Month: December 2015

InterManager President’s New Year Message: looking back, staying the course, challenging the norms

Phil Page

As 2015 draws to a close, we pause to reflect on the past 12 months which have certainly been interesting, challenging and at times confusing in terms of the signals that the global market place has been sending out.

Topping this very dynamic landscape and seascape has been a keen interest to try and get ahead of the trends in order to position ourselves for the anticipated better days ahead. Unfortunately, such jockeying of positions appears to have only compounded what was already a challenging situation. The net result turning out to be what Alan Greenspan once described as “irrational exuberance” in terms of the behaviour of many towards the different markets that we engage in. Read more →

Mersey Maritime Awards Deadline 7th January 2016

Phil Page

The deadline for the Mersey Maritime awards is fast approaching so businesses connected to the maritime industry in the North West and Isle of Man are being encouraged to get their entries in by the 7th January 2016.

There are ten award categories and entry into more than one is permitted if the appropriate criteria are met.

All entries will be reviewed by a prestigious judging panel including John Syvret, CBE, Chief Executive Officer, Cammell Laird Group; Gary Hodgson, Chief Operating Officer, Peel Ports Group; Sir Michael Bibby, Managing Director, Bibby Line Group; and Mark Rathbone, Partner, Brabners LLP.  Read more →

Thome Group becomes first company to achieve Eco-Office status in Philippines

Elaborate Communications

THOME Group in the Philippines has become the first local company to be accredited with Eco-Office certification.

The international ship manager has successfully completed an environmental audit throughout its Singapore offices to achieve Eco-Office status, which is regarded as the strictest of its kind in the region. Read more →

Global Shipping Industry Welcomes ‘Paris Agreement’

Elaborate Communications

The global shipping industry, represented by the International Chamber of Shipping (ICS) throughout the United Nations Climate Change Conference, greatly welcomes the ‘Paris Agreement’, adopted unanimously on 12 December by 195 nations.

The shipping industry remains committed to ambitious CO2 emission reduction across the entire world merchant fleet, reducing CO2 per tonne-km by at least 50% before 2050 compared to 2007. Read more →

Crewtoo Seafarers Happiness Index Shows Widening Gap in Connectivity

Phil Page

Respondents to the third quarterly survey highlight insufficient investment in Internet access; those without access characterize it as the “stone age”

MIDDLETOWN, RI, and LIVERPOOL, U.K. – December 10, 2015 – Crewtoo, the online social network for seafarers and a part of KVH Industries, Inc., (Nasdaq: KVHI), has published the results of its third Crewtoo Seafarers Happiness Index report.

Designed to monitor and benchmark seafarer satisfaction levels via 10 key questions, this third quarterly report shows a seafarer satisfaction level of 6.37 on a scale of 1 to 10, which is virtually unchanged from the 6.44 overall level reported in August. However, the questions about connectivity and shore leave emerged as key issues among seafarers. Read more →

Global shipping industry will support further CO2 reduction measures at IMO, regardless of final outcome of Paris conference

Elaborate Communications

The International Chamber of Shipping (ICS), which has represented global ship operators throughout the UN Climate Change Conference in Paris, has commented on the latest draft UNFCCC text which – although still not finalised – currently contains no explicit reference to international shipping (or aviation). Read more →

Mersey Maritime Awards to Include Whole of the North West and Isle of Man

Phil Page

In response to popular demand, Mersey Maritime has expanded the eligibility of its annual awards to include maritime companies and related organisations right across the Maritime, Logistics and Energy spectrum in the whole of the North West and the Isle of Man.

Chris Shirling-Rooke, CEO of Mersey Maritime, said: “Last year’s inaugural event was so popular that we have been inundated with businesses wanting to get involved. Taking the time to enter one or more of our 10 award categories certainly pays off, as two non-finalists last year won lucrative contracts on the strength of their entries. ” Read more →

Schulte Group Shares Expertise with Senior Banking & Leasing Professionals in Shanghai

Debra Massey

More than 130 senior decision makers from the Chinese banking and leasing sectors used the first ever Schulte Group Shipping Day in Shanghai to learn about the shipping industry, the services of the Schulte Group and to hear of new solutions for distressed assets in the portfolios of financial institutions and shipyards.

The event, which was held as part of the recent Marintec Conference in Shanghai, included special guests Ms. Liu Ya from the Export-Import Bank of China and Mr. Li Zhizhan from the China Export & Credit Insurance Corporation. Participants in the panel discussion comprised Mr. Wu Hongliang (The Export-Import Bank of China); Mr. Fan Enhui (Bank of China); Mr. Yang Changkun (ICBC Financial Leasing Co., Ltd.); and Mr. Fang Xiuzhi (Bank of Communications Financial Leasing Co., Ltd.). Read more →

Joe Pitcher Joins Maritime Training Leader Videotel as Sales Director

Phil Page

The new director has extensive experience working with shipowners and shipmanagers and will oversee Videotel’s business development

LONDON, U.K. – 4 December 2015 – VideotelTM, the leading international provider of e-Learning maritime training programs and a company of KVH Industries, Inc., (Nasdaq: KVHI), has appointed Joe Pitcher as its sales director to lead business development efforts and liaise with Videotel’s global network of agents and sales offices. “Joe brings with him a wealth of maritime sales experience and I am confident he will develop our already impressive client list and achieve further growth for Videotel,” says Nigel Cleave, CEO of Videotel. “Our team looks forward to working with him to promote our comprehensive range of training solutions.” Read more →

Shipping industry supports global climate change deal and is committed to ambitious CO2 reduction led by IMO

Elaborate Communications

The global shipping industry, represented at the United Nations Conference in Paris by the International Chamber of Shipping (ICS), fully supports a global deal on climate change.

The shipping industry is committed to ambitious CO2 emissions reduction across the entire world merchant fleet. This will best be guaranteed if further regulation continues to be led by the UN International Maritime Organization (IMO). Read more →