention and control regulations introduced by Chinese regulators and the service is already fully operational. The Prevention and Control of Marine Pollution from Ships directive, issued by China's Maritime Safety Agency (MSA) requires full compliance from shipowners and managers by 1 March 2012.

Secretary of the Navy Ray Mabus has spelled out in a memorandum his expectations for the review and audit of procedures, administration, and performance of all husbanding and port services contracts. "Back in September, I directed a complete review of our husbanding and port services contracts following the investigation into contracting procedures in the Pacific Fleet. This tasking memo reiterates the urgency of that review and provides additional tasking," said Mabus. Assistant Secretary of the Navy (Research…

GAC Marine Logistics (GML) has established a new company in Hamburg as the latest addition to its growing network of offices coordinating ship spares logistics around the world. The new company GAC Marine Logistics GmbH, which starts trading on February 1, further develops GML’s door-to-deck delivery and warehousing products and builds on existing strong relationships in key markets such as West Africa, South America and the Middle East, the company said. Jan Kielmann, Director of Global Marine Logistics…