Marc Bourdon News

CMA CGM said it has tapped Ludovic Renou to lead its U.S. team from its Norfolk, Va. headquarters, effective January 1, 2018. As president of CMA CGM America, Renou has been appointed to lead an organization of more than 900 associates managing annual volumes well over 2 million TEU. CMA CGM America is the U.S. agency for CMA CGM, offering 34 weekly services calling on 15 ports. Renou succeeds Marc Bourdon, who has moved to Shanghai to manage CMA CGM’s operation in China after four years in the U.S. role.

France-based CMA CGM today announced a new direct weekly container service to Asia from the Port of New Orleans Napoleon Avenue Container Terminal. Part of the company’s PEX3 service, the inaugural vessel is scheduled to arrive on January 31 for service by terminal operator Ports America. “CMA CGM is proud to be expanding our presence in New Orleans, further showing our commitment to the Gulf region, and Louisiana specifically. We look forward to continued growth in the region, and are pleased to be contributing to the evolution and development of this vital hub. In the U.S., the Group now offers a global coverage with 23 services in and out of North America to over 150 countries around the world,” said Marc Bourdon, CMA CGM America LLC President.

Shipping group CMA CGM announced that the 18,000 TEU capacity CMA CGM Benjamin Franklin, the largest vessel ever to call the United States, will be inaugurated today in Long Beach, Calif. in the presence of Jacques R. Saadé, CMA CGM Chairman and Chief Executive Officer. The inauguration will gather more than 600 American figures from economic, industrial, institutional and political backgrounds. Alongside Jacques R. Saadé, a large CMA CGM delegation came especially for the occasion…

The largest container ship to ever visit the U.S., the1,300-foot-long CMA CGM Benjamin Franklin, left the Port of Oakland Monday afternoon around 1:15 p.m. after docking at the port on New Year’s Eve, port officials said. It stopped at Los Angeles first before arriving in Oakland, and will export agricultural products and other items back to Asia, port officials said. CMA CGM, based in Marseilles, France, expects the Benjamin Franklin to return to Oakland regularly, hauling cargo between China, South Korea and the West Coast. Receiving an 18,000-TEU capacity vessel for the first time requires long and meticulous preparation to guarantee a flawless call and fluid operations in as little time as possible.

The CMA CGM Group announced that it will launch a new container shipping offering between North America and North Europe at the end of May 2015. The group will expand its existing transatlantic services with the launch of the NEW VESPUCCI service and the addition of a new port of call in Baltimore to its LIBERTY SOLO service. With these additions, the group’s combined North America and North Europe services will cover 15 ports of call. Marc Bourdon, President of CMA CGM (America) LLC…

US Coast Guard Sector San Francisco advise that its personnel joined with  CMA CGM – the third-largest shipping group – along with other local industry partners to test the Bay Area’s capability to tow ultra-large container vessels. The vessel used for this exercise was CMA CGM’s Centaurus, an 11.400 TEU container ship measuring 365 meters, or approximately 1,200 feet. The purpose of the towing demonstration was to test the capability of existing tug assets within San Francisco Bay to connect to and tow an ultra-large container vessel. This exercise marked the first such attempt in the United States. The demonstration was intended as…

CMA CGM would like to announce the reorganization of CMA CGM America LLC, the U.S. agent of the CMA CGM Group, headquartered in Norfolk, Virginia, with the departure of Frank Baragona, Chairman of CMA CGM America LLC. After a successful career in the shipping industry and nine years as head of CMA CGM America, Frank Baragona will be leaving the CMA CGM Group at the end of 2013 for retirement. As of November 2013, Marc Bourdon, General Manager of CMA CGM do Brazil, will take on the position of General Manager of CMA CGM America LLC and will closely be working with: Todd Rives, Chief Commercial Officer; Ed McCarthy, Chief Operating Officer and Jim Arnold, Chief Financial Officer, already in place in Norfolk.