Front Office News

Braemar, expert advisors in shipping investment, chartering, and risk management, today announced the appointment of John Beckwith as Group Director of Human Resources.The hire of Beckwith strengthens Braemar’s leadership team, enhances and enables Braemar’s ability to grow organically and via Mergers and Acquisitions (M&A), and it represents a further investment in the professional development of its shipbroking and corporate finance teams.Beckwith has been the HR/people subject-matter expert on multiple mergers, demergers, and acquisitions throughout his career, including an IPO process.

Victaulic’s collaboration with SSI’s Autodesk ShipConstructor promises a streamlined design process, easier access to Victaulic piping specifications and proof positive that marrying hardware data and existing design technology can save time, money, weight and headaches for boat designers and shipyards alike.Is Victaulic’s time-tested turnkey approach to pipe joining right for you? That depends on a lot of things, but if better design options and a measurable benchmark of Total Installed Cost Savings would benefit your bottom line, then you’ve got nothing to lose and everything to gain by trying. And now, Victaulic’s catalog content inclusion in SSI’s ShipConstructor software gives naval architects and shipyards the convenient ability to ask…

As part of its business development strategy in the United States, Fincantieri has established Fincantieri Services USA, a wholly owned subsidiary, based in Miami, Florida, which will be the focal point in the country for all the services and after sales activities on cruise ships of the Group. Fincantieri Services USA will be the sole front office for cruise customers, offering a wide range of services - particularly all those related to the life cycle management of the vessels - as well as focusing on repairs and refitting.   Fincantieri Services USA will become a reference point for American shipowners in the US services segment, allowing Fincantieri to negotiate long-term agreements in this sector and thus leverage the current and still booming market trend.

Founded by Robert W. Fernstrum 67 years ago, R.W. Fernstrum & Company is currently run by its third generation of Fernstrum. This long-tenured maritime staple has seen its fair share of maritime cycles, and in today’s challenging market it is not standing still. The company is digging for, and finding, business in all four corners of the world, above water and below, as Sean Fernstrum, President & owner, and his team explain. “Diversify, diversify, diversify … always,” is the…

The myriad benefits of gplink are well documented. Remote Monitoring and Tracking company gplink bills itself as the most capable remote diagnostic tool available for high horsepower systems. In a nutshell, gplink monitors commercial vessels and equipment, allowing users to detect anomalies before they turn into problems. Remotely monitoring, tracking and troubleshooting expensive and far flung assets is now a mature concept, reaching all marine markets. Without a doubt, gplink is in the thick of it. Easily configured to monitor the data points that matter most to you, there are literally dozens of applications that can be safely covered.

Veson Nautical announced the release of the Veslink Agent Portal, a new feature of Veslink, Veson Nautical’s online service that streamlines the collection and distribution of mission-critical maritime data. The Veslink Agent Portal enables port agents to submit Statements of Facts and Port Disbursements against nominated port calls. These standardized forms flow directly into Veslink for approval by voyage operators, and can then be imported into the Integrated Maritime Operations System (IMOS) to drive further workflows.

BIMCO reminds its members that one of its services is intervention to recover outstanding undisputed amounts. The service is free of charge and is offered only to members acting on their own behalf and in their own interest. Members owed money - be it an owner having problems obtaining payment of freight or demurrage or an agent or broker having difficulties in recovering his outlays, agency fee or commission - can ask BIMCO to intervene on their behalf with a view to retrieving the outstanding balance…

GulfMark Offshore, Inc. (NYSE:GLF) has announced the election of Steven W. Kohlhagen and Charles K. Valutas to its Board of Directors for terms expiring in June 2014. Steven W. Kohlhagen is a retired financial executive who brings to the Board expertise in financial accounting, finance and risk management through his extensive experience in, and knowledge of, the financial, securities and foreign exchange markets. He has held various positions in the private sector, including investment banking, asset management, and most recently as a consultant with AMETEK, Inc. He currently serves on the Board of Directors, the Business and Risk Committee and the Compensation Committee of Freddie Mac. He also serves on the Boards of Directors for Abtech Holdings, Inc., Reval Inc.

Taiyo Nippon Kisen Co., Ltd. has again selected BASS, maritime software to be its software supplier. Taiyo Nippon Kisen purchased planned maintenance system (Star IPS) and safety and incident reporting solution (SAFIR 4.0) to complement its existing systems. Taiyo Nippon Kisen. has purchased the complete integrated office-vessel BASSware solutions. The earlier purchase took place in the beginning of 2001. Taiyo Nippon Kisen Co., Ltd. has committed to install Star IPS and SAFIR in the office and onboard 62 vessels under its management. The planned maintenance software will enable Taiyo Nippon Kisen. to manage onboard maintenance and spare parts effectively. BASS will populate all PMS-related data in order for Taiyo Nippon Kisen Co., Ltd.

Kristian Gerhard Jebsen Skipsrederi AS (KGJS), one of the largest shipping companies in Norway has completed the first implementation stage of SAFIR 4.0; a comprehensive safety reporting system developed by BASS and Gard Services AS. BASS will, in addition to upgrading from SAFIR 3.04 to SAFIR 4.0 in the office, also install SAFIR 4.0 onboard the KGJS managed vessels. KGJS operated SAFIR 3.04 with paper-based reports from their vessels and entered the reports manually into the system back at the office. By installing SAFIR 4.0 onboard their vessels, the system becomes complete. All reports are entered by the vessels themselves, and automatically forwarded to the office via BASS Replicator/KGJS mail system. Feedback/experience transfer is dispatched back to the vessels in the same manner.

Evergreen Marine Corp. S.p.A. and Evergreen Marine (Hong Kong) Ltd. trade name Evergreen Line for international marketing, effective May 1, 2007. All four carriers are affiliates of Evergreen of Taiwan. There will be no effect on the services previously provided individually by the four carriers. They are all independent companies and will continue to act as shipowners and operators. customers," according to the Evergreen Line committee. working procedures. title as Evergreen Line. name in the global marketplace," said the committee. representatives of the four carriers. www.evergreen-line.com, has been in effect since April 1. carrier, will be renamed Evergreen Marine (UK) Ltd.