The Gac Group News

Shipping, logistics, and marine services provider GAC Group has appointed Pontus Fredriksson as its new group president, effective January 2023.Bengt Ekstrand, who has held the position for the past 10 years, will take on the role of Executive Co-Chairman alongside GAC’s long-standing Executive Chairman Björn Engblom."Ekstrand’s tenure began at a time of economic turmoil in the Eurozone and  expanding armed conflicts in the Middle East. Sluggish oil prices would soon plunge to less than USD45.00 a barrel.During that uncertain period…

Global shipping and logistics provider GAC Group is expanding its presence in East Asia and the Asia-Pacific region by establishing a new office in Taiwan’s second-largest port, Taichung.The port has constructed several tailor-made wharves to serve the offshore wind energy industry as the country looks to become the leading provider of offshore wind power in the Asia-Pacific region. “By opening an office at Taichung Port, we can now be closer to our project sites and respond more quickly to the growing needs of our customers…

Puget LNG and GAC Bunker Fuels have signed a memorandum of understanding to cooperate in the supply of liquefied natural gas (LNG) marine fuel from Puget LNG’s terminal to GAC’s customers in the Pacific Northwest.When the Tacoma LNG Terminal becomes operational in the second quarter of 2021, it will be the first such terminal on North America’s west coast providing direct shoreside loading access for a bunker barge.GAC Bunker Fuels, a division of the Dubai-based GAC Group, will issue a Request for Proposal (RFP) for a Jones Act-compliant LNG bunker barge to be constructed…

As part of its European growth strategy, the GAC Group has opened its first office in the Republic of Ireland, providing a wide range of shipping services to vessels at the country’s ports as well as in Northern Ireland.GAC Ireland provides ship agency services at all major Irish ports to a range of customers operating in sectors from tankers and dry cargo to offshore and navy vessels. Through its base in Cobh, near Cork, and the Group’s extensive regional and global network, GAC also offers customers joint agency solutions between Ireland and the UK…

The shipping services company GAC Denmark has opened a new branch in Kalundborg to better serve the needs of GAC’s global principals in the liquid bulk and other sectors.Kalundborg, located 100 km west of Copenhagen,  is a key location for liquid and dry bulk cargo with a perfect setup for larger projects for industry players such as Equinor, Yamal LNG and Chevron.The new Kalundborg office, following the opening of a branch office in Aarhus last year and another in Esbjerg in 2015, brings GAC Denmark’s total number of offices to four, enabling the company to meet client needs throughout the country.Sebastian Jonsson, General Manager of GAC Denmark…

The shipping & logistics company GAC is tapping into the growing contract logistics business potential of the Asia Pacific, Indian Subcontinent and Middle East, with plans to further develop and expand in its operations in the regions.That was the message Lars Bergström, GAC’s Group Vice President for Asia Pacific & Indian Subcontinent, had for the Group’s Contract Logistics Solutions experts who gathered in Colombo, Sri Lanka, to chart GAC’s strategy to increase its share of the business in their regions. They discussed growing demand as a result of the rise of e-commerce, last mile deliveries and technological advancements, as well as the challenges the contract logistics sector faces.According to Transport Intelligence’s Global Contract Logistics 2018 report…

GAC Forwarding & Shipping (Shanghai) has changed its name to GAC (Shanghai) after more than a decade since its establishment, said a press release.Managing Director Simon Xu says the renaming comes after the company has established a firm foothold in the country’s competitive shipping and logistics sectors. The name change is timely, riding the wave of a rising demand for ship agency and logistics services.“Over the years, our range of services has evolved to meet the changing needs of our customers,” he adds. “Our new name better reflects the extensive scope of services we offer today, which extends beyond shipping and forwarding.“The restructuring of the Chinese economy and the rebalancing of its foreign trade in the coming years…

The GAC Group has appointed industry veteran and current Chair of the Swedish Shipbrokers Association, Johan Ehn, as Managing Director of its operation in Sweden.Ehn started his career in shipping in 1989 when he joined Swedish Maritime AB, and subsequently gained logistics expertise as a partner in a freight forwarding business, before establishing his own company. He also served as Managing Director of Georg Hansen AB, and Head of Commercial with APL line in Gothenburg. In addition to his active role in the Swedish Shipbrokers Association, he is also a longstanding board member of Gothenburg Shipbrokers.Ivo Verheyen, GAC’s Group Vice President…

GAC Greece has become the latest GAC company to sign up to the Green Award (GA) Foundation’s scheme, underlining its commitment to environmental issues. Under the scheme, GA-certified ships that use GAC's ship agency services at Greek ports can claim a 10% discount on the company’s agency fees. By joining the incentive scheme, GAC Greece demonstrated its commitment to applying and promoting measures to encourage green shipping. The Green Award Foundation is a non-profit, independent international platform for the maritime industry to stimulate safer, cleaner shipping by supporting vessels that go beyond legally required standards. Participating ports and maritime service providers provide incentives for vessels through the scheme, to achieve a safer, greener and sustainable future.

US-based Chevron Shipping Company (CSC) has awarded  the Dubai-based GAC Group a global three-year ship agency contract for both crude and LNG vessels. The new agreement secures the provider of shipping, logistics and marine services GAC’s status as Chevron’s exclusive global agent in a partnership that spans more than 20 years, more than 15 of which have seen GAC as its sole global agent. Operations will be overseen by GAC Hub Agency offices in Dubai, Houston and Singapore with support from GAC’s network of offices and approved agents worldwide. GAC’s dedicated CSC Alliance Representative in Houston will continue to supervise and drive the relationship between the two companies.

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.

GAC Shipping (India) Pvt Ltd has appointed Mukesh Chakraborty as the Branch Manager, Logistics Services for its Bangalore office. Mukesh brings 13 years of experience in freight forwarding, customs clearance, transportation and warehousing and distribution to his new role. GAC is tapping into growing logistics business potential in Bangalore, India’s fastest growing major metropolis. The city is also a major hub for Business Process Outsourcing and specialised services like information technology and aeronautics. Mark Delaney, GAC Shipping India’s Managing Director, says that with Mukesh at the helm, the company’s Bangalore office is ready to take on the opportunities.

Forecasts and route planning tools from GAC-SMHI Weather Solutions are playing a key role in a European Union initiative to promote safer and more efficient shipping. The Sea Traffic Management (STM) Validation Project, developed by a European Consortium led by the Swedish Maritime Administration, aims to make merchant shipping safer, smoother and more efficient by tackling the fact that international shipping remains relatively unregulated. The route chosen by a ship is often unknown to other vessels – something which can increase the chances of collisions, near misses, congestion and delays. The STM projects aims to tackle that issue by exploring ways in which routing information and planning can be shared to minimise the risks.

Shipping, logistics and marine services company GAC is approaching turbulent global markets with a push for greater innovation and flexibility, according to GAC Group President Bengt Ekstrand. Dubai-headquartered GAC said it has maintained a solid balance sheet despite slumps in key markets such as shipping and oil and gas. During a conference of GAC company managers in Dubai, Ekstrand outlined the group’s approach for the next five years. “Disruptive forces are reshaping our markets almost on a weekly basis but in the process, new opportunities for growth are coming into view,” Ekstrand said.

Europe’s largest port is the latest to allow the GAC EnvironHull’s eco-friendly hull cleaning system to operate in its waters. The launch of HullWiper at Rotterdam, widely acknowledged as a pioneer in innovation and shipping technology, was marked by a panel discussion, webinar and live demonstration. The Port of Rotterdam’s Senior Manager, Peter Mollema, said the ground-breaking technology exactly aligns with Rotterdam’s ambition to be the most sustainable port of its kind. “In its 'The Global Competitiveness Report 2015-2016' the World Economic Forum has for the fourth consecutive time declared that the Netherlands has the best port infrastructure,”  he told more than 100 industry figures from the city and beyond who gathered at the Floating Pavilion or followed the event online.

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.

As Team Britannia prepares for its bid to break the round-the-world powerboat record later this year, GAC has been named their official shipping and logistics partner. GAC will draw on the local contacts and expertise of its network of global offices and partners to provide the 80ft powerboat and its 12 strong crew with all the food, fuel and stores needed to complete the 23,000 mile voyage. The first-hand experience of the Group’s yachting and marine leisure experts at GAC Pindar Superyacht Services will also come into play for meeting the specific needs of the boat during its voyage. The agreement was signed yesterday (21 July) at…

GAC EnvironHull has announced that its pioneering hull cleaning system, HullWiper, will be available to shipowners berthing in the Port of Rotterdam next month. HullWiper - which will be demonstrated at an event co-hosted by GAC EnvironHull and the Port of Rotterdam at the port on 23 June - is a diver-free remotely operated vehicle (ROV) that eliminates the need for divers to clean the vessel, cutting costs and reducing the risk to human life. Unlike other cleaning solutions, HullWiper uses seawater under high pressure as a cleaning medium, instead of brushes or abrasives, minimising damage to the antifouling surface. This optimises performance and creates energy efficiency savings for ship owners, as well as reducing expenditure needed to recoat the hull.

The acrylic and steel structure for the world’s biggest underwater restaurant is on its way to the Maldives, thanks to GAC’s project logistics expertise. The restaurant, complete with its 13-meter-high stairwell, is heading for the new resort Hurawalhi, where it will offer guests an underwater dining experience with panoramic views of surrounding marine life, including replanted corals, when it opens in August this year. Food will be prepared on land, then transported to the 24 guests waiting in the dining area further below sea level than any other underwater restaurant in the world.

The International Maritime Club presented Meena Mathews, GAC’s Regional P&I Manager for the Middle East, with its Excellence in Marine Claims Management accolade at the IMC Excellence Awards ceremony at the Ocean Blue in Sharjah, UAE, this week. Mathews was nominated by the Club’s committee of industry specialists for her work in protection and indemnity and insurance over the last year. She received her award from The Dubai Council for Marine & Maritime Industries (DCMMI) Chairman, H.E Khamis Juma Buamim. “Within GAC, we have long known what a valuable colleague and consumate professional Meena is. Her professionalism and performance is a credit to our organisation,” says GAC Group Vice President – Middle East, Lars Bergström.

GAC announced a new add-on to its GACtrack, aiming to give more job transparency and greater job control to ship agency customers. As well as being able to view job information from multiple offices on one screen, customers can check costs and export service information; view (and query if necessary) vessel line-up information; see updates on job status, including estimated timings of arrivals, departures and services to be provided and advise changes to services where required. Details can be viewed by clicking the ‘Jobs’ screen, which contains information about the supplier, the person who requested the service and a remarks section. Services provided are listed with estimated and actual costs, in real time, ensuring no surprises when the final bill arrives.

GAC Dubai’s introduction of a suite of practical innovations to improve safety in working conditions and reduce the company’s carbon footprint has won it the Group Chairman’s Award for HSSE (Health, Safety, Security and Environment) Excellence for 2015. 35 entries were received for the annual Award, which for the first time extended its scope from the previous focus on the environment to also encompass health, safety and security measures. That extension reflects the importance of HSSE compliance in the diverse sectors the GAC Group serves. Simple measures, winning formula GAC Dubai stood out for its implementation of a series of simple measures introduced to enhance HSSE across the board.

Four managers from the GAC Group start 2016 with a new challenge as they take on new roles for the global provider of shipping, logistics and marine services. Peter Österman moves to his native Sweden to take on the new role of Commercial Manager – Shipping for Denmark, Finland and Sweden combined. He is replaced as Managing Director of GAC Global Hub Services by Ronald Lichtenecker who relocates to Dubai for his new role. Lichtenecker was previously Managing Director of GAC Singapore. Henrik Althen takes over his former role in Singapore, after serving as Managing Director of GAC Kuwait. He is replaced by Filip Björklund, previously Group Business Controller.