MAY 2014
www.endeavourmagazine.com
Maryse Liburdi
MAKING AN IMPRESSION
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EDITORIAL Heads of Departments Editor in Chief Daemon Sands daemonsands@littlegatepublishing.com Director General Don Campbell doncampbell@littlegatepublishing.com
I
nnovation, invention and curiosity
To make use of the analogy of aiming
are the pillars on which humanity
for the stars and landing on the moon,
stands. Our entire evolution has
the common method used by the
been based upon innovating what
leaders appearing in the May Issue to
we have to make our lives easier and
keep their companies as competitive
we’ve developed this skill to a fine art.
as possible is through modelling.
Editorial Research Manager Alex Smith alexsmith@littlegatepublishing.com
It should then be easy for us to accept
They simply model themselves on the
then that business in whatever form
leaders of their industry and set the
Sales Director James Martin jamesmartin@littlegatepublishing.com
will follow a similar pattern. Despite
very best of their competition as their
what your job title is, you are not in the
base standard.
Sales Manager Tyler Harrison tylerharrison@littlegatepublishing.com
business of making your work harder,
Some took control by investing in
instead you are be in the business of
the latest technology and training to
Corporate Director Anthony Letchumaman anthonyl@littlegatepublishing.com
making your job easier and your work
provide their employees the tools to
more efficient.
match their experience. Others took
Lead Designer Alina Sandu studio@littlegatepublishing.com
There is a simple reason for this.
hold of their companies in both hands
Darwinist Evolution. What is not
and shook them until everything that
Publisher Stephen Warman stevewarman@littlegatepublishing.com
efficient will be consumed by what is
was no longer of use simply fell out.
and realizing this for your business
One of the things that is glaringly
is the first step to two things. One,
apparent
rampant success and two de-stress.
environment is that Darwinism is as
The companies featured in our
active today as it has ever been and if
May Edition have proven this by
you are not able to change to suit the
diversifying and evolving themselves
environment, that same environment
to embrace the latest trends and
will batter you to death. Concurrently,
technology. They have identified
if you strive, day to day, hour to hour
niches for them to develop their
to stay relevant, if you are not afraid
footprints;
Any enquiries or subscriptions can be sent to info@littlegatepublishing.com ENDEAVOUR MAGAZINE is published by Littlegate Publishing LTD which is a Registered Company in the United Kingdom. Company Registration: 07657236 VAT registration number: 116 776007 343 City Road Kings Lane London Norwich EC1 V1LR NR1 3PS Littlegate Publishing Ltd does not accept responsibility for omissions or errors. The points of view expressed in articles by attributing writers and/or in advertisements included in this magazine do not necessarily represent those of the publisher. Any resemblance to real persons, living or dead is purely coincidental. Whilst every effort is made to ensure the accuracy of the information contained within this magazine, no legal responsibility will be accepted by the publishers for loss arising from use of information published. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or stored in a retrievable system or transmitted in any form or by any means without the prior written consent of the publisher. Copyright © Littlegate Publishing Ltd 2014
they
have
in
today’s
business
capitalized
to be curious, to innovate and reinvent
on the strength and importance of
yourself then you will become the
making full use of social networking
apex-species of your industry. Survival
and have looked to the most modern
of the fittest should be a term that
models to develop revenue at the cost
holds promise and merit for you. The
of anything and everything redundant
question you should ask yourself is
and old.
how fit is your company?
A continuous pursuit for innovation has kept these companies relevant and I’ve yet to discover a company that has suffered from updating themselves and endeavouring to stay modern.
Endeavour Magazine | 3
CONTENTS
FEATURES 24 Shreeji Enterprises Anything You Need 28 National Petroleum Marketing Company Ltd Basically The Best 34 Furness Group of Companies Great Grouping 40 Guardvant Staying Up 46 Mantrac Nigeria Building A Nation 52 Ansa Technologies Ltd Expansive Business growth 58 Hž Infrastructure On The Right Track 64 Tiroler Rohre GmbH Ductile Cast Iron Success 70 (Modern Industries) AH and L Kissoon A Story Of Courage, Growth And Success The Genesis Of The Kissoon Group 76 Radio St Lucia Bringing Radio Into Social Networking 82 Wilmar Integrity, Excellence, Passion, Innovation, Teamwork and Safety 88 Kulim Keeping Production Prosperous 94 Shin Yang Shipping Sails Up
Mantrac Nigeria 4 | Endeavour Magazine
ARTICLES 6 Maryse Liburdi: Making An Impression The Story Of The Mind Behind Pokeware 10 The Generations War 12 Feng Shui Your Office For More Productivity 14 The Grand Cherokee 18 Gadgets 20 Business Headlines 22 Become A New Yorker 98 Nora Dunn Professional Hobo 102 Florida Tattoo Artist Jeff Covell 104 Book Reviews
34 Furness Group Of Companies
40 Guardvant
Endeavour Magazine | 5
MARYSE LIBURDI
Making An Impression
THE STORY OF THE MIND BEHIND POKEWARE BY DONNIE RUST
I
t took me longer than I expected to get the chance to interview
important online businesses on the internet but she has also held a
the CEO/Chairman and Founder of Pokeware the beautiful
pilot’s licence for the past five years and does most of her own flying,
and brilliant Maryse Liburdi. And it’s not through lack of trying,
when she can. Typically, NY to DC, or MSP to ORD. Hands-on in the
in all fairness she was very busy with meetings at the White House
office, outspoken about her beliefs and gifted with the seemingly
with Vice President Biden, Senator Chuck Schumer and Senator
impossible ability to arrive at every meeting immaculately dressed,
Orrin Hatch discussing patent reform and innovation protection.
fresh faced and confident.
Nevertheless she kindly made some time for me. Described as one of the world’s leading disruptive figures in technology, Maryse’s $44 million company Pokeware keeps her travelling across the world to offices in New York, Madrid, Paris, Milan and London it was a humbling experience to speak with her. Still in her thirties not only does Maryse run one of the most
6 | Endeavour Magazine
Yes, it was a very humbling experience speaking with her. Maryse’s company Pokeware, the visual search capability software, was conceived when she was still in college. “I had spent days trying to find a dress that I had seen on television,” she says, “And the idea was conceived as a means to make this easier,” A lover of high-fashion and an infamous advocate for keeping
users in control, she went to
were not as technically inclined
ourselves as a pioneer in a
to keep her creation up to date
work to create a concept that
and the forward thinking New
culture of innovation.”
and relevant, Pokeware made
would
process
Yorker and her vision proved to
What this means is that
history in 2005 by teaming up
of locating specific pieces of
simplify
the
be too much for many of them,
Pokeware in many ways provided
with musician Pras Michel of The
clothing. So, instead of having to
the headstrong beauty explains,
a significant contribution to
Fugees who launched a remix of
think of the right keywords to
“I had just completed a degree in
the speed at which the internet
U2’s “I still Haven’t Found What
use thanks to Pokeware a user
biology and computer science at
infiltrated every level of business
I’m Looking For”, to produce
could simply “poke” an object in a
the University of South Carolina,
since then to today and with this
the first ever interactive music
video to create search results for
but this was entrepreneurship
in mind, the innovative potential
video related to the solutions
that object.
and they don’t teach courses for
that
Pokeware could offer.
However, this was in 1997,
that so we had to diversify the
provides all of us can be directly
a time where many companies
Pokeware offering and anchor
linked back to her. Always striving
the
world-wide-web
And, more recently in 2012, Pokeware
was
selected
by
Endeavour Magazine | 7
the World Economic Forum as a Global Growth Company in acknowledgement of their development trajectory and the client list using Pokeware include the Olympic Games, National Basketball Association (NBA), Gucci and Elle magazine.
Approach To Business Known as someone who can shake things up, Maryse is quite candid about her approaches to business and the importance of self-reliance. “I get asked a lot about who
“
my role models were as I grew up,”
she
reflects,
“But it always strikes me as a peculiar question
because
I guess you could say that the internet was my inspiration.” Embracing Who You Are
I really didn’t have one. I think
experience or a sharper mind.
what I had instead was a deep
Having been at the forefront
enjoyment of learning and trying
of the digital era since 1997
new things so there was never
Maryse’ approach to business
one person that I’d look up to,”
has always been ahead of her
modern-day
businesswoman
the persecution of femininely
time
on
Maryse doesn’t shy away from
confident women in the office
of the internet, it can inspire you,
leading by example. She says
her femininity. Always a breath-
poses a direct threat to women
so I guess you could say that the
that it’s important as a leader to
taking vision, she received her
striving to climb the corporate
internet was my inspiration.”
demonstrate a good work ethic
first lesson in fashion from
ladder.
She adds, “That’s the beauty
and
concentrated
The embodiment of the
want to be addressed.” Taking this to heart she encourages other career women to fully embrace being a woman and believes that
Now, when it comes to
and that people working with
her father, who was a doctor,
business, you’d be hard pressed
you and around you will navigate
who strongly advocated the
sexism and her support for the
to find someone with more
towards that behaviour.
importance of “Dressing how you
multi-billion
8 | Endeavour Magazine
Highly
outspoken pound
against fashion
“
tential,
uch po m o s e v a h e eings w
As human b
sed.
and be focu rd a h rk o w to d e e n e but w
”
industry she feels that women
This approach, of listening
need to respond to it, because if
a proper vacation without a
should feel free to express their
first, and not assuming, has
you don’t you’ll end up with a big
computer or phone in sight.
fashion sense as an integral part
proven significantly important
pile of things that will never get
of their brand.
in creating the brand that has
done.”
While
Maryse
may
have found role models and
“When we dress we adopt
become Maryse Liburdi. It is
Enjoying tennis, basketball
inspiration in the internet, found
a uniform and our appearance
because of her tendency to listen
and running outside of the office,
direction more thanks to her
is key to how we are perceived.
and gather facts before making
Maryse does acknowledge that
incredible mind than someone
Fashion is a multi-billion pound
decisions that have made her
she hasn’t enjoyed a proper
else’s guidance, she has still
industry on which millions of
a formidable element in the
vacation in a long time and that
become an outstanding model
jobs depend, it should not be
business world.
She started
doing so is one of her goals for
for future generations of female
undermined or undervalued,” she
her own company straight out
this year, “Every place I have
and male business people. An
says.
of college with her own money,
travelled, has been a business
icon of innovation, free thinking
However, while making a
overcoming the same financial
destination,” she says, “There are
and ambition:
physical impression is important
troubles that all entrepreneurs
some wonderful places in the
“We all are creatures of
it is not the only tool that she
endure, to becoming one of the
world that I have researched,
GOD. As human beings we have
believes
people that Vice Presidents and
like Mauritius and the Seychelles
so much potential, but we need
Senators call for advice.
Islands, that I would like to visit
to work hard and be focused.
one day.”
During the centuries, we have
is
essential
to
be
successful and goes on to add, “To make a great impression
It has also made her one of
you first have to listen to what
the most balanced and happiest
other people have to say and to
of people around. A career
try understand the environment
woman by choice, Maryse is
you are in and never be quick to
looking forward to starting a
judge,”
family with her husband (Italian
always been innovative, and
What Will She Be Doing For The Future?
today technology is part of our evolution—a future that I am trying to contribute to, every day.” she concludes.
entrepreneur, Mauro Liburdi),
While “business as usual” is
“When someone tells you
to think that one knows what’s
but has some key tools for
a term that really doesn’t apply
it can’t be done, it’s more a
going on with someone else and
keeping herself both happy and
to this jet setting entrepreneur,
reflection of their limitations, not
successful:
2014 is still going to be an
yours.” ~ Dr Andy Baldwin
“It’s irresponsible and selfish
what is going on in their head. Five people can be looking at
“One, get enough sleep as
exciting one for Maryse. She will
the same image but all can be
we don’t make good decisions
be going to the World Economic
looking at five different objects
when tired. Two, make time for
Forum in Nigeria, running the
within that image. One person
your family and friends, because
New York marathon, something
can be looking at a handgun, one
they’ll keep you sane and make
that she has done before to raise
at a lamp, one at the table, one at
you happy,” she says, “And three
funds for children born with
the nail polish and someone else
don’t leave things for the last
pediatric AIDS, with a number
could be looking at the dress a
minute, if you’re going to open
of her running pictures floating
character is wearing,”
an envelope or an email, you
around online, and enjoying
Endeavour Magazine | 9
THEGenerationsWAR WRITTEN BY DONNIE RUST
W
ar time competition is the birthing ground for the
created by too many countries
most important technologies that we take for granted.
being too afraid to be the first to
Computers, GPS, Duct Tape, and JEEP, super glue,
pitch a rock into the other’s pond,
microwaves and even cargo pants are just some of the life-essential
Or rather has been revealed.
if not for war.
This
particular
war
has
The desperation of all-out War creates an environment with
always been around but now the
varying degrees of insanity, namely “the possible”, “the impossible”
enemy has too much power at
and “the unthinkable” and the manpower to make all three. When
their hands, too much strength.
failure is tantamount to death- it’s amazing what a room filled
They’ve rallied, they’ve grown
with insane geniuses can produce given pressure and a smidgen
and they are very, very hungry.
of budget.
I am of course talking about the And whatever is produced, no matter how blindingly bonkers, will be used if it promises even a small
war between parents and their children.
advantage over the enemy and if it works it
While I have no kids myself
will be patented and later be stripped apart
this is as much out of choice as
into individual patents that will later be used in
design. I’m not married, I have no
completely unrelated areas.
children and my life is brilliant.
Sophisticated technological leaps that take us by
Don’t think that I don’t know
surprise, like rocket ships, hover cars; teleportation and
what I’m talking about because
3D printers are linked together by bridges of patents
while I’m not a parent, I have
and small developmental steps that have to be
friends who are and they love
invented by the scientists as they go along.
telling me about how raising a
As an example in 1945, an American scientist
family is less about unconditional
accidentally realized that the radar transmitters used
love and more about finding
by the U.S. Army throughout WWII actually released heat
ways to distract the little animals
in the form of microwaves, this revelation of: “Oh look if we use this
before you throw them out the
shielding to protect ourselves from the microwave weapon we won’t cook our hands…” lead to other questions like, “If this cooks our hands shall we use it to cook this chicken? I’m hungry,”
10 | Endeavour Magazine
the war zone has evolved.
products that we use every day that would never have been invented
window. The process is still the same. In the desperate, life-
For a long time, technological development required the
or-death situation of keeping
sort of competitive desperation seen only in times of war. It
your teenagers occupied and
was the war in the 1940s that supplied the mechanical and
quiet between the hours that
scientific understanding that allowed the development in
they come home from school
the 1960s for America to put a man on the moon. Unlike
to the point when they return
sporting events which are held by rules (Formula 1
there, the desperation leads to
aside), war has no rules (Okay the Geneva Convention
insanity and insanity leads to the
does count as a rule… but that really doesn’t help my
most impressive and inspired
argument), no boundaries. Not to sound like a war
inventions.
monger, but while we count and gather up the years
These inventions, while being
upon which we totter precariously upon a peace
able to trace their lineage back
to the computers developed during war time, the programming we’re
And furthermore, the entertainment industry feeds off the
speaking about was developed as toys, entertainment and it has come
conflict. From toys to video games it does not exist just to entertain
full circle and evolved to serve a darker purpose.
well-adjusted and innocent adults but relies on the screaming
The American Secret Service learns combat tactics by playing
demands of teenagers and young kids who don’t want to go outside
video games. Not special, government video games developed in
because they want to continue shooting things, blowing things up and
some military research and development academy, but run of the mill
hearing people onscreen scream.
XBox and PlayStation games like Splinter Cell, World at War and Halo.
It has become one of the biggest industries in the world and
These games, aimed at children, actually teach these professional
it is driven by the ceaseless battle fought between parents and
soldiers the tactics to infiltrate a heavily armed facility and take out
their children for the remaining tatters of control and order in the
the bad guy. And, when these professional soldiers can’t get through
households that they co-inhabit.
a particular level because they keep dying or being out classed by the
And the same geniuses who would be locked in a bunker with all
game’s programming- they just watch one of the millions of YouTube
the nation’s resources at their fingertips are in charge of supplying
tutorials uploaded by teenagers
the weapons to this war. And too
every day to find out how to do it.
many people are afraid of the
A chunk of the training involved in
consequences of losing this war
developing soldiers comes from the
which could fall anywhere upon
playful minds of grubby teenagers in
a range of horrors, with stony
their pestulant bedrooms.
indifference
Writer, predicted
Orson this
Scott
exact
Card
on
one
side
and
cannibalism on the other.
scenario
The war of the generations
when he wrote Ender’s Game in
has been around forever, but it’s
1985. Decades before XBoxes and
only becoming apparent now. Kept
PlayStation were even a thing he
behind closed doors and shuttered
proposed that war would eventually
windows it has started leaking
be won by children who believed
out into the air, more kids in super
they were playing a game and
markets screaming at the top of
that military forces would value a
their lungs for their new toys and
child’s lack of compunction as the
parents being unable to leave them
ultimate ammunition. The same
there. We’ve just never been in the
lack of compunction that will see a
position to appreciate the soldiers
toddler punch a pregnant woman
of this war. The brave men and
in the belly translates well into their
women who enter into this battle
indifference at sending troops to
unknowingly, brain washed like
their deaths in aid of a quick victory.
Americans into believing that having
I’m not digressing here, I’m
kids is a good thing. Convinced by
proving a point. Wars employed weapons that later evolved into toys,
social conventions that adding to the drain of resources created by
today war employs toys that evolved into weapons.
seven billion people is a good thing, these poor people, these brave
An example is the recent invention by an engineer in Norway who invented a robotic ball for his son to play with. The ball rolls
fools. These statistics in the generation wars. Okay now I have digressed.
about as you would expect a normal ball to be able to do, but it can
So in future years attacking enemy troops are suddenly frozen
also segment itself into a vaguely insectile robot that can scuttle and
in bubble wrap cocoons with surprised, comical expressions on
walk around like something out of Star Wars. It’s meant to present
their faces, or when at a push of a button soldiers, war mongers and
a toy that can play back with the kids but it won’t be long before
politicians simply curl up onto the floor and fall asleep or even better,
that becomes a walking, controllable, rollable bomb or a robot with
when with one pull of a trigger every enemy available will suddenly
guns hidden inside- either to further occupy the child’s time or to
evolve an irresistible urge to mow the lawn and clean their bedrooms
merrily roll into an enemy camp, entertain the soldiers before going
- you’ll know where these weapons came from.
completely Malcolm Tucker on them.
And you will be grateful. Endeavour Magazine | 11
WRITTEN BY ANDREA HUDSON
FENG SHUI YOUR OFFICE for more productivity I
f you are a believer in the energy of Feng Shui then you already know that this philosophy is all about right placement of items in your home or office in order for them to ‘stimulate’
the energy of universe to bring you prosperity and all else you are striving to. Most of us associate office success with the amount of money we’ll get from the business we are running from that office. So, here are some of the best tips that will not only put food on your table but will make you such wealth that you’ll never again worry about your funds.
The Wealth Star Based on Your Office Period and Direction This information is not that known and it’s not that easy to apply, either. If you are familiar with your office period, you can find out where your wealth star is located. Each office has a wealth area that is built-in; this area is based on when the office was either built, renovated or when you took ownership of it.
The Most Active Corner Close to Your Main Entry You already know that in feng shui corners are those that retain energy. These corners can be either vibrant or stagnant, depending on your efforts. Strong corners will draw in the incoming Chi (Chi is known to contain all the various qualities of energy, according to feng shui – and this includes wealth). Corners closest to the main door absorb and retain a big portion of Chi. Therefore, it is important to apply feng shui to and express the energy or welcoming abundance.
12 | Endeavour Magazine
Colors play a big role: Purple, Green, Gold, & Red If you want to stimulate prosperity and wealth, go with Purple as this is the best color
If they bear fruit, it’s even better! The important thing is to make sure there are no thorns on this plant! If your office has a room that is designed as a bedroom for you or your colleagues to take a nap, don’t put the plant in the bedroom because prosperity corner is in your bedroom. Another color that, according to feng shui will bring you money is – Gold.
to increase your abundance.
It is pretty easy to conclude why gold. So, make sure you put some
In historical terms – this was
gold coins, gold frames with photos of people whose success you
the hardest color to make, only
admire, gold jewelry or figurines of golden-laced guardian angels or
royals were to have it and wear it
saints in your prosperity corner to stimulate energy flow next time
and show off their wealth.
you remodel your office space. If your space is organized in such a
An idea: Place a purple
way that placing ornaments or figurines is impossible, then decorate
blanked on a piece of furniture
with some decorative tiles in proper colors. They can also draw good
that you have in some corner.
energy in.
Hang purple curtains on your windows. Even, have a purple vase that will work as your Prosperity Vase – you can put
Dream Home, Dream Boards, and Symbols of Goals
money in it everyday and in such
You can put a dream board someplace in your office that is easily
way stimulate the constant flow
approachable, i.e.that you can see it from your desk. Put some symbols
of your wealth, while you are
that remind you of success and wealth on it, some luxurious items and
imagining this money growing
all that stimulates you towards success.
like magic beans.
The Color of Money If you want to stimulate flow of money, go with Green. Decorate your office with plants that have rounded-leaves.
Free-Flowing Money Make sure that your office and your wealth spots are sparkling clean and free of clutter. You don’t want to stop the flow of energy in your money corner. Always keep your front door area clean and clear of anything physically blocking it so that it is easy for you or energy to come in and out without tripping over anything.
Endeavour Magazine | 13
THE GRAND CHEROKEE
BY JACK SLATER
C
onsidering the flavours that the Grand Cherokee comes in
Low-end grunt is the most noticeable trait of this engine. Torque is
with, from a mild V6 to a meaty 6.3 litre V8 it’s good to see
a strong-point for any diesel, and Chrysler’s 3.0-litre is no exception.
that for this year a diesel engine will be joining the list.
Even at highways speeds, the motor always seems to have accessible
Noisy with excessive vibrations and bad smells are usually
power.
associated with diesel engines and all of these lamentations are absent. There is more noticeable unwanted engine noise than with the V6 or even the V8 HEMI-powered Grand Cherokee, but it isn’t
Gears Making sure that the power is used in the most efficient manner
overly intrusive. Starting up after sitting outside through a cold winter
possible, an eight-speed automatic transmission and the gearing
night, the engine clatter is the loudest, but that mostly fades away
setup never misses a beat when it comes to shifts. Fuel economy
once it warms up. It’s also worth mentioning that we faced average
benefits too. The EPA pegs the Grand Cherokee Eco Diesel at 24 mpg
temperatures between 14 and 20 degrees Fahrenheit and the engine
combined for four-wheel drive models, and our time with this Jeep
never took longer than three or four seconds to start up predawn
returned an average of 23 mpg which is good considering the power
when we started our test drives.
involved.
14 | Endeavour Magazine
Lots Of Toys One of the coolest new things is an air suspension system that not only allows the driver to choose from a range of suspension settings and heights, but the system will also lower the vehicle to improve aerodynamics at higher speeds. The drop is not noticeable and the system works well in the background while providing a solid suspension feel that allows the Grand Cherokee
Even at highways speeds, the motor always seems to have accessible power.
to offer reasonable handling and
to haul a caravan somewhere.
a comfortable ride, which I found
Setting the Select-Terrain system to “Snow,” I found it could
very useful because I really didn’t
tackle a solid two feet of the white stuff in some spots along with
notice at the time.
some shallow water crossings. Throttle calibration is controlled well,
Rated to tow 7,200 lbs in
allowing you to crawl along at a slow and steady speed, while the
all-wheel drive, the GC diesel is
torque of the transfer case combined with the diesel engine feels
fitted with a 3.45:1 rear-end axle.
strong enough to uproot a tree.
Towing won’t feel the same in a
Eventually, or inevitably, as I do like to push the cars, I did get stuck,
unibody crossover as it does in a
which exposed a weakness in the air suspension. Once immobile,
body-on-frame truck of course,
I switched it out of snow mode to try and get more top-end power
but the engine power will remain
into the wheels. The issue is, when the wheels are freely spinning in
strong and it’s good to know
the stuck snow, the air suspension decides to drop out of its off-road
what’s available if ever you have
height setting, which meant that the body of the GC was now sitting Endeavour Magazine | 15
on the snow like a mechanical walrus. Yes, this is the most luxurious version of the Grand Cherokee which will probably spend most of its time on pavement, but any
it simple to understand. Likewise, the seven-inch screen in the LCD gauge cluster is intuitive and makes pertinent information easy to access, which judging by the way I drive, is a good thing.
vehicle equipped with drive modes like “Snow” and “Mud” should
Actually, things to complain about on the diesel-powered GC are
include easy to access recovery hooks. We ended up hooking the tow
few and far between, until it comes to the price. The diesel engine is
strap to a part of the axle, which meant crawling underneath, in the
only available with the Limited, Overland and Summit trimmed Grand
freezing snow, to hook it up and eventually we freed ourselves and
Cherokee, which means that the cheapest diesel-equipped model you
left the inside thoroughly soiled...
can starts at $41,890. Just to get the oil-burner, you have to drop an extra $4,500 over a V6-powered Grand Cherokee or $1,305 over the
Worth Its Money My girlfriend made a pleasant comment, that the Grand Cherokee is luxurious beyond its price point with as much style as vehicles
V8 HEMI motor.
So In The End
twice its price. The car we had to test was outfitted in Summit trim,
Buying this really depends on how you want to use it. Honestly,
which includes a seven-inch LCD gauge cluster, wooden tones and
the V6 is a brilliant motor when hooked up to the eight-speed, and will
comfortable stitched leather that covers just about every surface,
return comparable fuel economy and a pleasurable drive experience.
including much of the dashboard. It dripped comfort.
However, if you’re like me and torque and fuel economy are absolute
Finding the centre console to be laid out sensibly and simply, while the 8.4-inch touchscreen found there runs Chrysler’s fantastic UConnect infotainment system. It is intuitive and the graphics make 16 | Endeavour Magazine
priorities, then the diesel-powered Grand Cherokee is going to be the one you jump for.
The air suspension system not only allows the driver to choose from a range of suspension settings and heights, but will also lower the vehicle to improve aerodynamics at higher speeds.
Endeavour Magazine | 17
GADGETS
BLUFFWORKS WRINKLE/ WASH-FREE PANTS
BluffWorks has taken the two things guys dread most about pants— laundry and ironing—and thrown
them out with the wash water. Crumple these into a ball in your backpack or suitcase, and when you put them back on, they’ll be wrinkle-free. The pants also include cool innovations like iPhone/Galaxy-friendly side-pockets, and are extremely lightweight and fast-drying. Above all else, you can wear them at the office or on the trail. Urban jungle meets actual jungle. (£40, bluffworks.com)
The PenAgain Story
THE DETENTION INVENTION
Roche found himself in all
a pen that used the natural weight of your hand instead of pressure
day Saturday detention due to
In 1987 while a young Colin
arriving late for class, he came
from a grip, making it easier to write for long periods of time.
up with a plan to revolutionize the
pen industry and formulated a
business idea that would haunt him for the next 15 years.
Thirty years old, and working with a friend they each invested $5,000 in startup capital and began their business adventure.
Borrowing a lighter from another student, he reconfigured a
A slow starter with many upsets in the 2002 the company landed
novelty robot pen that he had picked up at a flea market when the
its first major round of investments from some high profile private
school briefly let the detained students out for lunch. The result was
investors and started manufacturing the product in China.
what looked like a Y shaped crutch for your index finger with a pen at its tip.
Through grit and guts the popularity of the pen grew, and they were featured in the Wall Street Journal. They managed to attract
“I felt like a mad scientist” reflects Colin today (a notable statement
the attention of WalMart and after selling millions it was the game
as his father actually worked for NASA), “I had this idea and I didn’t
changing Twist ‘n Write children’s version that was launched in 2008
know where it would take me”.
that has been hailed by parents, teachers and occupational therapists
Although nothing really happened for fifteen years Colin never
as one of the most significant breakthroughs ever in children’s
forgot about his pen idea but it wasn’t until 2001 when working with
educational tools. The Twist n’ Write is now called the Rockyt Writer.
a friend that it began taking shape. The basic premise was to design 18 | Endeavour Magazine
FRONT RUNNER
SPARE TIRE MOUNT BBQ GRATE California-based Front Runner Outfitters has kicked your road-
NO KEYS. NO TRANSMITTERS. NO LAUNCHING APPS. ALL YOU NEED IS THE SMARTPHONE IN YOUR POCKET OR PURSE
trip experience up a notch by allowing you to bring your barbecue
With Viper SmartStart, Viper was the first to give people complete
with you wherever you go. Its stainless-steel BBQ grate attaches
connectivity between their smartphone and vehicle to start, unlock,
like a hub-cap to your spare tire, whether you drive an outie (Jeep)
lock and track their cars from virtually anywhere in the world. Today,
or an innie (under that flap in the trunk). Save the
the 30-year leader in vehicle security launched Viper SmartKey,
extra space in the back for beer. (£70,
which provides hands free, keyless entry and exit from a vehicle
frontrunneroutfitters.com)
using Bluetooth technology, controlled from the Viper SmartStart smartphone app. The Viper SmartKey system is available beginning today for $149.99 at Viper authorized dealers nationwide. Viper SmartKey creates a wireless perimeter around a vehicle that responds to a smartphone without pushing any buttons or launching any apps through the cloud-connected technology of Viper SmartStart. Compatible with any Viper security or remote start system, the phone simply needs to be within a given range of a car when entering and exiting to unlock or lock the door. Viper SmartKey is controlled through the latest version of the Viper SmartStart smartphone app (Viper SmartStart v3.2), which is available now for free download on iTunes. The app includes one-
FINIS NEPTUNE
touch range programming for passive entry, interactive range display and an advanced system to manage automatic locking when a vehicle is being loaded or unloaded. “Our mission is to provide people with complete connectivity to their vehicles while enhancing safety, functionality and piece of mind,” said John Durbin, Director of Product Management at Viper. “Viper SmartKey represents the next evolution of Viper products, delivering an intuitive hands-free vehicle entry system that works seamlessly with a smartphone.” To find your local authorized dealer, please visit viper.com.
Music is a powerful motivator. If you don’t agree imagine watching Rocky’s infamous training montage without the Eye of The Tiger in
Viper SmartStart systems are sold separately.
the background. This is the case for gym goers, runners and even gymnasts however not so much with swimming- until now. Like Sportiiiis, the Finis Neptune is secured onto the user’s eyewear, in this case, swimming goggles and uses bone conduction audio to relay music to the user’s ears, without the need for ear buds. The device also makes music louder and clearer when submerged underwater. It also comes with a built-in 4GB of storage space, a rechargeable battery that lasts 8 hours and an OLED screen with music controls. [$159.99]
Viper Smartkey HANDS-FREE, KEYLESS VEHICLE ENTRY AND EXIT FROM YOUR SMARTPHONE Endeavour Magazine | 19
HEADLINES
BMW X5 MOST FREQUENTLY STOLEN CAR FIVE YEARS RUNNING
A
ccording to the latest figures from TRACKER, the leading
does, which takes equal eighth with the Range Rover Vogue.
stolen vehicle recovery (SVR) expert, the BMW X5 remains
“It’s clear from our latest figures that thieves continue to target
top of the car thief’s shopping list. The BMW X5 was the
prestige models with the most expensive car recovered being
car most frequently stolen and recovered in 2013, making this the
worth £90,000,” says Adrian Davenport, Police Liaison Officer for
fifth year in a row that it has topped the table. Last year TRACKER
TRACKER. “The average value of the cars we recovered in 2013 was
recovered nearly £8,500,000 worth of stolen vehicles and returned
just £23,600, down on the average for the year before. This proves
them to their owners. With the average value of cars stolen in 2013
that you don’t have to be a luxury car owner to be at risk from thieves
being £23,600, savvy owners invest in a TRACKER unit to increase
looking to make a quick profit.
the chances of their BMW or any other vehicle being recovered.
“The best way to increase the likelihood of your vehicle being
TRACKER’s 2013 figures shows that the BMW M3 is the second
recovered, if it is stolen, is to invest in a tracking unit. Using our award-
most stolen and recovered vehicle, moving up from third the year
winning technology, our trackers emit a signal, which leads police to
before and sixth place in 2011. In 2012, the number two spot was
the stolen vehicle and reuniting owners with their cars.”
occupied by the Land Rover Sport and Vogue, but in 2013, they sit in
TRACKER stolen vehicle recovery systems work like an electronic
seventh and eighth place respectively. The Mercedes C Class makes
homing device. A covert transmitter is hidden in one of several dozen
its first appearance on the table, taking third place, whilst the Porsche
places around the vehicle. There is no visible aerial, so the thief won’t
911 reappears in ninth for the first time since 2011.
even know it’s there. Unlike other tracking systems, the device works
BMWs dominate in 2013, with the 5 Series, X5, M3 and 3 Series
even if the vehicle is hidden in a garage or taken abroad. TRACKER is
all making the table. However, the Audi A4 has leaped from ninth
the only vehicle tracking system operated by all police forces in the
position in 2011, up to fourth in 2013, showing even thieves have
UK, offering car owners the ultimate in security
trends. This year, the Audi RS4 doesn’t appear at all, but the Audi S3
THE END OF DOORKNOBS?
V
ancouver’s decision to phase out the doorknob may signify the beginning of the end of this most simplistically effective tool. The Canadian city passed a law banning doorknobs
on new buildings, arguing that the elderly, infirm and disabled can struggle to grip them. The knob, officially invented less than 150 years ago, will be replaced by the lever - simple, sleek, and just plain easier to use. This anti-doorknob movement is not limited to western Canada, with some groups in the UK advocating for a doorknob purge, similarly citing the needs of the elderly and disabled. “We need to look at why doorknobs are not suitable for disabled people,” Alan Norton, chief executive of Assist UK, an organisation that provides products and equipment to people with disablities, told The Independent. “When you look at people with arthritis or those who have little movement of their hands, a lever is easier as you push down on it. However, automatic doors would be the better solution. I agree that we should ban doorknobs in the UK.”
20 | Endeavour Magazine
Are you a bit stiff?
COULD BE STONE MAN SYNDROME
K
nown to doctors as fibrodysplasia ossificans progressiva (FOP), this disease is better known as Stone Man Syndrome. This condition causes the body’s repair
mechanism to malfunction. Basically, whenever tissues such as muscle, tendons or ligaments are damaged, they undergo ossification for sufferers of this disease. Early symptoms come in childhood and are very apparent. Misshapen toes, swelling that appears and quickly disappears, and painful, difficult to move joints are red flags. From there, things set about on a downward course. Victims of Stone Man Syndrome continue to grow new bones within their bodies, some of which attach themselves to the original skeleton. Ultimately, the addition of new bone makes it nearly impossible to move as it locks the movement mechanisms- joints, in place. Fortunately, it is very rare with only about one in every 2 million people living with it. The International Fibrodysplasia Ossificans Progressiva Association is dedicated to informing the public about Stone Man Syndrome because one of the problems with rare diseases is that they are difficult to diagnose, and so people often go without seeking treatment, assuming that any exist. Over 500 people with this condition have offered up blood, DNA, and tooth samples. By studying those things, scientists hope to make breakthroughs and change the lives of people who live with FOP for the better.
May Books
Coherus Biosciences Appoints Michael A. Fleming as Senior Vice President, Commercial Strategy
C
oherus Biosciences, Inc. (“Coherus”), is pleased to announce the appointment
of Michael A. Fleming as Senior Vice President, Commercial Strategy. Mr. Fleming joins Coherus with more than 25 years of experience in strategic and operational leadership roles
at
preeminent
biotech
companies. “Michael is a vital addition to the Coherus team at this time,” said Denny Lanfear, President and CEO of Coherus. “Our pipeline is now sufficiently advanced to begin evaluating our strategic options for commercialization.
Michael’s
experience in building commercial operations and his knowledge of markets and health systems are of immediate importance. He will play a key role in defining strategies that effectively maximize the commercial potential of our products.” Mr.
Fleming
has
extensive
experience in the biopharmaceutical industry, including senior leadership This move is backed by both The British Standards Institution
or executive management roles
and The UK Design Coucil, champions of “inclusive design” -
with Elan Corporation, Nuvelo, Inc.,
meaning buildings designed for access of everybody.
Genentech, Inc., GlaxoSmithKline,
Some elderly support groups, however, have spoken in favour
SmithKline
Beecham,
and
of the doorknob, suggesting redesign rather than removal. Simon
inVentiv Health.
Bottery of Independent Age said: “We know that square of oval
been instrumental in the launch,
knobs are easier to grasp than round ones.
commercialization, and business
“We do need to equip homes properly so that people can
Michael has
development of numerous products
remain independent as they age. If developers really do want
in
to get a handle on things, we say, don’t scrap doorknobs - just
including HIV, infectious diseases,
reshape them.”
diabetes, CNS, multiple sclerosis,
Over in Vancouver, this doorknob prohibition is surely a sign
various
therapeutic
cardiovascular,
and
areas
oncology.
of things to come nationwide. The Vancouver Sun observes that
Michael earned a Microbiology
the city’s independent building code often sees it at the forefront
Specialist Degree (BSc) from the
of building design - pioneering the exclusive use of low-flush
University of Toronto, Victoria
toilets, and energy-saving fluorescent lightbulbs.
College, and an MBA from the
But just as the door lever makes it easier for people to enter and exit buildings and rooms, it also helps the bears.
Rotman
School
of
Business,
University of Toronto. Endeavour Magazine | 21
BECOME A
New Yorker
WRITTEN BY SHANNAH LAUREN
M
ajority of movies that are based out of the United
such as Sleepless in Seattle, you can reminisce whilst watching the
States are usually filmed in New York City, and why is
movie about the trip you made there yourself. Next, Times Square
that? Well, it’s one of the most magnificent places in the
of course! You will see this in almost every movie based in New York,
world. It’s what New York does to the people in it that can literally
such as Friends With Benefits or Date Night. You may even see a
transform someone from average Joe to Brad Pit; that may be a slight
movie being filmed while enjoying yourself in Times Square, but I can
exaggeration. However, it does make you feel like you are a star, and
promise you that you will find the famous Naked Cowboy (and don’t
that’s what counts!
worry, he’s not really naked). Strolling through New York, you can find
You may be one of those people who would like to avoid the
your way to Central Park, enjoy a New York Hotdog and watch the
tourist attractions all together, or you are the first in line to go up the
New Yorkers live their daily lives. You can find the locations of which
Empire State Building. I highly suggest you to experience both genres
were filmed in movies such as When Harry Met Sally, Enchanted and
of New York, as they are both worth your time. You should plan a day
Home Alone 2. The Statue of Liberty, which was a gift from France
completely wrapped around all of the tourist attractions, and see all
in 1886, a landmark full of history in New York. You are able to
the landmarks. Make sure to bring your camera, and take those goofy
reach to the top of the statues crown, but it will take you 354 stairs
cliché pictures. When you look back upon them year after year, you
to get to it. Originally, the statue had represented the freedom to
will remember how lovely that experience truly was. Reaching the
immigration, as over 9 million immigrants had moved to the United
top of the Empire State Building is worth the waiting cue, because
States in the second half of the 19th century. I’m sure you can imagine
the views from the top are just so extraordinary. You must take a few
the incredible feeling they must have had seeing the Statue of Liberty
photographs while you on top of the building, and capture the beauty
as the first piece of the USA. There is no admission prices to get to
upon the city on that day. Although many people do this (as you will
the Liberty Park, however you will need to pay for a ferry to get there
see around you), it’s that day that the city was looking back upon you.
which will be $11.50 for an adult, $9.50 for seniors, $4.50 for children
Many films have based their story around the Empire State Building,
from four to twelve, and children under four are free. The ferries are
22 | Endeavour Magazine
available to go to Liberty Island
between Bayard St and Driggs
us English enjoy finding those old-time pubs! The Brooklyn Inn was
from 8:30am to 4:30pm, where
Ave, Greenpoint, Brooklyn. They
transported to the Kings Country from Germany in the 1870’s, which
the island will close at 6:00pm
are cheap, not over crowded
is found at 140 Hoyt St at Bergen St, Boerum Hill, Brooklyn. This
and returning the last ferry to
and have all the amenities. Now
pub is a cash-only business, which stocks solid beers and the interior
Battery Park at 6:30pm.
ladies, I understand you want
design of dark wood, cozy layout and large windows to take in all the
Now onto the alternative
to shop till you drop, but take
views. Keep on enjoying yourself in the city, and let’s say you have a
ways of New York City, this is
my advice when I say you don’t
dream of becoming a rock star. Instead of having a private karaoke
where you can become a true New
need to go to Saks Fifth Avenue,
room at The Pulse, which would cost you $50 each, you can go free
Yorker yourself. It’s important to
or Tiffany & Co. Brooklyn Night
to Metal Karaoke at Saint Vitus. Every Saturday at midnight they host
always keep that camera with
Bazaar is where its at! It’s at a
a karaoke night, where you can out leash the beast in you. Even if it’s
you, because you were a tourist
new location, open Friday and
just for a laugh or you actually want to be the next Linkin Park, you are
yesterday, but today you are
Saturday nights all year long. You
bound to have a good time.
a photographer. Head on over
will be able to find anything you
Last but not least, it’s always very important to stay safe in any
to Sunset Park, at Fifth Ave
want there, the true New Yorkers
city, especially New York City. It’s highly advised to not dress like a
and 41st Street, Brooklyn, and
know the secret of how great it is,
tourist, and dress the closest to a real New Yorker as possible. This will
you’ve got yourself the perfect
and now so do you! You will find
not only keep you safe from the scammers, but anyone who believes
cityscapes. Let’s say you want to
Brooklyn Night Bazaar at 165
you’re an easy victim. Also, wear comfortable shoes as walking is the
go ice-skating, but Rockefeller
Banker Street, between Normon
normal to these people, and you will be doing tons of it. And most
Center is over crowded and you
and Merserole Aves, Greenpoint,
importantly, make sure you find a local pizza parlour, and have a slice.
aren’t looking to get trampled.
Brooklyn. It’s always a desire
New York is known for having the best pizza, but you will have to find
Well, then there is McCarren
to go to some of the oldest
that out for yourself and thank us later.
Park, which is at 776 Lorimer St
landmarks in the cities; especially Endeavour Magazine | 23
SHREEJI ENTERPRISES 00254 202207000 WWW.SHREEJI.CO.KE
24 | Endeavour Magazine
With its base in Nairobi, Kenya, Shreeji Enterprises LTD is one of the largest transportation logistics company in the East African region. Providing the safest and most reliable long haulage, warehousing and logistics services for specialize and general cargo to a range of diverse customers as well as a stock of variety of building materials for wholesale trading within the same area. Founder Haresh Soni spoke with us with regards to the growth and ambitions of his business. WRITTEN BY JACK SLATER
Anything YOU NEED
Endeavour Magazine | 25
SHREEJI ENTERPRISES
An ambitious and inspiring individual, Haresh started his business in 1987, with just one truck and a goal to grow his company to be the very best in the industry. Today they have a fleet of over 425 trucks and over 485 employees.
“W
e’ve grown significantly over the last three decades,”
Haresh
explains,
“Our
road
transportation sector has grown heavily and
excelled the targets given to it while our hardware trading, which started on a similarily small scale has equally grown up to the level it’s at today.” Favouring a strong organic growth Shreeji Enterprises is now heavily involved in a number of industries, most of which are independent organisations including areas such as building material trading, GPS tracking, aviation, leasing manufacturing, clearing and forwarding and construction development. If one was to follow the lineage of each of these focusses backwards they would see it leads directly to that single truck and one man’s dream. With almost five hundred employees working for Shreeji Enterprises, the company has placed itself as an example of legitimacy, ambition and innovation with a keen approach to staff development as the source of the company’s day to day successes. “We look at staff development and loyalty concurrently,” Haresh explains, “There are several statutes legislated by parliament on such things as contractural obligation, environment impact, safety and risk management and fidelity. Internally however, training is based on Industry segmented under craft, National examination programmes and internal capacity building and succession.” Staff Development is on-going and well-articulated to facilitate succession, diversity, and dynamics due to improved equipment at Shreeji, especially of vehicle technology and infrastructure utility. “We are able to counter adverse staff mobility and retention challenges while considering the financial offers from competition and the statutory based rate of remuneration,” he adds. “With our industry expertise, innovative technology and a modern approach to the real world of cargo transportation and logistics,” Haresh tells us, “Our customers are assured that their cargo is in safe hands. We also offer a vast variety of building materials for wholesale in the East African Market which include reinforcement bars, steel
26 | Endeavour Magazine
pipes, wire products, cement and interior finishing products.” But one of the most important elements to attribute to the
the road network is overhauled. However they, like us are facing their own challenges.”
high levels of customer satisfaction comes to the almost obsessive
Despite these challenges, 2014 and onwards is looking to
attention to detail, something that has been inherited from the
be a fantastic year for Shreeji Enterprises with fresh investment
founder himself. The accumulative force of punctuality, accuracy
opportunities and projects such as a new real estate development
and accountability have made Shreeji Enterprises a dominant force
under Delta Holding and a company rebranding expected for this
in this industry with a powerful reputation for highest and most
upcoming year.
immutable levels of professionalism. Strategically situated close to
“This is going to benefit the whole group by creating a new
the port, Shreeji Enterprises provides haulage services directly from
structure that comes under Shreeji Group of Companies with the
the anchored ship via its Warehouse situated in Shimanzi – Mombasa
rebranding of Shreeji Enterprises,” Haresh tells us.
that allows them a direct route to the client.
He goes on to add that the Manufacturing company will be
With their products and services made available not only to the
entering into a period of expansion as it involves itself into the glass
locals in Kenya but also the neighbouring countries in the East African
industry and that after acquiring more aircrafts after an investment
Region, Haresh explains that the simple approach to managing the
into aviation, they will open up the potential for both regional and
hardware division has been to build strong workable relationships
international leasing.
with major manufacturers in Kenya to be able to provide the best quality building materials at the most affordable rates. Haresh states that the industry is currently buoyant but that there
In the same field Shreeji Enterprises will also be starting a new leasing company that is linked to Delta Auto to provide a one stop solution to leasing or buying vehicles with maintenance contracts.
are a number of hurdles to be faced such as stringent government
“Delta Holdings holds a lot of prime land which will be developed
policies and insecurity, poor implementation of weighbridge systems
by Shreeji Construction,” he continues, “And in 2015/2016 we are
and a poor infrastructure, “This is due to the bad roads we have
looking to invest in Agriculture as Kenya imports a lot of grains and
though at the moment the government is trying hard to ensure that
food products. This will in turn boost the Kenyan economy.”
Endeavour Magazine | 27
NATIONAL PETROLEUM MARKETING COMPANY LTD 001 868 6251364 WWW.NP.CO.TT
28 | Endeavour Magazine
One of the most important companies on the islands, the Trinidad and Tobago National Petroleum Marketing Company Limited (NP) was created in 1972 with the assets the government purchased from the then BP Caribbean Ltd- which was the local arm of the British Petroleum Group. With a long line of stringent business decisions this company has validated its position for over forty years and shows signs that the next forty will see them in an even stronger position. Regards to this we caught up with Acting Chief Executive Officer Kevin Motilal. WRITTEN BY JACK SLATER
BASICALLY
The Best Endeavour Magazine | 29
NATIONAL PETROLEUM MARKETING COMPANY LTD
“NP’s early development came about thanks to the Government investing and purchasing into a number of large conglomerates who had positions on the island,” Kevin opens up, “This including such things as a fifty percent of the inland marketing assets of ESSO Standard Oil in 1973 and the marketing assets for the Trinidad and Tobago Oil Company- formerly Shell Trinidad Limited, in ’76 which was followed a year later by the local marketing assets of Texaco Trinidad Ltd.”
T
hese purchases put NP into an enviable position, for when
Texaco and Mobil,” he explains, “They all came together and then
NP acquired the assets of Shell Trinidad Ltd, it also inherited
recruitment was pushed locally. This has meant that National
its Lubricant Blending Plant at Sea Lots, on the outskirts of
Petroleum has always had the expertise from the multinationals and
Port-of-Spain and under this license, it continued to produce a range
has managed to use this to our advantage since then.”
of lubricants, blended according to the Shell formulations, until the
Although National Petroleum has had its fair share of challenges
National Petroleum Brand of lubricants. This new brand was launched
like any company, Kevin relates that they have been able to increase
in 1981.
their revenues every year and he explains that the key to doing so is
To further compliment these decisions, NP invests a great amount
about taking every situation as and when it comes along which has
of effort into improving its product rating and into keeping itself
created the opportunity for them to become talented at problem
abreast of all significant technological advancements occurring in
solving.
the lubricants industry. Thanks to this rigorous pursuit of the highest standards of quality NP has been recognized by such organizations as the American Petroleum Institute (API), and the Trinidad and Tobago
Customers “Our customer service is specialized and powerful,” Kevin attests,
and Caribbean markets can be counted along some of the most
“We service customers’ needs and trouble shoot for them. We also
advanced in the world.
have training courses and technical seminars throughout the chain
Staffing Excellence
to ensure the best quality work from our staff, and this includes the people on the floor to the managers at the top.”
Having joined the company in 2000, Kevin explains how NP has
He goes on to explain that thanks to them having their own
always been blessed by an abundance of experience and the highest
blending plant, they sell the basic products that are most needed and
standard of professionalism from every one of their employees.
that it is easy for them to tweak the front product or their formulations
“When the company was bought from the nationals they also
to match their customer’s needs.
brought over the people, so we found we had the experience straight
2014 has already promised a lot of potential for NP, “The market
from the start from people who had worked extensively with Shells,
is good,” Kevin relates, “We are looking to further develop our twenty
30 | Endeavour Magazine
NATIONAL PETROLEUM MARKETING COMPANY LTD
four hour Quick Shops, which have been supplementing our service
we will be consolidating the
station business since the late 90s. These have always provided a
developments and exposure from
“On the lubricant sides we
direct access point for many of our customers because we can sell our
these. The market is growing
are getting back into rallying
own brand of lubricants as well as other essentials,”
while we, over the last couple of
and boat racing to get image out
Trinidad is very industrialized with a wide customer base and NP
years have not been keeping up
there,” he tells us, “The Boats
have created their own grease plant, which will be the only one in the
with it. We’re focussed on getting
Name is “Rush” and it’s a local
region and will supply product to various industries such as oil rigs,
back into new business with
vessel. It’s important to not only
refineries, small manufacturing plants and the transport industry. The
aggressive marketing. Of course
get the name out there but also
aviation fuel business is a thriving one and is growing in strides thanks
there is a limited budget so we
to support local talent to help
to the two busy airports of Trinidad and Tobago and they also own the
use it wisely, making sure we get
license to sell LPG gas in Trinidad and Tobago.
our bang for the buck.”
“We ensure that LPG- liquefied petroleum gas- is available
“There is the same effort
to all customers,” he says, “And we police and monitor our own
needed for a small sale as a big
manufacturing chain to ensure the best product and service for our
sale,” he continues, “So we aim
customers.”
for bigger customers in bigger
With self-sufficiency being high on their priorities, NP supports its LPG business with its own LPG Cylinder Filling Plant. This year will also see NP making full use of their marine bunkering
markets to see greater financial results.” And
importantly
is
the
rather than the gas side.
build the buzz. This will help us in our expansion plans where we want to use our expertise to get into the other islands. This is in progress through Tahiti, Jamaica and Panama.”
Green Focus NP
have
been
tinkering
license, with which they do contract blending for companies such as
ongoing thrust on promotions
Petcom and BP.
specifically for their convenience
around for a long time with
stores, which is the main focus
green initiatives, on the liquid
“We did a lot of promotions last year,” Kevin says, “So this year
32 | Endeavour Magazine
fuels they make use of CNG
be disposed of in a certain
compressed
gas
fashion to keep them safe
which has less emissions, “We
and to make it convenient we
actually have three refuelling
offer to take back used oil and
stations on the island and we
we pay for disposal.”
national
supply CNG to eight stations
Finally,
Kevin
explains
and are looking at building
that the main driving force
a Shell station that would
of NP, something that is
include CNG as option.”
ingrained into their culture
Cars
can
be
easily
as a business is their ongoing
modified with a kit to make
mission to ensure the safe,
use of CNG as a primary of a
reliable,
hybrid method of fuelling and
economical
the government is currently
quality petroleum products
looking into giving tax breaks
throughout
for petrol and diesel cars that
Tobago, “This is how we will
have a CNG kit.
continue for the next
Another push, both in
two years.”
media and in action is the recovery
of
convenient
lubricating
oils, “Lubricants need to
and
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Endeavour Magazine | 33
FURNESS GROUP OF COMPANIES 001 868 625-1131 WWW.TSTT.NET.TT
34 | Endeavour Magazine
Furness Group of Companies was founded in 1891 and started as a Branch office called Furness Withy & Co Ltd, a British company, whose business was primarily shipping. Today, the Group is global and operates in a wide variety of sectors: distribution, insurance, cold storage operations and car rental. Katie Richardson speaks to Chairman and CEO William Anthony Ferreira about the company’s vast and varied history, and future plans. WRITTEN BY KATIE RICHARDSON
GREAT
Grouping Endeavour Magazine | 35
FURNESS GROUP OF COMPANIES
The conglomerate giant Furness Trinidad Group of Companies has its financial fingers in many a pecuniary pie: from import and distribution, short and long-term car leasing providers and operators, general sales agents, real estate operators, and general insurance, to underwriting property, motor, engineering and bonding providers, industrial and domestic cleaning and manufacturers and distributors.
F
urther to this plethora of activity is cold storage operation, personnel and general service provisions to the Group, manufacturing of doors for residential and commercial
buildings, shipping agency operations, and it also acts as a credit union for employees. The Companies’ large holding portfolio consists of Furness Trinidad Ltd, (Holding Company), Furness Shipping and Marketing Ltd (importation and distribution), AVIS/Budget (General Sales Agents), Furness Anchorage General Insurance Ltd (general insurance providers), and Furness Rentals Ltd (long term care leasing operators in Trinidad and Tobago). There is also Furness Chemicals Ltd (manufacturers and distributors), Furness Personnel Services Ltd (general service providers of the Group), Furness Withy Ltd (shipping agency operators) I & E Investments Ltd (parent holding company), WAF Resorts Ltd (property owners and operators), and Willview Inc USA (USA residential property owners and operators). Furness Properties Ltd, (property owners), Furness Investments Ltd (investment company), Furness Re St Lucia (consultancy/management providers), and Furness Trinidad Group Staff Credit Union Cooperative Society Ltd (Credit Union) complete the substantial assemblage.
Rich record The 1960s were to see a marked upsurge of activity for the Furness Withy interests in Trinidad. At the turn of the decade, Furness Engineering (Trinidad) Ltd was formed to consolidate the ship repair interests and a new office and showroom was planned in 36 | Endeavour Magazine
Port of Spain (occupied in 1963), while in 1961, Furness Withy were given the management of two ships being built by Canada as a gift to the Federal Government of the West Indies. Delivered the same year as Federal Maple and Federal Palm, the two ships operated a regular service between the Federated Islands and although the Federation was dissolved the following year, the ships continued to serve their intended route. When reports started to circulate that the United States Navy was planning to vacate part of the naval base at Chaguaramas in Trinidad, and release it to the government of Trinidad and Tobago, keen interest was taken by Furness Withy. The site to be released included two substantial deep water piers, plus buildings, and had previously been employed for ship repair. In 1964, a partnership was formed with Smith’s Dock Company Ltd, part of the Swan Hunter Group, to lease the facility and under Smith’s Dock management to undertake marine repairs and the construction of small craft for use in local waters. Furness Engineering (Trinidad) Ltd was absorbed into the new undertaking. Furness-Smiths Dock (Trinidad) Ltd which was formed to lease the yard and became operational in May 1966.
“
We are very much customer-focused and this is reflected in the growth of our leasing operation. After sales, customer commitment is one of the most important areas that we focus on.”
A second joint company, Dockyard Investments Ltd was established to order and own a tug and a floating dock to lift 11,200 tons. These were delivered in 1966, and named Maraval and Iere respectively.
Endeavour Magazine | 37
FURNESS GROUP OF COMPANIES
Furness Withy also held an interest in Metalock (Trinidad) Ltd, which
consider all suppliers/partners essential to our business operation,”
served the needs of the ship repair facility.
he says.
The Furness Withy agency and trading interests were consolidated
The 400 employees with the Group are also considered a priority.
in a new organisation, Furness Trinidad Ltd, considered to be the most
Constant training in all areas of the business is provided to the
experienced shipping agent in Trinidad and Tobago. With the country’s
employees in their respective fields.
government promoting a policy of local investment, coupled with
“Individual staff development is a very important factor to the
taxation legislation to discourage non-residents, shares in Furness
continuance of the company,” says Ferreira. “Staff members are
Trinidad Ltd were accordingly made available in 1976 to enable to
promoted within the group before seeking employees from outside.”
Trinidad nationals to participate in the capital of the company. This
The latter half of 2014 will see Furness Group focus predominately
policy was continued until, in June 1979, control passed to Trinidad
on its property development empire and expand the present business
interests with 49% remaining in Furness Withy hands. Thereafter,
it has into 2015.
Furness Trinidad Ltd ceased to be a subsidiary and became an
“One of the most exciting new developments which is now
associate company and advises many overseas and local authorities
happening is the development of 300 gated residential apartments
on shipping and maritime matters.
consisting of four, three and two bedrooms which we plan to develop on four acres of land situated in San Fernando,” says Ferreira, “Our
Personal touch
aim is to target middle to higher income bracket homeowners.”
“Our motto is ‘Furness, Symbol of Quality and Service,” says
Construction of a new head office will also commence. The
Ferreira, “We are very much customer-focused and this is reflected
planned 10-story building will house the Holding Company, Furness
in the growth of our leasing operation. After sales, customer
Trinidad Ltd, Group centralised accounting and Furness Anchorage
commitment is one of the most important areas that we focus on. For
General Insurance Ltd, allowing for more spacious surroundings as
example, in our car leasing business, the vehicles are kept no longer
well as offering office space to prospective commercial tenants.
than two years, even though they may have a four-year lease attached to them.”
Special attention will also be paid to the insurance portfolio, with plans to expand and grow it by way of acquisition. “The improvements
The vehicles are cleaned as a courtesy to long-term customers
of these will be developing a greater portion of the insurance business
at least twice monthly, and serviced at intervals suggested by the
offered in Trinidad and Tobago and the Caribbean islands,” says
dealers. “In the case of insurance, prompt and courteous claims
Ferreira.
settlement and in distribution timely deliveries and stringent good quality control is one of the key areas that have kept the growth.” Ferreira stresses the company regularly looks at creating additional leverage to its supply chain and encourage long-term
With a successful buy-out of South African company Oblique Engineering Ltd completed at the end of 2013, the future looks secure for the Furness Group and its many lucrative holdings. It looks like its rich history will be continued to be made.
partnerships. “We keep assessing and evaluating the portfolio. We
“Individual staff development is a very important factor to the continuance of the company. Staff members are promoted within the group before seeking employees from outside.”
38 | Endeavour Magazine
GUARDVANT 0027 783 875 534 WWW.GUARDVANT.COM
40 | Endeavour Magazine
There is an old saying that action is better than re-action and this couldn’t be truer whenever it comes to mine safety. Across the board, mining is an industry relying on heavy machinery that is often gargantuan in size that nevertheless needs to be manoeuvred with an incredible level of precision and skill on a minute by minute basis. An accident, even a small one can trigger a domino effect that can halt or stop production, destroy important machinery and worse cost lives. WRITTEN BY DON CAMPBELL
STAYING UP
Endeavour Magazine | 41
GUARDVANT
In situations like this, prevention is far better than cure, and with the industry providing state of the art machinery and equipment the preventative measures have to be levied around the one element that cannot be replaced but does not evolve as fast as the equipment they use. People.
M
ining employees are some of the most skilled people in the world, and their tasks range from miners working hands on in the mines to the transport and logistic
drivers who transport the raw product to processing plants. Long hours, with often monotonous routine is a mainstay of their position and one of the leading causes of mining accidents is driver fatigue. We spoke with Jacob Khumbane regarding the manner in which Guardvant is looking to stem this problem at its source to keep mine workers safe. “Today more than ever our lives are impacting our sleep patterns,” Jacob explains, “Via the internet we have access to information, communication and entertainment at all hours of the day. This also brings the reality of longer working hours. The average person sleeps one hour less than they did ten years ago which is an hour we need,” When considered, an hour less a night adds up to over thirty hours a month that should be used for the mind to recuperate. Combine this with longer working hours, rotating shifts, longer commutes to the site and the stress brought about by sleep deprivation, that can, ironically, disrupt sleeping patterns further and anyone would find it difficult to stay alert throughout the day and night. Long haul truck operators are of course at risk of fatigue during any time of their shift, however research has shown that the majority of fatigue-events are likely to occur during the long periods of inactivity and driving during long hauls and during the naturally occurring low periods of brain activity that occur over a twenty four hour period. In the Western world, falling asleep can sometimes be considered a sign of weakness, especially by employers and people would rather
42 | Endeavour Magazine
try to push through rather than take a moment to rest, “However, when you’re on the clock and have a deadline to reach this is often simply not possible and micro-sleeps, when a person may lose consciousness for only a handful of seconds, can occur at any period and are beyond the control of the driver, fatigue management is finally being addressed as a critical part of mine safety.” Guardvant is the leading source of fatigue management solutions and have found that an important part is making use of available technology to monitor operators for signs of fatigue and distracted driving. “For our operator fatigue monitoring and collision avoidance systems we make use of the most advanced technologies to help improve operator performance, creating a more productive working environment, and protect the assets of our clients,” Jacob says. He goes on to add that their impressive record of successful system design, implementation and support in the mining industry can be credited to their customer-centric approach that allows them to deliver specific products that are right for their goals and objectives. These products, like OpGuard is a non-intrusive operator fatigue and distracted driving monitoring system that can integrate with ProxGuard, a collision avoidance system that uses radar, cameras and GPS for proximity awareness and object detection. This technology is
“
We make use of the most advanced technologies to help improve operator performance, creating a more productive working environment, and protect the assets of our clients.”
Endeavour Magazine | 43
GUARDVANT
not new but Guardvant has adopted it innovatively to address unique
and Guardvant’s approach is to create safety and security systems
mining challenges with advance functionalities, “By integrating
that are not to monitor for the sake of penalizing, but ardently to
OpGuard and ProxGuard addresses two leading causes of accidents
improve operator performance and create better productivity.
in one, operator fatigue and blind spots.”
Keeping mine employees safe is the number one priority for
With a mission to create innovative solutions to improve
all mine managers and by removing the damaging effects of fatigue
productivity, safety and security at mining, plant and port operations,
and fatigue related accidents and stress has made systems such as
anywhere that operators in charge of machinery may suffer from
OpGuard a valuable tool to any mine’s safety program.
fatigue or distraction, these products are continuously adapting and evolving as monitoring technology improves.
“We tailor systems to meet the unique performance metrics and safety goals for mines,” Jacob says, “And augment our technologies
Acting like an ever present driver’s friend, the GuardvantOpGuard
with training, education and change management programs to make
system is designed to awaken the operator, alert supervisors and
sure that the systems are in place for continuous safety and security
provide managers data to implement their fatigue prevention
improvement.”
programs. Prevention is better than cure and the immediate benefit of these systems is that operators avoid accidents and get to go home safely; it also reduces costs of accidents and damage repairs. Fewer
The People A deep understanding of mining and the accompanying operational
accidents and incidents will increase operational efficiency, cut down
challenges is required to develop safety and security systems that
on shutdown time and the time taken to investigate accidents.
work and the success of their product can be credited back to the
How Does It Work? Using non-intrusive technology that monitors head and facial
team of engineers at Guardvant Inc based in Arizona Tucson USA who bring decades of mining industry knowledge and expertise in the development and deployment of innovative mine systems.
movements in 3D, PERCLOS (percentage eyelide-closure) and
On site technicians are on hand to offer support to the clients as
micro sleeps that are the main red flags of fatigue and tiredness, the
well as training throughout the system installation to ensure that the
GuardvantOpGuardhas been well received from clients and drivers
systems work properly and will continue to do so for the long term.
alike.
“Thanks to the contributions to the industry in terms of new
“If the OpGuard algorithm detects fatigue or distracted-driving
technologies, software and systems that our engineers have designed,”
events,” Jacob says, “The system provides an alert to the operator, and
Jacob says, “Mines have been able to instigate improvements to their
at the same time sends event notifications in real-time to the mine
management of safety and operations.”
control room where oversight and management of risk takes effect.”
With applications not only in the mining sector the proficiency of
These personnel may include the mine site dispatcher or
Guardvant’s systems is such that one can see them being implemented
supervisor, who are notified through an exception notice to the fleet
in all driver reliant machinery until vehicles across the globe have
management system (FMS) display in the dispatch office, or via SMS
OpGuard protecting all drivers as standard.
or email. The dispatcher or supervisor is then in the position to contact
Preventing accidents may not be dramatic, however when
the operator according to the mine’s procedures for addressing
considering the damage that can occur during the five or six seconds
fatigue or distracted-driving events.
that a driver may nod off during a micro-sleep you can appreciate the
“The result of this preventative action is clear,” he adds.
importance of the system looking after you.
A rapidly growing number of mines have a “zero harm” safety goal
“We tailor systems to meet the unique performance metrics and safety goals for mines and augment our technologies with training, education and change management programs to make sure that the systems are in place for continuous safety and security improvement.” 44 | Endeavour Magazine
MANTRAC NIGERIA 00234 7034111417 WWW.MANTRACNIGERIA.COM
46 | Endeavour Magazine
BUILDING A NATION
Mantrac is the sole dealer of Caterpillar products across the length and breadth of Africa reaching their audience through country specific branches such as Mantrac Nigeria. For sixty years the Nigerian hub has been involved in the vast majority of construction projects across the country and we spoke with Business Director James Agama regarding it. WRITTEN BY JACK SLATER
Endeavour Magazine | 47
MANTRAC NIGERIA
Offering a variety of products and services, like the sales and rentals of Caterpillar products, the inherited maintenance of the machines and the servicing and onsite training to use the machinery, Mantrac Nigeria has dominated the construction and earth moving markets by being the best at customers service. Their presence has also additionally been proving crucial for the power generation needs of the country’s busy oil and gas sectors.
H
aving just experienced a momentous 300% growth as a
available.”
company, Mantrac Nigeria has expanded themselves to
As the leading provider of the machinery best suited to solving
over ten separate branches around the country and due to
this crisis Mantrac Nigeria has placed itself as a resource in correcting
Nigeria’s growing needs for an infrastructure redevelopment they are
the infrastructure deficit in the country. He goes on to say that as
needed more than ever.
partners in developing the infrastructure of Nigeria that they are
“We are experiencing a severe infrastructure deficit in our country with regards to power and construction,” says James. Infrastructure, such as road, rail, bridges and other utilities are the base line foundation that a business needs to function smoothly
always looking for new ways to improve the situation, “We are doing everything we can to help the country,” he says, “Partnering with major players in the most significant projects. Partnering is the only way to improve things for our country.”
and grow. Poor infrastructure affects all elements of a business from
If anything Mantrac Nigeria has demonstrated that its commitment
the ability to deliver products, to security, to even making employee
to the developing and investing into Nigeria’s national infrastructure
commutes to and from work harder and longer.
is stalwart and focussed on the long term. Actions speak louder than
“The infrastructure can be very challenging,” James tell us, “It pushes up operating costs and places limits on the resources that are
48 | Endeavour Magazine
mere words and it is clear that they are in it for the long haul. “We are the largest company in the field,” James relates, “We have
MANTRAC NIGERIA
become the standard for quality in this country and it is important to
importance of employee focusses
system that has proven results
set an example.”
is felt throughout.
in making relationships stronger
For the foreseeable future the company is looking ahead to
“We have a highly selective
expands its coverage across the country, while maintaining the best
recruitment
value for money from its brands and supported by the intimate and
relates,
engaging relationships they share with their customers.
advantage
The future is very exciting, and the company has been building an
process,”
“And
we of
James
take
full
Mantrac’s
comprehensive product training.” a
mix
has become synonymous with this company. Leading
its
employee
strategy is a world class staff
increasingly significant presence in the power generation sector. Here,
Using
direct
development programme, “We
James believes, is where the greatest potential for the future will be
recruitment
agencies,
pride ourselves on providing
found and the company’s consistent support of new infrastructure is
according to what position needs
a training programme for a lot
sure to pay off as the demand for more industrial equipment continues
to be filled, as well as their own
of people. The Mantrac group
to grow and draws in fresh business.
precise recruitment processes
runs training across the many
and
of
and cementing the loyalty that
Behind being the sole provider of Caterpillar products to the
Mantrac Nigeria looks both
different countries in which we
region and having some of the best customer service ratings in Africa,
nationally and internationally for
operate,” James was quoted, “Our
are the employees and staff of Mantrac Nigeria. People management
the best skills.
courses are tailored towards
is the company’s primary focus and without them they would not be able to take advantage of their position or maintain it.
Also, in keeping with the
improving the person as well as
times, they are acquiring new
what they bring to the business.
Without the experience of their staff, offering their exemplary
platforms to make it easier for
We also work hard to ensure that
service they do or without the common focus of every member of
their staff and their customers
we are offering the best in terms
the team, they would not be able to maintain their current position.
to interact, such as the newly
of benefit and welfare packages,
Running down from the very peak of the Mantrac Empire the
launched
so that after we’ve invested in
50 | Endeavour Magazine
SalesForce
CRM
our staff they want to stay with the business.” Along with this, Mantrac stacks a great deal of importance on local knowledge, and James explains that as a global practice they rely heavily on the strength of local knowledge and prefer to hire staff that live or have lived in the country and understand the local environment. There is after all no such thing as useless information and with the Nigerian markets being in a constant state of flux and competition always fighting to get a purchase in the country, this local intelligence becomes ever more important. With the competitive landscape changing over the years and with new brands constantly appearing and vying for their space, James is having to stay on his toes, “There are a lot of Chinese brands in Nigeria now,” he explains, “To keep ourselves competitive we’ve taken to looking at our processes, how we engage with customers and how we can save the customer money.” As far as strategies are concerned, looking at way to improve the customer’s experience is always a good move, even in times of noncrisis. It is in the way that this company keeps their edge sharp and their approach keen that has made them the main player for the last six decades.
“
Our courses are tailored towards improving the person as well as what they bring to the business. We also work hard to ensure that we are offering the best in terms of benefit and welfare packages.”
Endeavour Magazine | 51
ANSA TECHNOLOGIES LTD 001 8686577151 WWW.ANSAMCAL.COM
52 | Endeavour Magazine
The petroleum industry in Trinidad and Tobago has entered into a high point with the Government improving fiscal structure to help encourage investment and corporate activities and an improved tax regime for companies to help improve the expansive growth of businesses. At the crest of this wave of development is ANSA Technologies Limited. I spoke with Managing Director Aleem Hosein regarding some of the ways his company is getting stuck in. WRITTEN BY DON CAMPBELL
Expansive
BUSINESS GROWTH Endeavour Magazine | 53
ANSA TECHNOLOGIES LTD
Founded in 2000, ANSA Technologies Limited was born from the acquisition and merger of two separate companies Hardware and Oilfields Limited, itself founded in 1931 and H.J. Gransaull Limited formed in 1941.
“I
nitially these companies focussed on supplying pipes, valves and fittings as well as electrical instrumentation services to the Energy Industry,” Aleem explains, “The scope of supply
and services have broadened since then to include the utility industry as well as the manufacturing sector.” Standing at the helm of the company, ANSA Technologies could not have a better captain. A 1972 petroleum engineering graduate he has over four decades of experience in the energy sector, working for extended periods for such notable companies as Petrotrin and British Gas he has held positions of every capacity within the industry and is now in the position to add his experience into supplying invaluable services into the sector. Belong to the Ansa McAl Group of companies, which is one of the largest conglomerates in the Caribbean. ANSA Technologies supplies goods and services to the Upstream and Downstream Energy and Utility Sectors as well as the Trinidad and Tobago and Caribbean manufacturing industry. With a presence in other Caribbean Territories like Barbados, St. Lucia, Guyana, the Dominican Republic and Grenada their expansion has been bolstered by the support of the recent government reforms. “We have two warehouse facilities and are one of the largest stockists of pipes valves and fittings on the island,” Aleem explains, “ANSA Technologies also provides instrumentation and electrical design and construction services and represents a number of well recognized brand names like Invensys, Thermo-scientific, SOR, Ford, Viking Johnson, Neway and Polyken amongst other brands.” 54 | Endeavour Magazine
There has been a considerable improvement in employment statistics across Trinidad & Tobago where unemployment has dropped to only 3.7 %, “We are doing well,” he says, “Certain areas have dropped unfortunately, such as the medical industry which still requires a lot of outsourcing of the people with the skills but Trinidad and Tobago is predominantly a country that relies on the petrol industry up to 90% of the foreign exchange earnings coming from it. This being said there are a number of key industry sectors that are being taught in schools currently to further enhance and develop the employment stats.” With ANSA Technologies, who employ a total of 80 permanent staff and hire additional staff on a project basis a fair amount of training is provided, “Educating your staff is always an investment,” Aleem attests, “In house training on safety is very in-depth as we work with a lot of safety and environment products.” Fully ISO 9001:2008 certified and STOW certified, Aleem elaborates on how important individual staff development is to himself and the company, “It’s crucial for the development and sustainability of the Business and in addition to job specific training, a lot of emphasis is placed on safety training and refresher safety training which is done periodically. There is also an active Succession Planning programme in place.”
Endeavour Magazine | 55
ANSA TECHNOLOGIES LTD
Customer
satisfaction
is
another element that Aleem takes particular pride in, “As part of our accreditation we receive a lot of customer feedback via questionnaires which highlights any issues that need to be sorted and any dissatisfaction is promptly dealt with and follow up action is taken to prevent repetition.”
“
One of the key strategies we employ is that we source goods of the appropriate quality and standards at competitive prices from global suppliers including the USA, Canada, Europe and China.”
“One of the key strategies
“Corksorb and Munox SR,” he elaborates, “Corksorb works for the reclamation of oil spills, it is a cork-based product that absorbs the oil from inside the water and then floats to the surface of the water where it can be collected. Stopping the oil from saturating marine life and forming sediments. It also absorbs oil from contaminated sand,”
we employ,” he adds, “Which has
“Munox SR, is for oil spill areas
proved very important is that we
and can clean up on water and
source goods of the appropriate quality and standards at competitive
on land. On land it absorbs the oil and then the product converts into a
prices from global suppliers including the USA, Canada, Europe and
natural fertilizer and in water the product them becomes fish food.”
China.” Aleem reveals that although his sector has hit a highpoint ANSA Technologies has had its fair share of hurdles to overcome with fluctuating oil prices in 2008 which only began improving in 2010.
These are only some of the pioneering initiatives that ANSA Technologies have been pushing into the industry to establish a foothold in the niche industry of clean up and supply. “Marine engineering is also an exciting area,” he reveals, “The
“Trinidad has been in the petrol industry for more than a century,”
company is interested in embarking on coastal improvements
he adds, “And we’re perfectly located on the hub on South America
works, it is a new area that we would like to expand in. Whilst on
that puts us in a good location geographically to work with both the
the service side of the business we have focussed on electrical and
north and south.”
instrumentation services, we are seeking to partner with other
And, taking full advantage of the above, and after they managed to stem the decline in upstream production the company has started to
service providers whose emphasis is on civil and mechanical services so that together we can offer our clients a better overall service.”
climb back up, “This is encouraging for the government to see because
Aleem admits that it is good to be in the position, after a couple
as the revenues for oil are greater than gas we are pushing for success
of years of worrying, to be getting exciting regarding the prospects
in oil.”
of the future, “As a subsidiary of the Ansa McAl Group of Companies
There have been some particularly important developments
they have strong financial resources that have enabled investments in
within the company in the areas of safety and reclamation. Two in
these key areas which puts us not only in a stable position for growth
particular stand out in the crowd.
but also the confidence to make it work,”
56 | Endeavour Magazine
Technology Solution Company The leading supplier to the oil & gas, petrochemical, process and utility sectors in the Caribbean
P.O. Box 10, 40 Cipero Road, San Fernando Tel.: 868-657-7151, 652-3571, Fax: 868-652-6407, 652-5575 Email: ansatech@tstt.net.tt
www.ansatech.com
HŽ INFRASTRUCTURE 00385 13783300 WWW.HZINFRA.HR
58 | Endeavour Magazine
Undertaking crucial modernisation work of the Croatian rail network, HZ Infrastructure is no stranger to performing under intense scrutiny and to tight deadlines. Company President, Darko Pericic, speaks to Endeavour about surpassing expectations and what the future holds.
ON THE Right TRACK WRITTEN BY AMY TOCKNELL
Endeavour Magazine | 59
HŽ INFRASTRUCTURE
Started as an independent company in 2012 after the division of Croatian Railways, HZ Infrastructure has been charged with the task of renewing and modernising the Croatian rail network. Potentially a daunting task to lesser organisations, HZ Infrastructure have risen to the challenge of creating a transport network capable of welcoming both domestic and foreign operators, explains Darko Pericic.
S
uitably experienced in his field, Pericic is the ideal guiding hand
inherent importance of maintaining expert levels of competence,
for the company. Having completed a degree in Traffic Science
comprehensive educational plans are made at the beginning of
Engineering, he began his career at the Railway Transport
each new calendar year. Employing a two-pronged approach, the
Company, Zagreb in 1977 before progressing to hold impressive
management team ensures that all employees are given access to
positions at Croatian Railways. Becoming a regional office Director
both vocational, practical training and exam-based qualifications.
in 2009, he continued to impress his superiors, with the Croatian
Supported by a unique mentoring system, which sees older staff
Government finally appointing him as President of the management
members transferring their knowledge to younger team members,
board of HZ Infrastructure in 2012, a position he still holds. Proud
the continued development of expertise within the HZ Infrastructure
to be an ambassador for the company, Pericic explains how they have
team is a top priority. In the spirit of continued learning, the
become a major player in the Croatian economy.
management team is keen to encourage open dialogue and feedback
Having invested in the region of €200million into it’s current projects and with 70% of this investment being used to instruct
regarding personal development and as such have initiated annual feedback forums between employees and their supervisors.
Croatian contracting firms, Pericic notes that HZ Infrastructure
Clearly a forward thinking and supportive employer, Pericic
are keen to “become the backbone of the Croatian economy”. With
highlights that finding new team members can be difficult, due to
plans to invest a further €350million this year, this dream looks set
the exacting standards that they seek to maintain. Any new team
to become a reality, an added bonus to the promised provision of a
member would be expected to have commensurate experience within
reliable transport service which itself will naturally impact positively
the industry, impressive communication skills and the ability to work
on domestic industry.
within an exceptionally pressured environment. With this in mind, HZ
With such an enormous task on their hands, HZ Infrastructure
Infrastructure, despite big plans for the future, will not be seeking to
are naturally dependent on their team of close to five and a half
dramatically increase their employee numbers, choosing instead to
thousand highly trained and dedicated employees. Recognising the
organically replace those that leave with fewer, but higher qualified
“Bearing in mind our pursuit of sustainable business operation, we have a long-term strategic commitment to electrify all the lines which were not electrified so far.”
60 | Endeavour Magazine
Ranging from the core business of construction and maintenance of railway superstructure and electric traction to civil works, private building and technological plant, SALCEF is a leading construction company with over 60 years of experience gained through continuous and effficient work.
General and railway construction Design, construction and maintenance of railway, tramway and metropolitan railway superstructure and the connected civil works, electrical power distribution installations for railway, tramway and metropolitan railway traction and signals (UNI EN ISO 9000 quality certification)
www.salcef.com
SALCEF is focussed on strengthening its presence in Croatia and consolidatong successful and fruitful cooperation with HĹž Infrastruktura through the new projects planned in the area.
Endeavour Magazine | 61
HĹ˝ INFRASTRUCTURE
individuals
that
will
allow
competitively placed within the industry.
of
significant
restructuring
cost-saving
Pericic explains that two elements have been addressed when
already planned, in line with
measures to be implemented.
considering ways to remain ahead of competitors; intramodal and
proposed changes to the Railway
This planned injection of a
intermodal competition. Intramodal refers to rail network-specific
Act. Making the decision to
younger
should
issues, such as seeking to modernise, improve and streamline
invest not only in railway lines,
the
transportation routes, allowing for faster speeds, increased frequency
but also IT systems and asset
company and allow for a fresh
of goods loading and timetable flexibility. Intermodal refers to the
management
provision of a far better transportation option than offered by other
company
modes, such as road or airfreight.
restructuring, through a process
streamlining
effectively
and
workforce ‘rejuvenate’
approach to future endeavours. Dealing
primarily
with
technology,
will
find
the
planned
who
With a definitive understanding of the competitive nature of
of employee streamlining, far
facilitate goods and passengers
transportation infrastructure provision and a large, harmonised staff
easier. Despite amendments to
transportation, a commitment
body in place, a well-integrated supply chain is vital for continued
the Railways Act not having been
to client satisfaction comes as
success and growth. Working alongside the Croatian Public
clearly defined yet, the company
standard, with core services
Procurement Act and similar European directives, HZ Infrastructure
has
being maintained to the highest
offer open tenders in order to select contractors for large-scale
business plan for 2014-2018
levels
means
projects. European companies that are successful in procuring
that details goals and subsequent
keenly observing the effective
a contract will often use Croatian companies as their chosen
acquisition strategies, in line with
and
subcontractors, allowing for further local economy support and a
anticipated policy changes.
railway
operators
possible. efficient
This
timetabling
of
trains and remaining flexible
compiled
a
mid-term
Naturally, any organisation
genuine personal investment in the success of projects.
when supplementary support
Looking to the future, HZ Infrastructure have some exciting new
that has a deep connection
is called for in order to remain
developments to implement with a new investment cycle and a period
to both its industry and local
voestalpine VAE Leading in turnouts and signalling solutions
voestalpine VAE group, a subsidiary of voestalpine AG, is the global market leader for railway turnout system solutions. Numerous well-known references for High Speed and Heavy Haul applications from all over the world demonstrate our comprehensive competence. This experience is basis for our longstanding supplies to Croatia and supports the activities of HZI to modernize the Croatian Railway network. voestalpine VAE GmbH Rotenturmstrasse 5-9, A-1010 Vienna Roland Diess, Vice President Sales Ph.: +43 50304 12 8230 roland.diess@voestalpine.com www.voestalpine.com/vae
62 | Endeavour Magazine
economy will be able to demonstrate impressive levels of corporate social responsibility and a commitment to green initiatives. Supporting a number of railway appreciation and sports clubs, despite a limited budget due to the state-owned nature of the company, in excess of one thousand young people benefit every year. In addition to cultural support, educational programmes warning of the dangers of railways are actively promoted with around two thousand children being spoken to by HZ Infrastructure employees last year alone. Understanding the importance of green awareness and adoption of environmentally friendly procedures, HZ Infrastructure has given focus to sustainability. Pericic commented, “Bearing in mind our pursuit of sustainable business operation, we have a long-term strategic commitment to electrify all the lines which were not electrified so far.� Though this project will be costly and relatively non-profitable, the company is committed to a greener and more responsible future. Coupled with significant investment plans and a continued promise to develop the skills and promotion prospects of employees, the awareness of green issues demonstrated by HZ Infrastructure is indicative of a future-proof, responsible company determined to remain at the forefront of their industry.
Endeavour Magazine | 63
TIROLER ROHRE GMBH 0043 5223 503-0 WWW.TRM.AT
64 | Endeavour Magazine
Continually making huge strides in their industry, Tiroler Rohre’s passion for effective water provision and waste water management is matched by just one thing; a deep seated commitment to developing environmentally progressive technology for a more sustainable future. WRITTEN BY AMY TOCKNELL
DUCTILE CAST IRON SUCCESS
Endeavour Magazine | 65
TIROLER ROHRE GMBH
Founded in 1947, Tiroler Rohre has enjoyed in excess of 60 years at the forefront of its industry. Originally a family business, drinking water supply and waste water disposal were the only services offered, but thanks to year-on-year organic growth and impressive technological breakthroughs, more products have been added to the incredibly specialist repertoire. Two niche market enterprises that have enjoyed success are ductile cast iron piles ---the TRM Pile System--- and artificial snowmaking pipes joining the offered services list being introduced in 1986.
„When it comes to personal protective equipment we rely on Austria’s biggest technical equipment supplier.“
Karl-Heinz Zündel/ Anton Schwendinger Doppelmayr Seilbahnen GmbH, Wolfurt
S
peaking to Max Kloger, Vice President of Tiroler Rohre and Erich Steinlechner, Head of Pile Systems Endeavour asked the question, what is the secret to the company’s success? The
refreshingly honest answer that followed, “without progress there is no future”, spoke volumes about the organisation as a whole; nothing is extraneous, everything is essential and as a collective, the staff and processes work cohesively to meet desired standards and deadlines. With a core staff body of 180, a small percentage of the original 1,000 strong workforce, Kloger explains that fewer people does not indicate a decline in quality or production, but rather a more streamlined process that allows for cost-effective savings to be passed onto clients, “There are less people in the company now, due to technological developments. Strides forward in engineering mean that machineoperation now requires less staff. Previously we employed 1000 staff but now 180 staff complete better work and at higher levels of productivity, while incurring smaller salary costs for the company.” Keen to retain a highly skilled workforce, Tiroler Rohre offer an enticing incentive scheme whereby all staff members are given a monetary target that, through submission of at least two ideas a As the largest supplier of technical equipment in Austria, we stock 100.000 articles and offer expert advice as well as innovative service packages. Contact our customer advisers or visit our E-Shop. www.haberkorn.com
66 | Endeavour Magazine
year, they are asked to translate into cost savings for the company. Those that are able to identify a process that could benefit from further streamlining are eligible for a financial reward if their idea
Ductile iron under the scanning electron microscope
TIROLER ROHRE GMBH
is implemented and successful.
proclivities for certain tasks and from there, opt to specialise.
relationship
This scheme, called ‘innovation
‘Apprentice camp’ assists with this decision making process, allowing
Offering
management’,
students to change their area of interest for something more suitable.
guarantees for all products and
and
Joining the company from school, most trainees are placed into
services supplied, Tiroler Rohre
development initiatives. Kloger
an initial three-year training programme, educating them not just
has
commented that,
in the use of task-specific tooling, but metalwork as a whole. With
customer base, which looks set
an overarching sense of the material they work with having been
to increase dramatically with
ingrained, staff are then cherry picked for focused areas, depending
new developments and outside
on their abilities.
the box thinking.
sits
comprehensive
alongside
training
“Tiroler Rohre is a typical ductile
cast
iron
process
company in that all of our workers are specially trained and developed to become highly
Interestingly, no two development programmes are the same at Tiroler Rohre, as Kloger comments:
secured
management. comprehensive
an
impressive
Determined to demonstrate a
genuine
affinity
for
skilled in liquid iron procedures.
“There are no standard programmes. Individual development
Other business critical skills
programmes are created for every person, with demonstrable talent
technological
including
maintenance
of
being identified easily due to the small workforce. Each department
Kloger draws attention to the
machines,
marketing
environmentally
sound developments,
and
has a number of development programmes running simultaneously,
company’s underlying ethos of
business development are also
with identifiers of potentially incredible staff members in situ.
‘sustainable and conscious action
supported.”
Weaknesses in skill sets are actively identified, as well as strengths,
is our duty’. Utilising considered
allowing for proactive skill maintenance, personalised productivity
design techniques the company
reports and extra training, where required.”
strives to create new products
Apprenticeships play a key role in the development of staff at Tiroler Rohre, allowing team
Diminutive in size only, the staff body is geared towards industry
that will directly impact on
members to identify natural
excellence and customer satisfaction through effective customer
the economic and ecological
68 | Endeavour Magazine
sustainability within the water industry. An already established
services to include environmentally sound technology. A decidedly tall
Tiroler Rohre procedure is the recycling of scrap iron to make new,
order for lesser or inadequately prepared companies, Tiroler Rohre
high quality pipes and fittings. Impacting on the local environment
has taken it entirely in its stride. Supported by a bank of continually
significantly, last year saw the organisation salvage 5% of all Austrian
developing industry specialists, a desire to invest in new technologies
scrap iron.
and an underlying commitment to living up to the highest standards of
Looking to adopt greener processes wherever possible, the company is excited about its foray into Concentrated Solar Power (CSP) projects and the use of hydroelectric turbines. Focusing on the intended results of such diversification, Steinlechner commented that, “We, as an organization with the unique TRM Piling System, are always seeking to increase sustainability. To this end, most of our new Concentrated Solar Power projects are located in remote regions, where we are helping to reducing the carbon footprint. There is an inherent need for us, as a species, to do something global. What Tiroler Rohre has decided upon is the support in more green energy and less reliance on fossil fuels.” So what is the secret to the incredible success being enjoyed by Kloger and his team? The answer is not as simple as it first seemed, with ‘progress’ being made through a series of expertly planned and executed streamlining phases and diversification of products and
corporate social responsibility, the future potential of the company is as limitless as the solar energy that looks destined to power it.
“
There is an inherent need for us, as a species, to do something global. What Tiroler Rohre has decided upon is the support in more green energy and less reliance on fossil fuels.”
Endeavour Magazine | 69
(MODERN INDUSTRIES) AH AND L KISSOON 0059 22250045 WWW.KISSOON-FURNITURE.COM
70 | Endeavour Magazine
The Genesis Of The Kissoon Group
A Story Of Courage, Growth And Success
A prominent feature in Guyana and one of the most epic business stories we’ve featured. Endeavour Magazine speaks with Managing Director Hemraj Kissoon regards the company his late brother established. WRITTEN BY JACK SLATER Endeavour Magazine | 71
(MODERN INDUSTRIES) AH AND L KISSOON
The genesis of the Kissoon Group of Companies can be traced to a small village at the unassumingly named, Number 60, Nurney Village on the Corentyne Coast of Berbice, British Guiana. The founder and visionary Alston Kissoon grew up here and was schooled by his uncle, George Sookhoo, a successful general store owner and bottling of rum merchant who had no children of his own.
T
he genesis of the Kissoon Group of Companies can be traced
Robb &Camp Street in 1950 and would grow from a small dry goods
to a small village at the unassumingly named, Number 60,
store to one of the largest groups responsible for importation and
Nurney Village on the Corentyne Coast of Berbice, British
distribution of merchandise throughout the country.
Guiana. The founder and visionary Alston Kissoon,grew up here and was schooled by his Uncle, George Sookhoo, a successful General StoreOwner and Bottling of Rum Merchant who had no children of his own.
Furniture Furniture came into being by importing and selling locally and these activities resulting in Kissoon Group taking a greater part of the
From a young age Alston worked and learned everything that
market, “An important aspect to take into account is the imposition
would set the background for his future success and even though
of high rate of duties and taxes which stand at 45% on imports while
his education was at primary level his ambition would become such a
freight on furniture was almost 100% of the cost of the goods,”
powerful feature as to make up for it.
Hemraj explains, “It was therefore logical to manufacture the same
The business blossomed after they moved to Georgetown the
type of goods locally.”
Capital City where business and commerce flourished and in 1951
This coincided with changes in the country that, for the time,
he married Lyla Sankar, from one of the most influential families in
encouraged industrialization and gave all concessions necessary,
Guyana. The Sankar’s were the owners of a number of businesses
including the land, tax holiday, free entry of plant and machinery and
including a Sugar Plantation in Suriname, several coconut estates,
raw materials. This was the birthing ground of Modern Industries
cinemas, hardware stores, dealers in General Motors, Mercedes and
Limited.
Volkswagen Vehicles. Together, as each of them were well established in the business world, worked together and opened their Store at the corner of
Modern Industries Limited Modern Industries Limited was formed to handle all the
“The people who buy from us are not our customers; they are our family.” Hemraj Kissoon, Managing Director 72 | Endeavour Magazine
“
This entire operation presently provides employment for approximately two hundred and fifty men and women; and it has been management’s policy over the years to keep abreast with the latest technology.�
(MODERN INDUSTRIES) AH AND L KISSOON
manufacturing in 1961 and between 1961 and 1974, the company
has since continued to operate as one of the largest furniture
grew by leaps and bounds. It was a period however marked by a
manufacturing outfits in Guyana and the Caribbean. The factory itself
number of tragedies. However, in 1966 the founder and head died
has the installed capacity to produce wooden, upholstered and metal
on an Air India crash over the Alps and in 1974 another tragedy saw
furniture to suit the varied tastes of Guyana households and offices as
the entire plant destroyed by fire.
well as many of their customers in the Caribbean.
“It was a real disaster,” Hemraj describes, “And the same night the
Concurrently, the foam plant manufactures polyurethane high
then Prime Minister Forbes Burnham offered us additional sites to
density foam and some of this is used in the furniture plant for making
have the factory established as early as possible to accommodate the
upholstered goods such as mattresses, pillows, cushions, and other
700 odd workers.”
soft furnishings. The remaining portion is sold to other merchants and
However, within weeks, the Kissoons were back in operation by
manufacturers.
making use to several buildings that had been purchased previously
The metal plant operates in conjunction with the furniture factory
but not used and after the fire, a new Foam Plant, Carpet Plant and
in the production of office and outdoor furniture, beds and cots,
Lamp Plant were added.
restaurant and auditorium seating.
“Within a year business was running as usual,” he adds, “And the
“This entire operation presently provides employment for
200,000 sq. ft. Complex was rebuilt with better showrooms and
approximately two hundred and fifty men and women,” Hemraj tells
machines.”
us, “And it has been management’s policy over the years to keep
Three separate and distinct operations make up Modern
abreast with the latest technology.”
Industries Limited, unique in their own right they all complement
With this in mind, The Furniture Plant is constantly upgrading its
each other. Specifically these are the furniture factory, foam plant and
machines and future capabilities. It has its fully equipped workshop,
the metal plant.
assembly plant, finish plant, humidifying and solar dryer and a lumber
The furniture factory was established in the early 1960’s and
yard and saw milling complex that are now being upgraded
Abary Cattle Ranch Company Limited In 1977 the group acquired the Abary cattle Ranch Company Limited which had originally been established in 1915 by the British Government. With an area of 18,000 acres, about four thousand heads of beef cattle. During this very busy period, Kissoon Group acquired an office, high-rise building and built a housing complex. Unfortunately, these were confiscated in 1983 at the far lesser 1939 prices. This was a real blow to the company, but the Kissoon Group by this stage had a reputation for overcoming every obstacle put in front of them. “During the 1990’s the Government favoured low cost housing and we went into a joint venture with a Cuban Company to build houses that were factory made,” Hemraj says, “It was established, but did not work out because of the change in the Government’s land policy. So we continued building the traditional way. A model expected at the Good Hope Housing Scheme.” “We are seriously involving ourselves in forestry and aquaculture,” he continues, “A hundred thousand acres forestry concession is being developed. The Abary Cattle Ranch Company Limited is where we will enhance our cattle breed, aquaculture and rice products.”.
Leadership The company’s Chairperson, Mrs. Lyla Kissoon and Managing Director, Mr. Hemraj Kissoon are still highly active in the business. Hemraj Kissoon, a keen fisherman, hunter and golfer, joined the firm in 1952, brother of Alston Kissoon and another brother Churchill Kissoon became the Plant Manager in 1964. With them there are several other family members in different sections of the business. 74 | Endeavour Magazine
A fine example of personal and business development, Hemraj is also a Director and one of the founders of Demerara Bank Limited, Vice Chairman and Director of Trust Company (Guyana) Limited (formerly Royal Bank Trust), Director of Small Business Development Finance, Life Member of Georgetown Chamber of Commerce & Industry, Guyana Manufacturing & Services Association Ltd, Founder Member of GOPIO (Global Organisation of People of Indian Origin), Founder Member of the Indian Commemoration Trust. “All our Managers are trained from the bottom up,” Hemraj explains, “The office complex is managed by the Secretary of the Company and able staff. It has the sales, showroom, delivery section, stock room, staff facilities.” Staff members are trained in house, making use of the latest techniques including seminars and the use of computers, all of which is funded by the Kissoon Group. Lyla Kissoon takes care of the charitable organizations and education.. With products all over the country through wholesalers and their
Come
GROW with
US
www.demerarabank.com
own branches, Hemraj is very proud of their quality and service, “Most of what people would call complaints are actually queries and we look to solve them immediately. The people who buy from us are not our customers; they are our family, so to speak.”
Endeavour Magazine | 75
RADIO ST LUCIA 001 758 4522 337 WWW.RSLONLINE.COM
76 | Endeavour Magazine
Sometimes you have to step in and shake things up. This is especially true when taking a flagging product that is being left behind by competitors because the historic value of its name is proving to be the deadweight pulling it down, “Radio St Lucia is one of the oldest radio stations in St Lucia,” General Manager Claude Emmanuel opens up, “And I was given the appointment as GM in October 2012 to not only increase and revitalize the listening audience but change the consciousness of the radio station itself.” WRITTEN BY DONNIE RUST
BRINGING INTO SOCIAL NETWORKING
Radio
Endeavour Magazine | 77
RADIO ST LUCIA
The youngest General Manager in the history of Radio St Lucia, Mc Claude Emmanuel has enjoyed a diverse career that has not always been involved in radio. With his formal education being in economics and business management he admits to always having had an active interest in social media marketing, managing Facebook pages for company websites and developing an intrinsic understanding of the online topography which has been crucial for the new direction that Radio St Lucia has taken under his leadership.
“I
served as a director at Radio St Lucia prior to being appointed
to sacrifice them for the purposes of being seen as a purely young
as the general manager,” Mc Claude explains, “Which allowed
station,” he explains, “The shows we have now include programmes on
me the chance to get a very solid impression of where things
youth, health, policing and policies, social securities, live guests and
stood and what needed to be prioritized in terms of taking action. Since then we’ve undergone a much needed transformation.”
interviews and entertainment news.” He goes on to add how one of the important moves was to change
As with all media, there is a life cycle for radio stations. Historically
the on air personalities and in doing so brought a wealth of new
they have always served as a voice for the listeners and has, as a
talent, experience and potential to the radio station, “We revamped
medium, seamlessly joined with the internet, standing its ground in
the entire manner in which we reach our audience,” he continues, “We
popularity. However, Mc Claude explained that lack of a fresh update
redid the website turning it into something that was engaging and
has seen Radio St Lucia falling into decline for a couple of years now.
attractive and we established a new Facebook Page and Twitter Page
“Radio St Lucia is known for information,” he elaborates, “And a lot
for us to directly engage our listeners. It’s important to them that
of young people have gravitated to more youth friendly stations. If we
they are able to link directly with their favourite personalities, which
were going to bring listeners back to Radio St Lucia we would have to
encourages stronger loyalties to our station and programmes.”
start with what we could offer people to listen to.”
The changes were not purely to the airwaves alone. Understanding
A series of new programmes has been implemented to revitalize
that people always become a product of their environment over the
the product. Since Feb 2013 a total of fifteen new, fresh programmes
past year, over $300 000 has been invested into refurbishing the
have been launched catering towards all demographics.
plant, “The station had become a bit of an eyesore,” Mc Claude says,
“We have always had dedicated listeners and we were not going
“As a building it had not been looked after, which had a significant
“We have always had dedicated listeners and we were not going to sacrifice them for the purposes of being seen as a purely young station.” 78 | Endeavour Magazine
RADIO ST LUCIA
effect upon the radio personalities themselves, after all how can
Claude says, “But in 2012 the
Immersion is the key,” he
you feel like a valuable member of the team if your premises are not
station was in a better position
continues, “We get stuck in with
valued?”
and was ranked sixth out of
the crowds with live broadcasts
sixteen on the island. In 2013 we
from events keeping it fun and
were ranked at number three.”
lively. We also interact with
Some of the changes included repair of the studios and a new newsroom. Other aesthetic repairs gave it a fresh feeling that suited the new targets and motives. Understanding what an employee needs comes naturally to Mc
Much of the success has come
from
combined
encourage everyone to get in
Claude who comes from a human resource background, “Radio St
efforts of hitting social media
touch. The response to our new
Lucia didn’t have any sort of HR policy prior to my appointment. So
like
Mc
format has been overwhelming
one of the first things I did was to create a performance management
Claude relates how the older
and we are very appreciative
system,”
stakeholders simply did not
of the support and want to give
Through this every employee gets personal targets to achieve, to
grasp the power and importance
back as often as we can.”
help them develop and grow and to facilitate the development of an
of social networking for the
2014 will see a continuation
environment where meeting targets is valued they have yearly formal
ongoing and future success of
and a doubling of the efforts to
appraisals for each employee moving up the management chain.
their product:
further expose and enrapture
never
their
listeners online and actively
before
and
These assessments are incredibly important to provide
“They used to feel that it was
new listeners through the media
benchmarks for people to strive to achieve on an individual basis and
social and not professional,” he
of social networking, which will
it keeps everyone working together in the same director direction
laments, “But the two are the
include such developments to
towards a common goal. This has already had a quantifiable affect.
same and now we are big in all
further encourage and enhance
media including
connectivity
“Radio St Lucia had fallen significantly in the popularity polls since the 1980s when lack of major competition had us at the number slot,”
80 | Endeavour Magazine
newspapers,
FaceBook, Twitter and Youtube.
through
the
Radio St Lucia radio app that is
currently being developed. “The Radio App will make listening to Radio St Lucia incredible easy and convenient and will also keep us on the cutting edge which is exactly where we want to be if we are going to reach this top spot,” The addition of new technology aside there is one key development that will help push this radio station higher up the ranks and eventually beyond the reach of the competition. “The National Television Network (NTN) and Radio St Lucia will be merging together to form the National Broadcast Network (NBN) and will act as a major influence to the populace of the island,” Mc Claude tells us, “The government feel that this is the best way to create a synergy between the two networks. Bringing them under one operational roof with one board of directors put in place to oversee the day to day activities.” As many of the other radio stations have forged relationships with TV channels, this merger between the two government owned broadcasters will create a powerhouse of activities that will open up new possibilities and broaden their offering for advertisers and marketing as well as giving them even more scope as far as audience. “It is going to be a benefit to us all,” Mc Claude concludes.
The Authentic St. Lucian Cottages with cocoa plantation, fruit trees and gardens
Nestled within the World Heritage Site (The Pitons) and only five minutes’ drive away from the scenic town of Soufriere, Fond Doux offer authentic and luxurious accomodation, sumptuous Carribean cuisine and a paradise setting for dream weddings and honeymoons. Tel:1(758) 4597545/48 | US Toll Free: 1-315-307-2348 info@fonddouxestate.com | fonddouxestate.com
Endeavour Magazine | 81
WILMAR 0065 6216 0244 WWW.WILMAR.COM.SG
82 | Endeavour Magazine
Ranked amongst the largest of the listed companies by market capitalization on the Singapore Stock Exchange, with its head quarters in Singapore Wilmar International has been the leading agribusiness group in Asia since its inception in 1991 and recently was credited as The World’s Most Admired Company, ranked 2nd in Food Production Industry, by Fortune Magazine. WRITTEN BY JACK SLATER
INTEGRITY EXCELLENCE PASSION INNOVATION AND Teamwork SAFETY
Endeavour Magazine | 83
WILMAR
Part of their success has been their speedy expansion, for example in 2010 they took their first steps into the sugar industry by acquiring Sucrogen Limited, the largest raw sugar producer and refiner in Australia, and PT Jawamanis Rafinasi, a leading sugar refinery in Indonesia. Immediately expanding their presence globally this led to another acquisition in 2011 of PT Duta Sugar International in Indonesia, Proserpine Mill in Australia and Natural Oleo chemicals, a leading oleo chemicals producer with significant market share in Europe and Asia and a growing presence in the USA.
T
his has been followed in 2014 in Singapore with a new joint venture in Myanmar. Working with Great Wall Food Stuff Company to produce and sell sugar and its by-products.
Holding a 55% stake in the company Wilmar Holdings acquired all the existing sugar-related business, mills and plants of Great Wall and its associates. These include two sugar mills with a total milling capacity of 4,000 metric tonnes of sugarcane per day and a total production capacity of 65,000 metric tonnes of sugar per year, a bio-ethanol plant and an organic compound fertiliser plant. Diversification, not only of industry but also of location has ensured a solid global presence which is very much the model of corporate giants today. “In 2012 and 2013 we invested $250 million into the construction of a petrochemical refinery in Gresik East Java,” Jeremy Goon explains, “And $300 million to construct a flour mill and bio-refinery plant in Gresik. “ It appears that a substantial part of Wilmar is setting up shop and laying down the groundwork for future development and growth. Their business activities include palm oil cultivation, biodiesel and fertiliser manufacturing and grain processing and at the core of Wilmar’s strategy is a resilient integrated agribusiness model that encompasses the entire value chain of the agricultural commodity processing business, from origination and processing to branding, merchandising and distribution of a wide range of agricultural products.
Footprint And Staff With over 400 manufacturing plants and an extensive distribution network covering China, India, Indonesia and some 50 other countries the Group employs a staggering multinational workforce of 84 | Endeavour Magazine
90,000 people. Considering the tidal impact of their presence upon the nature and being the axis around which much of the food industry supply chain revolves it is surprising how so few of the consumers at the end even know of their existence. With this in mind, Wilmar’s portfolio of high quality processed agricultural products is the preferred choice of the food manufacturing industry, as well as the industrial and consumer food catering businesses. Its consumer-packed products occupy a leading share in its targeted markets. Through scale, integration and the logistical advantages of its business model, Wilmar is able to extract margins at every step of the value chain, thereby reaping operational synergies and cost efficiencies.
RSPO As a member of the RSPO (Roundtable of Sustainable Palm Oil) who share a vision to make sustainable palm oil the norm, Wilmar comes with the hefty task of conducting themselves in a manner befitting their status as one of the global leaders in this industry. Their approach to this end has included all the major areas of their business. “As one of the largest oil palm plantation owners in Indonesia and Malaysia,” Jeremy tells us, in explaining the lengths of their corporate approach, “Our oil palm plantations are strategically located in the various regions of Malaysia and Indonesia where the climatic conditions are suitable for planting oil palms.”
“As our spread is so varied with cultures, people and locations it
To best make use of the weather conditions, in Indonesia their
is important for us to maintain a structured mandate of approach,”
plantations are located in Sumatra, West Kalimantan and Central
Jeremy specifies, “To ensure this we have a structured set of values
Kalimantan with is in the southern region while in Malaysia, they are
that are known throughout our workforce and up through the entire
located in the states of Sabah and Sarawak.
corporate structure.”
“The Group, through joint ventures also owns oil palm plantations
Integrity, Excellence, Passion, Innovation, Teamwork and Safety,
in Ghana, Uganda and West Africa,” he tells us, “Approximately
simplicity is the key to managing people. The expectations for every
247,081 a hectare (ha) of planted area of which about 74% is located
employee are easily communicable and easily understood and it’s this
in Indonesia, 24% in East Malaysia and 2% in Africa.”
simple but strong approach which can be directly attributed to the vast expanse of this country.
Under the Plasma Scheme, Wilmar manage approximately 38,021 ha of oil palm plantations in Indonesia. The Plasma Programme is an
Endeavour Magazine | 85
WILMAR
initiative designed for the development of oil palm plantations for
being field planted with commercial harvesting commencing six
smallholders by a developer of plantations.
months later. Although low at first the fruit yield increases as the palm
“We are committed to purchasing all the fruits produced by the small landholders’ plantations,” he states, “And intend to grow our plantation business through greenfield projects and acquisitions to better tap into the ever growing demand for palm oil.”
matures,” it is clearly a long-term commitment, “Fully mature oil palms produce 18 to 30 metric tonnes of fresh fruit bunches per hectare.” The milling of these fresh fruit bunches takes place within twenty four hours of harvesting, where they are first transferred to the palm
Wilmar is committed to the use of best management practices,
oil mills for sterilisation by applying high-pressure steam, whereupon
which include good field and harvesting standards and timely
the palm fruits are enzyme-deactivated and separated from the palm
application of fertilisers to optimise crop yields. With stringent
bunches.
corporate social responsibility (CSR) policies and procedures
After steaming, the palm fruitlets are crushed in a pressing
ensuring their plantations are developed in an environmentally and
machine to obtain crude palm oil and palm kernel. Waste and water
socially responsible manner everything from the cultivation of the
is then cleared and separated by means of a centrifuge. The cleared
seeds to the harvesting of the final product over a palm-oil lifespan of
crude palm oil emerging from the centrifuge is then sent for refining
twenty five years.
while the palm kernel nut is sent for crushing and the liquid waste
“A scientific approach to the cultivation and production is pivotal to reaching maximum yield,” Jeremy points out, “For example once a
material arising from the process is recycled as fertiliser in the plantations.
seedling has spent a year in the nursery it is put into the field and the
As part of Wilmar’s integrated business model, they own a fleet
young palms are planted about nine metres apart resulting in 128 to
of vessels which caters primarily to their in-house needs, improving
140 trees per hectare.
the flexibility and efficiency of their logistics operations. The shipping
“Generally oil palms begin to produce fruits 30 months after
operation is managed by Raffles Shipping Corporation Pte Ltd a subsidiary of Wilmar. A driving force to every industry leader is research and development and the lengths that this company goes to ensure that they are ahead of the curve in all new movements and changes are remarkable. “Wilmar’s research and development takes place in China, Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, India, Vietnam, Russia and Germany,” Jeremy outlines, “Aiming to improve current processing technology and products and develop green and white biotechnology, creating new product concepts that support healthy living.” In China, the R&D focus is primarily on edible oils, specialty fats; food technology, oleo chemicals, flavour chemistry, food ingredients and cereal processing while in Indonesia activities include research into agronomic traits of palm oil. The cloning of key oil palm genes involved in fatty acid biosynthesis, environmentally friendly approaches to controlling or preventing oil palm diseases, bio fertilisers and the use of microbes to improve plant growth and for waste treatment are just some of the areas that are being looked at right now. Besides supporting Wilmar’s business and brands, their research and development efforts also focus on providing sustainable solutions to optimise resources, reduce energy consumption and minimise environmental impact. “One such example is the rice milling operations in China where paddy husks, a major by-product of the milling process, are used to generate electricity,” Jeremy concludes, “It is through these sort of developments and this innovative thinking that keeps us ahead.”
86 | Endeavour Magazine
KULIM 0060 7 861 1611 WWW.KULIM.COM.MY
88 | Endeavour Magazine
KEEPING PRODUCTION
Prosperous WRITTEN BY KATIE RICHARDSON
As a fervent leader in an industry coping with world-wide criticism and concern, Kulim (Malaysia) Berhad is determined to maintain sustainable initiatives and environmental preservation in its palm oil productions, as well as ‘commit to the highest standards in ethics, integrity and professionalism’
Endeavour Magazine | 89
KULIM
Palm oil production has come under fierce scrutiny in recent years, particularly regarding product extraction. The industry has been linked to serious environmental fears, especially habitat degradation; animal cruelty; indigenous rights abuses; and deforestation in the plantation areas.
“T
he road to sustainability is not always easy, and setbacks
its ISO accreditation obtained by its own and contracted operating
can occur,” remarks Kulim (Malaysia) Berhad’s chairman,
units, reflects its concerns to adhere to extremely high product and
Kamaruzzaman Abu Kassim. “But, like our crops, we
plantation standards. A culture of awareness is prevalent across all
continue to grow and increase yields for people and the planet. We
organisations processes, and is designed to achieve both stakeholder
are poised for big changes ahead and we look forward to the new
and customer satisfaction. As a result, Kulim (M) Bhd has received
challenges.”
several awards from international industry bodies, highlighting
Kulim (Malaysia) Berhad started its operations of a 190-hectare rubber plantation in Johor, Malaysia in 1947 under the name Kulim
its corporate commitment towards both sustainable business and quality produce.
Rubber Plantations Ltd. A little over 20 years later, in 1970, the
From planting and harvesting, to sterilisation and pressing,
company starting listing shares on the London Stock Exchange (LSE)
Kulim (M) Bhd is dedicated to making the whole palm oil production
under the new name Kulim Group Ltd (KGL). A property portfolio was
process sustainable. The company has made several changes and
next in line for the oil palm company just three years later, and KGL
implemented various measures in the last four years in order to
expanded in the UK and with hotels in the Caribbean.
uphold the fundamentals of its sustainability strategy.
The group was incorporated and made public in 1975, and KGL
“We have divested our oleochemicals [chemicals derived from
started developing into a subsidiary of Kulim (M) Bhd. Over the last
plant and animal fats] business and are in the process of divesting our
30 years, the group has continually expanded in the sector, diversified
foods and restaurants business,” says Kamaruzzaman. “We have also
its operations and consolidated its assets. Consequently, Kulim (M)
acquired additional oil palm estates, allowing us to strengthen and
Bhd averages a five-year yield per hectare of 23.50 tonnes and is now
develop our sustainable agri-business model. Our commitments to
one of the palm oil industry’s most powerful players.
sustainable agriculture are now central to our business strategy.”
Supportable development
With the conviction of such strong corporate responsibility pledges behind it, the group was one of the very first palm oil producers to be
The company has stringent corporate policies concerning
certified to the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil standard in 2009.
sustainable development, and its main objective concerns maintaining
The company is also dedicated to its 30:30 initiate which aims to raise
high yield levels while retaining best practice product extraction.
fruit yields to 30 tonnes per hectare and palm product extraction
It is committed to a philosophy of total quality management, and
rates to 30%. Kulim (M) Bhd’s Sustainability Report 2010/2011 notes
“We know from surveys and focus groups that our employees are generally happy to work for us. We have focused on strengthening our decision making and management to allow for a better working climate.” Kamaruzzaman Abu Kassim, Chairman of Kulim (Malaysia) Berhad
90 | Endeavour Magazine
KULIM
that: “A voluntary standard, the RSPO’s international credibility and
Bhd also strives to be an employer of choice at a local level. In 2009,
commitment to stakeholder inclusion makes the certification credible
the company pledged to do more for members of staff at the lower
and robust, though there are always opportunities for improvements.
end of the pay scale. “Since then, most of these employees have been
We believe that it represents the most responsible way to grow oil
given the opportunity to earn additional income and housing and
palm. All our planted areas meet the stringent RSPO Principles and
facilities provided to our employees have also been upgraded,” says
Criteria for sustainable palm oil production.”
Kamaruzzaman. “We are also focusing on end-of-career training, contributing to fulfilling, active and decent retirement for our
Workforce sustainment As well as demonstrating concentrated global efforts, Kulim (M)
employees.” Alongside improvements to complex health and safety issues and working conditions, another noteworthy endeavour for the company is gender equality amongst its workforce. “Our Women OnWards’ initiative goes from strength to strength, increasing opportunities
“
for women at all levels,” says Kamaruzzaman. “We are also supportive of the recommendations adopted by the Government and Bursa Malaysia that 30% of decision-makers in PLCs should be female.
Our commitments to sustainable agriculture are now central to our business strategy.”
“Perhaps such targets will one day be obsolete, but our experiences show that support and encouragement of women is crucial.” Although hefty recruitment of oil plant workers is commonplace in fast growing industries in Indonesia and Africa, Kamaruzzaman is confident of retaining a valued workforce: “We know from surveys and focus groups that our employees are generally happy to work for us,” he says. “We have focused on strengthening our decision making and management to allow for a better working climate.”
Recent developments In August 2013, it was reported that Kulim (M) Bhd would raise its stake in associate company New Britain Palm Oil Ltd (NBPOL) to a controlling level after an impressive result in terms of yields and palm product extraction. “When there are good business opportunities and the timing is right, you should not miss them or let them go,” Kamaruzzaman said at the time. “The offer to increase our investment in NBPOL represents a vote of confidence. It also represents a vote of confidence in the growth prospects of Papua New Guinea, the Solomon Islands and the other markets that NBPOL serves.” However, the Papua New Guinea government has since rejected the bid as it wants to give more business opportunities back to its own people. Minister for Trade, Commerce and Industry Richard Maru announced in September 2013: “The government will in the future ask Kulim to sell down some of its shares to the respective provincial governments where the assets of NBPOL are located and the Government will not allow anymore attempt by Kulim to buy anymore shares from New Britain Palm Oil.” However, lucrative prospects do remain on the horizon: as of March 2014, Kulim (M) Bhd turned a particularly successful corner after chalking a net profit of RM3.39m (£626,250) at the end of the fourth quarter in December 2013, from a net loss of RM39.4m (£7.28m) a year ago. The company also reported a 104% hike in net profit for the full financial year in 2013, from RM211m (£38.97m) in 2012 to RM431m (£79.6m).
92 | Endeavour Magazine
Kamaruzzaman says the oil
new
business
opportunities,
palm division will remain Kulim
particularly in the oil and gas
(M) Bhd’s main business activity,
industry as well as selective
but it is actively looking at ways
property
to develop, strengthen and grow
see Petroliam Nasional Bhd’s
operations. “We are continuously
Refinery
exploring new land opportunities
Integrated
from time to time for our oil palm
Rapid project in Pengerang,
business both locally and abroad,”
Johor, as a good platform to
he stresses. Although Kulim (M)
offer support services to the
Bhd dissociated itself from an
oil and gas players there,” says
Indonesian investment in 2007,
Kamaruzzaman. Regardless of
Kamaruzzaman does not dismiss
acquisition or expansion plans,
the possibility of returning, as
it seems the group’s sustainable
Malaysian
development
landowner
prices
development. and
“We
Petrochemical
Development
or
initiatives,
were “too exorbitant” for oil palm
commitment to employees and
cultivation.
high yield levels will continue to
The company will continue
deliver successful results.
ATG is a leading palm oil mill construction specialist with vast experience in design and construct, fabrication works and also an authorized supplier of crucial machines & spares necessary for driving the oil palm industry.
its strategy to capitalise on
AWAN TIMUR GROUP
Innovative • Technology Driven Dedicated Team • Reliable • Experienced
Endeavour Magazine | 93
SHIN YANG SHIPPING 0060 85 6044 99 WWW.SHINYANG.COM.MY
94 | Endeavour Magazine
Up
SAILS
Also known as Syscorp, Shin Yang Shipping was incorporated on 24th February 1983 and this was the birthing moment of Shin Yang’s many sister companies and subsidiaries and marked their growth into the huge conglomerate of companies that they are now. Considering their positioning as the leading corporation with diversified business activities such as construction, shipping both domestic and international, real estate, plantations, quarrying and other small businesses the growth has been unparalleled in just a short period of ten years. WRITTEN BY JACK SLATER Endeavour Magazine | 95
SHIN YANG SHIPPING
Responsible for a seismic shift in the region’s shipping industry and one of the largest family owned groups in Malaysia with footholds in every major industry, SHIN YANG Shipping Sdn Bhd (Syscorp) forms one of the major factions of the corporation. Growing step by step together with the Malaysian Industry we spoke with Chief Executive Officer Captain Ting Hien Liong regarding his company.
D
uring the time of the wooden and metal boats revolution in Miri during the 70s, SHIN YANG Shipping Sdn Bhd took over Piasau Slipways Sdn Bhd at Piasau Industrial Estate.
This Company’s main operation was to build tugboats, barges, small vessels and provide ship repairs services. For economic reasons and growth, Piasau Slipways Sdn Bhd constructed a new shipyard in Kuala Baram to cater for larger landing crafts and hopper barges to serve the shipping needs to its related companies both domestically and globally. “By 1994, SHIN YANG Shipping Sdn Bhd had expanded their shipping services through the establishment of Shinline Sdn Bhd and subsequently, Thailine Sdn Bhd to serve the international shipping sector,” he says, “With this in mind, the international plying Vessels are mainly for Time/spot Carter, container carrier and bulk carrier under the two companies. To facilitate this several Japanese built vessels varying from 7000 to 10000t were purchased from the Japanese to cater for Malaysia and Japan trade.”
Making your every move count. Kalmar offers the widest range of cargo handling solutions and services to ports, terminals, distribution centres and to the heavy industry. Kalmar is the industry forerunner in terminal automation and in energy efficient container handling, with one in four container movements around the globe being handled by a Kalmar solution. Through its extensive product portfolio, global service network and ability to enable a seamless integration of different terminal processes, Kalmar improves the efficiency of every move.
In 1995 SHIN YANG Shipping extended her services to International Shipping with the creation of Shinline Sdn Bhd. At the same time Piasau Slipways also set out her new factories at Kuala Baram which is where the present Piasau Slipways Sdn Bhd located. Three years later in 1998, Thailine Sdn Bhd., one of the international shipping’s megastars was formed.
CARGOTEC TERMINAL SOLUTIONS (MALAYSIA) SDN BHD Tel: (60)-3-3176 2998
Fax: (60)-3-3176 2996
Website: www.kalmarasia.com Email: collin.swee@kalmarglobal.com
Markets With the aggressive development and advancement of the oil and gas industry especially with technology focussed on welding and
96 | Endeavour Magazine
fabrication, SHIN YANG Shipyard Sdn Bhd was established in the last century in 1999 and commenced its operation in vessels construction, repairs and fabrications for the local and international markets. Due to this, the company is one of the first few companies to achieve and obtain ISO 9002 certification in shipbuilding, maintenance and related metal fabrication activities placing them firmly ahead of any
The UNI-TANK SYSTEM is the most advanced flexible bulk handling system in the world. Its features include:
competition within the region. “To date, the corporation has a total number of three hundred vessels trading around the Asian region,” Captain Ting Hien Liong tells us, “These include tugboats, a range of barges, coastal cargo vessels, ocean going cargo vessels, chemical tankers, glue barges, piling barges, anchor handling tug, supply vessels, offshore supply vessels and offshore utility vessels.” He adds that for the international markets, they also build supply vessels, transportation vessel and patrol vessels for navy use in particular for the UAE market. Symbol of Quality
New Developments Prospects are bright for the Shin Yang Shipping Corp Bhd (Syscorp) shipbuilding and ship-repair operations, as group financial controller Richard Ling said late last year the group’s ongoing shipbuilding contracts were worth RM762mil, with most of them secured in 2013, meaning 2014 will be a period of action and consolidation. DESB Marine Services, owned by Dayang Enterprise Holdings Bhd, have already entered into a shipbuilding contract with Shin Yang Shipyard Sdn Bhd for the construction of an offshore accommodation workboat worth RM70mil. Syscorp group is already currently building twenty five vessels that will add to Shin Yang’s already substantial fleet of supply boats, landing craft, tugs and barges. “The order-book for new-build vessels can keep us busy for the next two years. The group is constantly looking for new business and bidding for new contracts,” Richard was quoted as saying. These developments have extended the group’s shipbuilding capacity after major upgrading works to its shipyards and it is due to
“
To date, the corporation has a total number of three hundred vessels trading around the Asian region.”
these same developments that they are now so heavily focussed on building bigger vessels. In 2013, Syscorp’s ship-repair business grew about 15% as more ships were docked for maintenance and repair works benefitting themselves from a wider array of services from Syscorp. As an example, before the end of June 2013, the group had repaired 390 vessels, including 144 delivered in the fourth quarter. The shipbuilding and ship-repair segment’s revenue in 2013 surged an incredible 70% to RM304.4mil from RM177.8mil in 2012 and the segment’s operational profit improved to RM7.6mil from RM6.9mil and the credit falls directly on Syscorp’s shipping operations as the main contributor to group revenue. Over and above this the containerised cargo volume had risen more than 20% in the months leading to 2014. Endeavour Magazine | 97
NORA DUNN Professional Hobo
BY DONNIE RUST
N
ora Dunn introduces herself as a professional hobo, a woman who has travelled the world, visiting some of the most sublime and breathtaking locations in the
world and has been doing so since 2007. An intrepid spirit of the sort that H. Rider Haggard would have leapt at the opportunity to write about Nora is the sort of adventurer and horizon seeker that you cannot come into contact with and not feel inspired. Proof, in many ways, that you can achieve absolutely anything you want in life Nora has been on the move for over seven years. Travelling across Canada where she lived in the Rocky Mountains for seven months, Hawaii where she lived for six months, Australia and New Zealand for over two years, Grenada, Switzerland, Panama and Peru and to fly in the face of everyone’s first excuse as to why they don’t travel, she has been managing to do so in a financial stable manner. Originally from Canada the thirty seven year old has no fixed address and has been blogging since 2006. In addition to the locations mentioned above she’s also travelled extensively through and spent up to a month in various European destinations, ranging from Spain to Denmark, Ireland to Russia and many Asian destinations such as Thailand, Malaysia and Nepal. Renowned for travelling professionally in a financial sustainable fashion, Nora has single handedly become an icon for travel bloggers across the planet seeking to emulate her simple approach to hitting the horizon. “I was a certified financial planner in a former life,” she
“I love just about everywhere in the world.”
98 | Endeavour Magazine
explains, “In 2006 I sold everything I owned, which included my practice and combined my experience in personal finance and the skills I had learnt in lifestyle design with a deep passion
and experience in travelling to develop a location independent
Accommodation Around the
experiencing somewhere just
career as a freelance writer.”
World.
as a surface level.
Nora explains that this created a perfect niche for her
Nora testifies to having insatiable
appetite
This
is
also
Nora’s
writing, since you do need money to travel and now she writes
an
for
profession, “I’ve been doing
about travel for many financial publications such as Wise Bread,
travelling, “I love just about
this fulltime since 2007 and it’s
Credit Walk, Care One, Amex, Capital One, and others.
everywhere in the world, but
another reason I like to travel
“I write about finance for many travel publications such as
I like experiencing the world
slowly, it gives me more time
Transitions Abroad, Flight Network, Vagabondish, and many
at a slower pace than just
to experience the local culture
more,” she adds, “I cover topics such as how to travel with credit
another holiday maker. So
and also to help me get my
cards, how to travel indefinitely with carry-on luggage only, and
instead of throwing a dart at a
work done.”
how to maximize frequent flyer miles.”
map and travelling as a tourist
On her site www.theprofessionalhobo.com, Nora combines two main routes to travelling sustainably. Firstly, showing people
I’ll travel to a location for an opportunity,”
Professional Hobo “I run my business as
how to travel full-time in a financially sustainable way both
Most often Nora finds
The Professional Hobo and
through travelling creatively and inexpensively with techniques
there’s an opportunity to live in
international freelance writer,
such as getting free accommodation by volunteering or house-
a place for a while through free
on my own,” Nora explains,
sitting, using frequent flyer miles and exploring slow travel and
accommodation, such as house
“Although
secondly highlighting ways to earn money on the road such
sitting or volunteering and this
some jobs on a one-off basis
as with a location independent career, working holiday visas,
allows her to sample the local
whenever I can.”
teaching English.
I
do
outsource
life in many destinations over
Nora is very honest when
To help others achieve this Nora features regular Financial
time, travelling slowly and
speaking about how Time
Travel Tips, where she offers a free 2-week e-course on how
understanding the daily life
management and life balance
to travel full-time in a financially sustainable way and she’s
and local culture rather than
while
also written a few books, including one on How to Get Free
simply passing through and
one of her biggest challenges
travelling
has
been
Endeavour Magazine | 99
on the road and continues to be. She goes on to highlight that
be done online as well and for researching or creating links.
there is a big different between travelling on a holiday where, as
However, despite this between managing her Triberr accounts
a tourist, you hit all the attractions in a set period of time and
and responding to tweets, Nora spend probably about 15
being a professional traveller who has to work.
minutes per day on Twitter.
“Although my location independent career is very freeing,”
“Social networking is very important to my career,” Nora tells
she continues, “it also requires time and energy and nowadays
us, “Since it’s a platform for not only engaging with readers and
WiFi. Social media and answering emails in particular is a
colleagues, but also a way to promote the articles I write for my
somewhat relentless task that requires almost daily attention.
site and other publications. Editors pay me well for my ability
It’s rewarding, but something that can suck a day away if I’m not
to promote content through my extensive social networks, and
careful.
sponsors and PR reps require strong social networks.”
I try to do my social media work in one spurt each day (taking about half an hour) and then log out of all my accounts. Emails are tackled on more of an as-and-when basis, taking up to a few hours daily I also try to do this in one spurt and not pay too much attention to new emails until the next day,” This leaves time for her writing, much of which needs to
100 | Endeavour Magazine
Some Of The Professional Hobo’s Best Places A traveller through and through, Nora has a unique perspective on the places she visits and lives brought about
by venturing to a place not
including New Zealand, Switzerland, France, and most recently,
only to visit, but to learn and
Peru.”
Once the weather starts getting chilly in the northern
be changed by that place so
However, “Russia did nothing for me, and Norway was a little
hemisphere’s autumn, you can
the question as to where her
expensive for my taste,” she laments, “The Caribbean island of
expect to see Nora hopping
favourite or least favourite
Grenada, which was a former favourite probably won’t be on
back down to the southern
places are, is not as simple to
my hit list again either, since leaving there also meant leaving a
hemisphere either to Peru,
answer as one might think:
relationship and I’m not sure I could see myself living there on
Colombia, or New Zealand
my own again.”
to enjoy the sunshine and
And Where Will The Professional Hobo Be Going In The Future
warmth.
“Travel is very contextual; the most beautiful sunset in the world could be lost on you if your heart was just broken,” she explains, “So my favourite
“I’m waiting for the next opportunity to come knocking,” she
places might not be another
says when speaking about where her next destination will be,
person’s. Having said that,
“I expect that I’ll be spending a chunk of this summer in Europe
there are a few destinations
– possibly house-sitting in Switzerland, visiting some friends in
I’m continually drawn back to,
Italy, and or maybe renting a place in Amsterdam or Corsica.”
“But that’s all far too much planning for The Professional Hobo; let’s see what happens!” she concludes happily.
Endeavour Magazine | 101
Florida Tattoo Artist
JEFF COVELL BY SHANNAH LAUREN
T
wisted Image Tattoo is an award-winning studio in Port St. Lucie, Florida, approx. one and a half hours North from Miami. The artists of the studio include Jeff Covell, Hiedi
Gotz, Nick Coffinas, Erek Lanier, Faith Helvey, Ryan Stonsifer, Kacie Gauthier, and Angelica Perez. The team covers everything from traditional, complex, black-and-gray, full color, etc. Covell is not only one of the artists, but also the owner of both studios. He has been tattooing for over twenty years, specializing in portrait and realism. His portfolio contains pieces of which he has taken an image and transformed it into a majestically realistic tattoo. Love is for eternity, and what’s a better way of honoring love than by carrying them with you for the rest of your life. Covell offers this to you, while the studios he runs are very heart-warming and
“
family orientated. You couldn’t ask for a better environment at Twisted Image Tattoo, as they make sure you feel right at home.
I make it a point to have at least one weekend day off a week so that I can do things with my wife, and children.
We were honored to be able to sit down with Covell, and hear his story.
How do you find balancing a family and your job as a tattoo artist? Balancing the two can often be tough especially since in addition to being a tattoo artist, I run both of my shops as well. I make it a point to have at least one weekend day off a week so that I can do things with my wife, and children. We often go to the beach or zoo, and just try to do anything that involves all of us spending time together.
What do you find is different about your style or presence than just any other artist? My style is actually pretty versatile. I pride myself on being able to do pretty much anything the client asks for. I like being able to take their idea or image and transfer it into a tattoo. I really enjoy doing black and grey work as well as wildlife and realism.
102 | Endeavour Magazine
Do you find that the other artists that you’ve employed at your tattoo shops have similar styles to you, or that you all are completely different? No definitely not. All of my artists have their own unique style, and I am glad it’s that way. I like that a client can come into either of my shops, and actually find an artist whose style they actually “vibe” with. It’s nice to have a variety of styles for clients to choose from.
What inspired you in the first place to be a tattoo artist? And what pushed you even further to open up not only one, but also two shops? Well I have been an artist my whole life, I always liked to draw. My aunt Karen taught me art skills at a young age, which helped me become a better artist. I dare to say perfect my technique because even though I have been drawing, and painting my whole life I like to think that I still have lots to learn, and I do continue to learn everyday. When I was young and tattooing became popular for my age group, my friends pushed me to get a machine and “practice” so to speak on all of them. I have a few of those skeletons in my closet but ultimately I got an apprenticeship at a local tattoo shop when I was seventeen, since then it had been my dream to have my own shop one day. Finally after years of
working here and there I took
The most important aspect
a leap with the help of my
when getting a tattoo is
supportive wife and decided
getting to know the artist.
to open my own shop. Our
You look through their
first shop was so successful
portfolio, you see their style,
that we decided to open a
you get inside their mind,
second location and have been
and you connect through art.
growing ever since. Eventually
You trust this person with
we plan to have several shops
imprinting meaning onto
locally in this area.
your life. Jeff Covell and his team are worth looking
How would you describe your feeling right before you start a tattoo? Believe it or not I feel a little nervous as well as excited. I always feel honored that the person I am about to tattoo has chosen me to transfer their idea into an art piece that will live on forever on their skin.
into if you are in Florida, or will be making your way out there.
You can find Twisted Image Tattoo at 2843 SW Brighton St, Port St. Lucie, Florida, or Twisted Image Tattoo Two 6797 S US Highway 1, Port St. Lucie, Florida.
Endeavour Magazine | 103
BOOK REVIEWS
F
ear and Loathing in Las Vegas: A Savage Journey to the Heart of the American Dream is a novel by Hunter S. Thompson, illustrated
by Ralph Steadman. The book is a roman à clef, rooted in autobiographical incidents. The story follows its protagonist, Raoul Duke, and his attorney, Dr. Gonzo, as they descend on Las Vegas to chase the American Dream through a drug-induced haze, all the while ruminating on the failure of the 1960s countercultural movement. The work is Thompson’s most famous, and is noted for its lurid descriptions of illegal drug use, its early retrospective on the culture of the 1960s, and its popularization of Thompson’s highly-subjective blend of fact and fiction that has become known as gonzo journalism. The novel first appeared as a two-part series in Rolling Stone magazine in 1971, was printed as a book in 1972, and was later adapted into a film of the same name in 1998 by Terry Gilliam, starring Johnny Depp and Benicio del Toro who portrayed Raoul Duke
Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas by Hunter S. Thompson
104 | Endeavour Magazine
and Dr. Gonzo, respectively.
The 100-Year-Old Man Who Climbed Out the Window And Disappeared By Jonas Jonasson
I
t all starts on the one-hundredth birthday of Allan Karlsson. Sitting quietly in his room in an old people’s home, he is waiting for the party he-never-wanted-anyway to begin. The
mayor is going to be there. The press is going to be there. But, as it turns out, Allan is not...Slowly but surely Allan climbs out of his bedroom window, into the flowerbed (in his slippers) and makes his getaway. And so begins his picaresque and unlikely journey involving criminals, several murders, a suitcase full of cash, and incompetent police. As his escapades unfold, we learn something of Allan’s earlier life in which - remarkably - he helped to make the atom bomb, became friends with American presidents, Russian tyrants, and Chinese leaders, and was a participant behind the scenes in many key events of the twentieth century. Already a huge bestseller across Europe, The Hundred-Year-Old Man Who Climbed Out of the Window and Disappeared is a fun, feel-good book for all ages. Translated by Rod Bradbury.
Veronika Decides to Die Paulo Coelho
V
eronika
young
happy; something is lacking in her
she starts to question all her
and pretty and has
life, and one morning she decides
ideas about life. Soon she comes
everything she could
to die. The overdose of sleeping
to realize that every second of
wish for – yet one morning she
pills she takes does not work, and
existence is a choice we all make
takes an overdose of sleeping
she wakes up in Villete, the local
between living and dying. Against
pills, only to wake up in the local
asylum. There she is told that her
all odds she finds herself falling
hospital.
heart is damaged and she has
in love and even wanting to live
only a few days to live.
again…
Veronika
has
is
plenty
of
boyfriends, a steady job, a
The story follows Veronika
loving family. Yet she is not
through these intense days as
Endeavour Magazine | 105