Tall Ships is the SA link
DURBAN-BASED Tall Ships has become part of a newly-formalised 7-member global joint venture - the LBH Group of Companies - which pools the resources of dry bulk ships agents around the world to provide a more streamlined marketing and operations platform.
The group's members, all of whom are located in main load and discharge ports around the world, will jointly do full marketing, quality and debtor's control.
Outlining the background to the development, Tall Ships m.d. Athol Emerton told FTW that his company had operated closely with Wala Shipping in Rotterdam for ten years. Tall Ships was in essence the first offshore agency partnership company.
Since then several dry bulk ships agents companies have been added to the stable worldwide and they will now officially pool all resources.
The agreement became effective earlier this year.
The companies had been co-operating with each other for two years and saw the need to give it the official stamp.
According to Emerton, a major advantage for international clients is the central co-ordination body known as the LBH Group International Agency & Services based in Rotterdam. Information is continuously sent to the central office by all the companies and is available to the Group's clients on location. All members are equipped with the latest computer software to meet the communications requirements of their principals.
Michel de Kok has been appointed general manager and reports to a Board which is made up of directors from each of the member companies.
These include Brazshipping Maritima, Brazil; Euralatina Shipping and Chartering, Colombia; Tall Ships, South Africa; Wala Shipping, Rotterdam; BT Braz Shipping, Hong Kong; Caravel, Mozambique; and Bulk Vinodol, Venezuela.
The network currently
handles 90 million tons of cargo annually including coal, ore, scrap and derivatives which are moved on
2 500 vessels.
