Hoëgh Autoliners restructures

There’s a new management strategy,
plus a new man at the SA helm of
Höegh Autoliners – whose massive,
slab-sided car carriers are frequent visitors
to the Durban car terminal, Southern
Africa’s major artery for vehicle imports
and exports.
New to the MD’s post is Lee Sayer,
direct from a stint in Tokyo as GM of the
used-car division at Höegh Autoliners
KK where he was responsible for used
vehicle exports from Japan to the rest of the
world. He replaces Per Folkesson who has
been appointed head-of-region for Middle
East, India, South East Asia, Oceania
and Africa.
The new management style, designed to
enhance the line’s international presence
and sales activities, according to Carl-
Johan Hagman, CEO of Höegh Autoliners
Holdings, sees Hoegh going through a
global restructuring into a decentralised
organisation.
Regional offices, he told FTW, are
empowered to further improve the service
level, shorten communication lines and
provide decisions close to customers.
“Regionalising the commercial activities
builds on the successful implementation of
operational areas previously carried out,”
said Hagman. “These steps are taken as
part of a global process to make Höegh
Autoliners quicker, smarter and better at
servicing its customers.”
While concerned about the current
global crisis, Hagman is optimistic in his
future outlook. “We believe that in the
long term prospects are good in our
business segment and we will continue
growing with our customers when the
market recovers.”
Höegh Autoliners started its roll-on,
roll-off (ro/ro) car carrier operation in 1969
and deploys some 70 owned and chartered
vessels in its global trade systems –
managed from a worldwide network of 30
offices, and carrying about 2.1-million car
equivalent units (CEU) a year according to
its 2008 records.
The local area offices in this region
of the world are Johannesburg, Dubai,
Mumbai and Auckland.