WW World 1 2011

no. 1 2011 – 24th year corporate magazine for the Wilh. Wilhelmsen group

SPECIAL REPORT south america

WW in Brazil

The leading economy in South America is an emerging market for the Wilh. Wilhelmsen group.

A mariner in the desert Meet Petter Wilgaard Christensen, a mariner who has chosen to live in the middle of the Kalahari desert.

Never a dull MOMENT WW employees from all over the world have embraced the challenge of sharing their favourite WW moment with their colleagues.

Bridging the gap With an annual growth rate few other countries can match, India is rapidly moving forward on the road to a more prosperous future.

The CEO's letter

contents No 1 2011

04 MILESTONES

Published by: Wilh. Wilhelmsen Holding ASA Corporate communications NO-1324 Lysaker, Norway

08 CURRENT AFFAIRS

Publisher: Group vice president Benedicte Gude Editor: Arild S. Johannessen EDITORIAL BOARD: Naja Boone Kirsten Haune Einar Chr Erlingsen Cecilie Heavens Bjørge Grimholt Arild S Johannessen Benedicte Gude Editorial contributors: Hans Chr Bangsmoen Kaia Means Einar Chr Erlingsen Elsa Naumann Karin T Erlingsen Ole Gunnar Onsøien Brede Hovden Bjørn Pedersen Arild S Johannessen Don Pyle Per-Kristian Knutsen Marianne H Wang Åsmund Løvdal Håvard Solerød Martin Malmfors

10 THE JUBILEE SHIP There were never any discussions regarding the name of WW’s

150 years anniversary vessel. It had to be Tønsberg.

What is special about family dominated companies?

20 SPECIAL REPORT: WW IN SOUTH AMERICA

WW World has visited Brazil, the powerhouse of South America. A continent in rapid growth where all our business

areas are represented – and performing well.

34 WW IN INDIA

We take a look at WW’s many activities on the rapidly changing sub-continent.

40 A SEAMAN IN THE DESERT Meet Captain Petter Wilgaard Christensen, who divides

his time between two very different environments.

43 TEN QUESTIONS

44 PEOPLE & PLACES

CIRCULATION: 8500 copies

52 IN THE CENTRE OF THE ACTION

Please send an sms or call +47 481 91 921 or +47 934 01 974 for stories that you might think are interesting in WW World. You may also contact us by email: ww.world@wilhelmsen.com. Since our group consists of over 14 000 employees located in over 70 countries worldwide, we are dependent on you telling us in the editorial staff what's going on.

Tip of the month will be rewarded with 250 USD.

At the same time 2011 has been an unpredictable year. This year, we have experienced financial unrest, a weakening of the dollar, rising oil prices, political unrest in the Middle East and North Africa, severe weather conditions in Oceania and last but not least the grave earthquake and tsunami in Japan. As a truly global company with diverse operations in more than 70 countries, these incidents have all affected our operations and our ability to achieve the budgeted results.

I am, however, happy to know that none of our employees in the affected regions lost their lives or their houses in the incidents. I am also proud of and grateful for the efforts shown by our employees in these areas, doing their utmost to keep business running and servicing customers as best they can.

48 ON SITE: ROTTERDAM

Wilhelmsen Ships Service’s International Distribution Centre is home to one of shipping’s most complex logistics operations.

54 JOINING FORCES

Wilhelmsen Marine Engineering and Wilhelmsen Ships Equipment have joined forces to become Wilhelmsen Technical Solutions.

Our goal for 2011 is still profitable growth, backed by a positive underlying development in the world economy. However, we do need to maintain our focus on stewardship, where we pledge to manage our resources in an optimum way and to keep a close eye on our costs. The uncertainties mentioned will continue to affect our ability to grow, and we need to make sure our business continues to be profitable independent of developments outside our control. Having said that, we are in good shape thanks to our customers and the efforts of our employees and we will certainly continue to shape the maritime industry!

56 WIN-WIN The environment and our company are both emerging as

winners from the determined efforts made on board our

ships to reduce fuel consumption.

60 NOR-SHIPPING

WW demonstrated a strong presence at one of the world’s biggest shipping events.

64 IT’S A GAME A new maritime industry programme makes learning fun.

66 THE WORLD AS I SEE IT EUKOR’s CEO and president Sjur Galtung sees t

he world from Korea.

68 WW HISTORY The struggle for the Norwegian America Line 2 WWWORLD 1 2011

We are well into the group’s 150th anniversary. From my position I am proud of the enthusiasm shown all over the world regarding our anniversary. So far, more than 900 moments have been posted on the 150Moments.com site, with a lot of interesting stories and great photos. In March, our anniversary vessel MV Tønsberg commenced service. It is exciting to own and operate the largest and most sophisticated roll-on roll-off vessel ever built. I’m also aware of the many local initiatives and celebrations with employees and customers taking place all over the world. Keep on sharing your stories and let us live up to the slogan of “Shaping the maritime industry for 150 years”.

18 A FAMILY AFFAIR

Printer: TS Trykk, Printed on paper approved by The Swan, the official Nordic ecolabel.

You've got news? Give us a tip!

Dear colleagues,

See some of the great stories and photos contributed by

WW employees from all over the world.

Vice president Yong Char Kar in Wilhelmsen Technical Solutions, Singapore, has taken on the challenge of a lifetime.

TIP US!

20

14 NEVER A DULL MOMENT

Design and layout: Red kommunikasjon AS www.redkommunikasjon.no

Technical Publisher: Forlaget Media AS, NO-3110 TØNSBERG, Norway.

A year for celebrations – and for stewardship

34 44

Thomas Wilhelmsen

WWWORLD 1 2011 3

WWmilestones

Keel laying: On 18 May at 13:30 local time, the keel laying for hull no 2265 took place at Mitsubishi Heavy Industries’ shipyard in Nagasaki, Japan. This is the last in a series of four Mark V ro-ro vessels, and a sister vessel of MV Tønsberg. She will be delivered to owner Mark V Shipping Pte Ltd (in the Wallenius group) in June 2012.

Time for celebrations at IMTC:

Ten years and 41 522 certificates The International Maritime Training Centre at Mumbai recently held a function to commemorate the first 10 years of operations from its current premises.

Text: Einar Chr. Erlingsen Photos: IMTC Mumbai, India: Over the past ten years, IMTC has built a

reputation for being a top quality provider of professional development training for the maritime industry, creating a world-class training infrastructure and highly valued training programmes.

The anniversary celebrations were hosted by president Carl Schou, Wilhelmsen Ship Management (WSM), and vice president Tushar Mohile, Wilhelmsen Marine Personnel.

Representatives of IMTC’s client companies, training partners, as well as the Indian maritime administration graced the function. In a solid show of support, many of them expressed their immense satisfaction with the quality of the IMTC training: A benchmark for the industry: ‘We who work in the Directorate General of Shipping are proud of this benchmarking and trend-setting institution. We look forward to your continued contribution and leadership through excellence in maritime training. We are indeed privileged to have IMTC in Mumbai India,’ said captain M. M. Saggi, nautical advisor to the Government of India, Ministry of Shipping.

Two new ships have joined our fleet

Young and still growing: Captain Yashoverman

Two newbuilds joined the WW fleet in June. A warm welcome to new LCTCs Tugela and Tiger.

Korea: First out was MV Tugela, that was delivered from Hyundai

Heavy Industries’ shipyard in Busan on 20 June to commence service for Wallenius Wilhelmsen Logistics (WWL). The name giving ceremony took place on 23 May, with Ms Kristin Sagen, wife of board member Odd Rune Austgulen, Wilh. Wilhelmsen Holding ASA, as lady sponsor.

MV Tiger was named on 8 June at the Daewoo Okpo shipyard with lady sponsor Jin Lyeon Song Suk, wife of Wi Soo Suk, president and CEO Volvo Group Korea Ltd. MV Tiger started its commercial sailings for WWL on 14 June.

Lady sponsor: Kristin Sagen gave MV Tugela its name at the ceremonies at Hyundai’s Busan shipyard .

EUKOR signs contract with JAC Motors Beijing, China: EUKOR has recently signed a contract with

Chinese auto manufacturer Jianghuai Automobile Co. Ltd. (JAC) for the shipment of roughly 30 000 units annually from Shanghai to South America and some 5 000 units also annually to the Arabian Gulf.

After more than 40 years of development, JAC today has an annual production capacity of more than 700 000 complete vehicles and 500 000 engines. This brings the company to a top 10 ranking in the rapidly emerging Chinese auto industry. (Source: EUKOR News)

WW to Expo 2012 in Korea World exhibition Expo 2012 will take place between 12 May and 12 August next year on the island of Yeosu, South Korea, with WW among the prominent participants at the Norwegian pavilion.

Norway/Korea: It is expected that more than 100

countries and organisations will present themselves to some 8 million visitors during the Expo period. The maritime industry and a focus on environmentally friendly shipping solutions will be among the main themes for the Norwegian pavilion.

Sharma, head of the training centre, gave a pictorial presentation of IMTC’s 10-year journey, highlighting the many milestones of its history. Dag Silkoset, WSM’s training and competence development manager, and Tushar Mohile addressed the audience and related their experiences with IMTC. Carl Schou gave the closing address, in which he complimented IMTC for its achievements. Comparing IMTC’s 10 years with WW’s 150 years, he commented that IMTC had the advantage of youth and thus a lot of scope for growth.

The function ended with the recognition of the dedication and loyalty of IMTC’s faculty and staff who have served for 10 years or more. IMTC is actually a little older than 10 years. It was born under the name of Indian Maritime Training Centre in 1998, and formally inaugurated by ship owner Wilhelm Wilhelmsen the same year. The training centre received its new name when moving to its present premises in the Sigma building in Mumbai.

21% down

Time for celebrations: Employees, clients and officials gathered in Mumbai to celebrate the International Maritime Training Centre’s first ten years.

Governmental award to captain Sharma

Happy anniversary: Captain Yashoverman Sharma, head of IMTC (to the left) receives a commemorative plaque from president Carl Schou, Wilhelmsen Ship Management.

On the occasion of the 48th National Maritime Day Celebration, 2011 in April captain Yashoverman Sharma was awarded for his “Outstanding contribution to maritime education and training” by India’s director general of shipping.

Congratulations!

Facts ➜➜IMTC is a high quality

maritime training centre based in Mumbai, India, and a subsidiary of WSM. Since the beginning till end-2010, IMTC has: ➜➜Conducted 5 581 courses ➜➜Issued 41 522 course certificates and now offers more than 50 different courses to the maritime industry

Wallenius Wilhelmsen Logistics managed to cut its CO2 emissions by 21% last year, compared to 2009. The company attributed the improvement to increased fleet optimisation and utilisation.

The company also reported a decrease in its SO2 emissions by 151 000 tonnes from 2000 to 2010.

Hoshang Dastur, deputy head of IMTC, pictured here with Carl Schou was one of several honored for ten years or more of service.

Single payment system for WSS Global: Ship operators and managers are benefit-

ting from the administrative efficiency of a single payment system for port calls launched by Wilhelmsen Ships Service. A Float Account scheme operated by the company enables the ship operator to deposit a fixed amount to cover a month’s anticipated port calls. The sum is used to cover all the expenses of the operator’s vessels, wherever they call in the world.

(Source: WWL Environmental Sustainability Report 2010) 4 WWWORLD 1 2011

WWWORLD 1 2011 5

WWmilestones

From large to largest

Record export and sales for KIA Motors

Nalfleet has been acquired by Wilhelmsen Ships Service (WSS), and is now a part of the largest maritime network in the world.

Text and photos: Per Kristian Knutsen UK/Norway: Mark Bebbington and Michael Dean

have been fully occupied over the last weeks to ensure that the typical Nalfleet chemical drums and goods continue to move around the world, unhindered by the integration work necessary to become an integrated part of the WSS network.

‘Meeting our new management was of course slightly frightening at first, but I understood early on that this was a good match for us. There is a clear rationale for the deal, the potential for growth is there and linked with all the talented people in the group, we’ll make this a joint success,’ says Mark.

A frontrunner. ‘It’s fun to actually be a part of a

maritime company you’ve heard so much about. I’m not sure if people in WW know, but whenever there’s a new regulation or similar, the image in the market is that WW is always there first,’ says Mark.

The former Nalfleet employees say they have been taken well care of in their new company, although the transition of course also has had its challenges. ‘We have to adjust to a new company culture and new surroundings.

I have been through some of the same challenges in previous projects; the only difference this time is that we had much more resources and much more time,’ says Mark.

Key stakeholder. ‘In a merger it’s important that

you recognize that you are a key stakeholder and that a lot is depending on you. It is very rewarding when things go right, and at the same time both frustrating and challenging when you are in the middle of the battles,’ says Mark.

Both Mark and Mike are appreciative of the support

New colleagues: Mark Bebbington (to the left), Michael Dean and their Nalfleet colleagues are adjusting well to their new company: Wilhelmsen Ships Service. and close co-operation received from the WSS supply team and claim they have never been left in isolation.

‘Communications are on track – we could of course have done more, but the information distributed so far has been strong and valid. I really hope that all Nalfleet employees feel that they are as warmly welcomed as we have. In the future I’m sure WSS is better equipped for handling the marine chemical business than ever before,’ says Mike.

Wilhelmsen Chemicals. Unitor Chemicals AS has changed its name to Wilhelmsen Chemicals AS after the acquisition of Nalfleet, and will supply both the Unitor range of chemicals as well as the Nalfleet marine chemicals portfolio through WSS. Production of all Nalfleet chemicals will be located at the factory in Norway and we have already started with a small range.

‘With two brands under one umbrella, we need to make sure that the connection to our mother company is reinforced,’ explains Ole Wang, managing director of

Wilhelmsen Chemicals.

‘As a result of the acquisition, WSS has entered into a long-term R&D collaboration with Nalco. This will strengthen our position in the marine chemicals market and ensure that we’re still providing our customers with high standards and quality,’ Mr. Wang adds.

Nalfleet facts ➜➜Former marine division of Nalco ➜➜Acquired by WSS at the end of 2010, integration

programme started 1 February

➜➜Provider of marine water treatment chemicals ➜➜35 employees world wide ➜➜Nalfleet products to be produced at Wilhelmsen

Chemicals, Tønsberg, Norway

Life raft rental fleet exceeds 10 000 units Wilhelmsen Ships Service’s Unitor Life Raft Exchange Programme exchanges service-due life rafts for operational ones, thus enabling ship owners to take better control of costs and to reduce the chance of getting caught out by unforeseen service dates.

UK: “This is a significant achievement for a service which was launched just over two years ago and now benefits over 2 300 vessels globally,” explains Dave Evans, business manager for safety at Wilhelmsen Ships Service. “The ship owners won’t miss life raft servicing due dates, and besides, the fixed price is good for budgeting purposes.”

“During 2010 additional life raft service stations were added around the world to our network taking the total to 42 stations covering 632 ports worldwide, to meet the demand of over 500 customers,” adds Evans.

Life raft service men: Four to five life rafts per day, 1 580 per year are serviced by Maurice Timmermans (to the left) and Robin Bredius at Wilhelmsen Ships Service workshop in Rotterdam, The Netherlands. (Photo: Einar Chr. Erlingsen)

Ceremony: To commemorate the 10 million cars milestones, KIA held a celebration ceremony at Pyeongtaek Port. EUKOR President and CEO Sjur Galtung is photographed with his Korean hosts, and SH Park, EUKOR SVP (right). (Photo: EUKOR)

Korea: Not only did KIA Motors recently surpass the 10 million cars mark in cumulative exports. The company also set a new quarterly sales record in the first three months of this year, with 565 355 vehicles sold, up 20.2 % from the same period last year. Along with Wilh.

Wilhelmsen ASA, Wallenius Lines, and Huyndai Motors, KIA Motors is one of the EUKOR shareholders.

(Source: EUKOR News)

Shipping company of the year!

Dubai, UAE: ‘Wilhelmsen Ships Service’s (WSS) position as a front

runner in the marine market is confirmed,’ said the company’s sales director for Africa, Middle East and Black Sea (AMB), Nikolai Norman, as the company scooped the Shipping Company of the Year Award at the annual ShipTek Maritime Awards in Dubai in April.

The award recognises an organisation that maximises every opportunity to innovate, and contribute to meeting the ever-changing demands of its customers. WSS was acknowledged as a company with high operating standards and as totally committed to safety and quality.

WSS was also judged on environmental impact, flexible structure and excellence in operation. The panel of judges also considered contribution and commitment to the development of the maritime sector across the region, commitment to safety and quality, and social and environmental responsibilities, amongst other qualities.

26% reduction

Wilh. Wilhelmsen ASA managed to reduce the fuel consumption per cargo-unit on its 34 owned vessels with 26% in 2010 compared with 2009. Congratu­lations to everyone involved in this impressive result!

Invests in Qube logistics group Wilh. Wilhelmsen Holding ASA (WWH) has signed an agreement to sell its Kaplan Investments in exchange for shares in Qube Logistics Holding Limited (Qube).

Australia: The Qube group is listed on the Australian Stock Exchange. Upon completion, WWH will hold an estimated 88 million shares in Qube, of which 75% will be subject to a three year trading restriction.

The Qube group operates in three divisions covering automotive, bulk and general stevedoring, landside logistics and strategic development assets. These businesses provide a broad range of logistics services throughout Australia, focused on the movement of imported and exported products.

The cooperation with Qube started in 2007 when the Wilhelmsen group took an ownership stake in three joint-ventures being part of the then called Kaplan consortium, K-POAGS, K-NSS and K-AAT, with KW Auto included later.

Since listing on the Australian Stock Exchange as KFM Diversified Infrastructure and Logistics Fund in 2007, Qube has more than doubled in size and progressed from being an investment fund towards becoming a focused operating logistics business. The total group of companies employs approximately 3 000 people.

New links between ships and shore Wallenius Wilhelmsen Logistics are opening new paths in their shore-to-ships communication by publishing a monthly pdf based newsletter on operational issues.

Norway: ‘The main objective of the newsletter is to maintain focus on key performance indicators (KPI’s) and cargo quality and also to reduce the number of e-mails to the Masters by using the newsletter for key projects and messages,’ says Anna Larsson, head of corporate communications at WWL. The 10 annual newsletters will typically deal with issues such as cargo quality KPI’s, performance, cargo handling, rules and regulations updates etc. There will also be a column for sharing best practice (“Captains Corner”), with suggestions from vessels and suppliers alike on how to reduce costs and increase quality and efficiency.

WWL Global Operations will constitute the Editorial Board for the newsletter.

(Source: WW Environmental Report 2010) 6 WWWORLD 1 2011

WWWORLD 1 2011 7

current affairs

Diderik Schnitler, chair of the board in Wilh.

Wilhelmsen Holding.

Taking care of business Diderik Schnitler, chair of the board at Wilh. Wilhelmsen Holding (WWH), explains why a long term strategy is vital for the company, and as such the board, the management and all of us.

Text: Arild S. Johannessen and Benedicte Gude photo: Arild S. Johannessen

n a large organisation like the Wilh.

Wilhelmsen group a lot of decisions are taken every day. Most of these decisions are operational, but some are of a more strategic nature. The board of directors is responsible for larger decisions, like huge investments and group structure. Chair of the board, Diderik Schnitler, explains that the top management has the daily responsibility for the group’s strategy, but develops it in close cooperation with the board directors: “The board in WWH works with the management on several issues. However, twice a year we cooperate on the long term strategy and discuss the possibilities and threats that surround us. The board gives the green light – or the red one – for proposed projects and the group’s strategic directions. In other words, the board provides the framework, but it’s up to management and all our employees to implement it.”

I

At present the board and the top management are working on the long term group strategy for 20122016. What are the main elements in this strategy?

“Our present position is strong, both within shipping and maritime services. The long term goal is to further strengthen our position as a leading global maritime industry group.

We will conduct this through evolution, not revolution. That is the Wilhelmsen way, to carefully grow on our current platform which we have developed over decades. We have several features that make us strong. We have a unique worldwide presence and have shown operational excellence. We are recognised by strong brands, high quality and stewardship, 8 WWWORLD 1 2011

and all together that make Wilhelmsen a very valuable trademark.”

How would you define our goal of profitable growth?

“Our role as a board is to review structure and performance. Since I became a member of the board in 2002, I have witnessed a tremendous development. The merger of Barwil and Barber to form Wilhelmsen Maritime Services and the acquisition of Unitor were offensive steps that took us a giant leap forward in the maritime services industry. We will continue this development, and use our comparative advantages to grow in the right places.

Strategy is discipline, to constantly ask ourselves how we can develop further and which consequence our actions will have – combined with an assessment of risks and opportunities in the world around us. Therefore strategy is a continuous process, where we as a board have the role of supervisors. A systematic strategy process should also reveal our challenges, so we can correct the course in due time.”

Is it possible for all of us to contribute?

“Yes, definitely! The most important part of a strategy is the implementation through our employees. At the board level we provide the framework together with the top management.

To make a strategy come alive, however, we depend on people. The implementation is put in concrete terms through the yearly AOP processes. By developing the AOP and implementing it through specific tasks and actions, everyone contributes. We are all part of the same machinery, and we all have a role to play.

Together we will shape the maritime industry!”

The most important part of a strategy is the implementation through our employees.

Any threats on the horizon?

“There will always be threats for any organisation long term. The worst threats are the ones that you are not aware of, like a tsunami or a sudden crisis in the financial markets. The major defense to such unpredictable events is to have a solid foundation and robust organisation, both financially and in expertise.

Luckily, we are in possession of both”.

Diderik Schnitler (born 1946) Diderik Schnitler is a full time professional chair and board member. He has been deputy chair and member of the board of directors of Wilh. Wilhelmsen ASA since 2002. In May 2010, Mr. Schnitler was elected as chair of the board in Wilh. Wilhelmsen Holding. He holds a Bachelor of Science from the Norwegian University of Technology and Science (NTNU) and has, amongst other, been president of Kværner Shipbuilding and Saga Petroleum ASA. Mr. Schnitler is a Norwegian citizen and resides in Tønsberg, Norway.

WWH Board of Directors: ➜➜Diderik Schnitler (chair) ➜➜Rune Austgulen ➜➜Bettina Banoun ➜➜Carl Erik Steen ➜➜Helen Juell

WWWORLD 1 2011 9

Wilh. Wilhelmsen 150 years

Largest in the world: The new Mark V class is the largest and most sophisticated roll-on roll-off carrier ever built. The first vessel, MV Tønsberg in Bremerhaven next to Wallenius Lines' MV Otello and EUKOR's MV Morning Charlotte.

Lady sponsor: Ninni Wilhelmsen, wife of Wilhelm Wilhelmsen, named MV Tønsberg at a ceremony in Zeebrugge, Belgium on 13th May.

The 150th Anniversary vessel MV Tønsberg:

The next generation

cargo vessel

The Wilh. Wilhelmsen group has launched its 150th anniversary vessel, MV Tønsberg, into operation. The Mark V class is the largest and the most sophisticated vessel ever built in the roll-on roll-off segment.

Text: Arild S. Johannessen Photo: Alex Maresca, Wilh. Wilhelmsen Norway/Japan: ‘This is a new design for both the yard and us,’ says

Alex Maresca, site manager at Mitsubishi Heavy Industries’ Nagasaki shipyard where MV Tønsberg commenced service in March. Due to the tsunami that struck Japan, the naming ceremony was delayed, but she was finally named by lady sponsor Ninni Wilhelmsen on 13 May in Zeebrugge, Belgium.

The Mark V is a Panamax vessel that will service the round the world trade for Wallenius Wilhelmsen Logistics. The Mark V vessels have an overall length of 265 metres, offering a cargo volume of 138 000 cubic metres over six fixed and three hoistable decks. The strengthened stern ramp has a 500-tonne capacity, and cargo can even be loaded on the weather deck. In all, four Mark V vessels will be delivered to Wilh. Wilhelmsen ASA and its partner Wallenius Lines. The second vessel will be delivered in August and the last two in 2012.

Energy efficient. Despite the increased capacity, the Mark V will use

15 to 20 % less fuel per unit transported than its predecessors, thanks to an advanced streamlined hull and an advanced turbo generator, which produces electricity from exhaust heat. The turbo generator also reduces emissions of sulphur dioxides and carbon dioxides by five to six percent.

Customers will also benefit from the increased deck heights of the vessel, designed for the efficient transportation of rolling, breakbulk and project cargo. Three of the decks can be lowered and raised to provide maximum flexibility and utilisation.

Highly sophisticated. ‘We expect that Mark V will strengthen

our position as the global market leader within deep sea roll-on rolloff transport,’ says Jan-Eyvin Wang, president and CEO of Wilh.

Wilhelmsen ASA, representing the owner of the vessel: ‘The Mark V class is the most sophisticated ro-ro vessels ever built, with major innovative design criteria such as high ramp capacity, deck strength and height, low fuel consumption, good transportation economy and safe cargo handling. Together with Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, we have constructed a class of environmentally friendly vessels with several unique features.’

Manning and technical management will be performed by Wilhelmsen Ship Management Norway. MV Tønsberg will fly the Maltese flag, and is owned by Wilhelmsen Lines Shipowning Malta, which in turn is owned by Wilh. Wilhelmsen ASA. 10 WWWORLD 1 2011

WWWORLD 1 2011 11

Wilh. Wilhelmsen 150 years T for Talabot: Many people believe that Tønsberg is the reason behind the “T” naming tradition. This is not correct, however. The “T” starts with another proud vessel, Wilh.

Wilhelmsen’s very first steam ship Talabot. It was purchased second hand in 1887. This was a very lucky decision indeed, as the ship made enough profit to cover the price in full during the next couple of years. This was considered so fortunate that it was hence decided to carry on the “T” name tradition.

Four ships named TØNSBERG

Naming WW’s anniversary vessel Tønsberg is no coincidence.

The name represents a long and proud tradition in our company history. It also reflects where it all began, 150 years ago.

Text: Einar Chr. Erlingsen Photos: WW’s photo archives

ønsberg, Norway: 150 years ago, sailing vessels were still predominant amongst Norway’s hundreds of ship owners. Having been a seafaring nation since the Viking age one thousand years ago and beyond, working in shipping was one of few ways out of poverty open to most young Norwegians.

Norway at that time was a poor country with farming being the predominant industry. This was soon to change. In 1849, Great Britain, the “superpower” of the time, decided to repeal its Navigation Acts of 1712. This was a series of laws that restricted the use of foreign shipping for trade between Great Britain and its colonies. The laws were replaced with liberalism and free trade.

The effect on other seafaring nations was almost immediate. A poor nation like Norway where wages were low and paid jobs few became very competitive, which in turn opened up for daring owners who recognised the opportunities and managed to find the necessary capital to get started.

Among these men was also Morten Wilhelm Wilhelmsen (born 1839), the son of a relatively prosperous tanner in the little town Tønsberg, some 100 kilometres south of the Norwegian capital, on the western side of the Oslo fjord.

22 years old in 1861, Morten Wilhelm Wilhelmsen was still three years under his full legal age and he could therefore not establish a comapany in his own name; he had to work through a temporary partnership. But the name of the new firm was “Wilh. Wilhelmsen” from the very start.

His first investment in a ship came four years later, with the purchase of a two-sevenths share in the barque Mathilde.

The rest is history, as the saying is. By 1917, the company had outgrown the town, and the Wilhelmsen administrative headquarters was moved to Oslo. But a majority of the company’s seafarers were for yet a couple of generations recruited from Tønsberg and surrounding area. The Wilhelmsen family has to this day kept a strong affiliation to the town. This is reflected in many ways. No fewer than four of their ships have carried the Tønsberg name – including our newest one. And several of the wessels in the around the world trade are still registered in the small town where it all began.

T

12 WWWORLD 1 2011

Tønsberg (I) (1889 – 1894) Tonnage: 1,395 gross., 1,096 net, 2,134 deadweight.

Dimensions: 262.1 x 35.0 x 15.3 feet.

Machinery: 3-cylinder triple expansion steam engines of 775 i.h.p. by

North Eastern Marine Engineering Co. Ltd., Newcastle. Service speed 9 knots.

First office: The house in Tønsberg where Morten Wilhelm Wilhelmsen first set up office in 1861 still stands. The office was located behind the three windows at the ground floor. (Photo: Einar Chr. Erlingsen)

9.9.1889: Launched by Wood, Skinner & Co., Newcastle.

27.11.1894: Stranded at Tarifa after being in a collision in the Straits of

The founder: Morten Wilhelm Wilhelmsen was only 22 years old when he started his company under the “Wilh. Wilhelmsen” name.

Gibraltar while on passage from le Havre (France) to Leghorn (Italy).

TØNSBERG (II) (1960 – 1977)

BARBER TØNSBERG (1979 – 1986) Ro-Ro vessel

Tonnage: 10,171 gross, 6,020 net, 12,430 deadweight.

Dimensions: 143.67 (155.58 o.a.) x 20.81 x 12,65 m. 9.475 draught.

Machinery: 8-cylinder 2 S.C.S.A. Burmeister & Wain oil engine of

Tonnage: 22,070 gross, 12,090 net., 31,800 deadweight.

Dimensions: 210.01 (228.51 o..), x 32.31 x 20.20 m. 10.823 m. draught.

Machinery: 9-cylinder 2.S.C.S.A. Burmeister & Wain oil engine of 30,700 b.h.p.

Passengers: 9 21.3.1960: Launched by Kaldnes Mekaniske Verksted A/S, Tønsberg.

8.12.1977: Sold to Venezuela and renamed Truong Son.

Container capacity: 1,772 TEU. Quarter stern door and ramp.

31.1.1979: Launched by Kaldnes Mekaniske Verksted A/S, Tønsberg.

12.12.1986: Sold to the United States Department of Transportation and renamed Cape Horn.

13,400 b.h.p. Service speed 19.5 knots.

Service speed 21 knots.

WWWORLD 1 2011 13

Wilh. Wilhelmsen 150 years

Aik-Keng Tan:

Fun with the boss!

A fun moment with Mr. Wilhelm Wilhelmsen and a great night for the Wilhelmsen Maritime Services team in Malaysia!

It’s really inspiring.

There is also the feeling that we as a global WW team have accomplished something important together. Irena Okoren

Jane Maxwell:

Strange sight I worked for Nalfleet and have just joined Wilhelmsen, but now my eyes feel strange when reading the Wilhelmsen Network directory!

Sheila Jacob:

Naming ceremony February 7th 2011 was the naming ceremony for Wilhelmsen Ships Service Fujairah followed by the launch of our new "lady" Express 11. I was given the honour of naming the boat. The ceremony was witnessed

by Topaz Marine and WSS staff as I wished her luck and prosperity in her future voyages. The ceremony ended with the customary breaking of the champagne bottle.

This occasion will forever be etched in my memory!!!

slo, Norway: After spending

O

Never a dull Moment To anniversary coordinator Irena Okoren at Wilhelmsen Maritime Services, our 150 Moments initiative has been a success story from the very beginning.

Tekxt: Einar Chr. Erlingsen Photo: Don Pyle

14 WWWORLD 1 2011

three years in Norway, mostly with WW companies, Slovenia born Irena Okoren in January took on the challenge of coordinating the 150th anniversary as Wilhelmsen Maritime Services’ representative. She is described as bright, dynamic and alert – and has never regretted taking on her new task – not even for one….yes, Moment.

‘The feedback has been pretty amazing. We have now (early June) received more than 900 special Moments from WW employees, and with my international mindset, it feels especially rewarding to see that they have come from every region, all over the world.’

Irena says she is impressed by the vast diversity of the stories, and also by how committed everyone in the WW network is: their passion and pride in working for the company and living its corporate values.

‘It’s really inspiring. There is also the feeling that we as a global WW team have accomplished something important together. To me, happiness is a state of mind. At the Moment – I feel very happy on behalf of my colleagues and our company,’ says Irena.

Irena’s selection. We gave Irena an almost impossible challenge: to select a handful of her personal favourites among the contributions so far.

We hasten to add that her selection will have no influence whatsoever on the choices made by the 150 Moments jury when they pick their winners. So just lean back in your best easy chair, and enjoy a handful of Moments contributed from good colleagues all over the world.

Lena Choi:

Celebrating 150 years We took a special photo to celebrate Wilh. Wilhelmsen’s 150th anniversary. That is a moment we will never forget.

(In the photo: Winnie Park, Alice Lee and Lena Choi from Wilhelmsen Technical Solutions’ finance team).

Ellen Heum:

Tamesis lifeboat The following happened when I was a radio officer on the Tamesis in June 1980. We were at anchor near Pender Island in British Columbia, waiting to load coal in Roberts Bank. This was a wonderful place to stay - we caught a lot of fish and crabs. Every afternoon after work we took the lifeboat to the local pub at Pender Island and fraternized with the natives.

One day the Captain asked me to go to Victoria (capital of British Columbia) to pick up mail and money for the crew. I went by lifeboat, ferry and bus - quite a journey. On my return I set up office in the pub and distributed mail and money.

When it was time to return to the ship, we walked in the dark down to the pier where "The yellow submarine" was waiting. The chief steward jumped on board before me, but when I followed, the 1st officer had decided to move the boat, so I realized too late that I was going to fall into the water. Everything happened in slow motion - I closed my eyes so my contact lenses would not fall out, and held on to my bag with money, passports etc. At the bottom I kicked myself up to the surface, where I heard a voice from the pier asking: "Who fell in the water?" And the 2nd engineer angrily replied: "Never mind that, get the person ashore!" So a lot of arms grabbed hold of me and got me out.

I think the 2nd engineer really showed the spirit of a true WW officer!

WWWORLD 1 2011 15

Wilh. Wilhelmsen 150 years Cathelyn Palacio:

Baby, meet my boss This photo was taken in December 2008 when I brought home my copy of WW World (No. 4, 2008 issue). To my big surprise, I saw my 9-month old baby staring intently at the page featuring Mr. Thomas Wilhelmsen. So I started telling her “Honey, he is mommy's boss.”

Dhenny Rahadianto My biggest fish ever,

Lucky day

caught on board MV Amamapare.

Abdul-Karim Ibrahim:

Expect the unexpected

This is the best part of our job….

Natasha Davis:

Ajit Suryavanshi:

Seals on the bow of my ship This special moment was captured when we were anchored in Walvis Bay, Namibia.

Teamwork It’s hard to pick just one moment that stands out to me. Even though I haven’t been here long, there are lots of memories. From becoming part of the reference team for VOSS, to learning the accounting practices of our other offices in South America, it has all been about teamwork. When we had the Ships Agency Re-Defined Launch here at the Houston office, we had a great time! Everyone came together no matter what their status or job title, we were all there to learn and have a great time as a team! And the KISS girls won the best costume award…as a team!!

Mike Poulos:

Sales managers’ meeting

Abdel Hamid Belouahem:

Getting married and still working This moment happened on 20 April 2007, when I and my wife Yasmina, together with all our family and friends were taking photos at our wedding. A captain called me to ask about prospects for berthing of his ship. Yasmina remembers this amusing moment every time when we plan for something and it's postponed due to unexpected events at work. This is our job and we like it as it is.

Aditya Saxena:

A W moment in a hobby store While browsing through a hobby shop in Houston, I decided to check which merchant ship models they had (they are usually full of military aircraft and warships). Imagine my surprise when I saw that the only two merchant ships they had were two Wilhelmsen ships - the Taiko and Toyama.

Being an aero modeller since childhood, I obviously decided, in that Wilhelmsen moment, to start on my first ship model. Attached is the ship in its final outfitting stage!

Hasmaliza Hasan-Ongkat:

Winners of a lucky draw!

Gursimranjit Singh Randhawa:

Animal sacrifice During dry-docking propeller blades are buffed and a dye test is done. Since it was my first dry-docking I asked the chief officer what the red liquid on the propeller was.

“Didn’t you know about the goat they sacrificed today?” He replied.

I was shocked. The other cadet asked why they would do a thing like that. We were both so amazed that we returned to take a few photos.

It was only after two days that we learnt that it was dye – not goat blood - on the propeller.

16 WWWORLD 1 2011

I remember the happy days in the 1990’s when we had the sales managers’ meetings. Present-day Wilhelmsen Ships Service president David Tandy was then vice president international sales and tried to teach us all to: sell - listen - communicate - behave – how to build teams etc. Bob Canning (general manager in Panama today) and I had created a "joke show" which we performed at the last dinner of the meeting. We adapted the jokes to the topic of each meeting. On "team building" we asked for participation from one of our new colleagues. He didn’t know what to expect, so he wanted the “lion’s” role, expecting it to be a leading one. Then the show started.

You can imagine what fun we had when we at the end of the joke informed him that this was about “the mule and the lion” – and that the lion is the victim in the end.

I wish for my younger colleagues that they will have the same fun, with a lot of success and team spirit.

Sahil Oberoi:

Kings And Queens-2010 Deck of 52 - This was clicked while I was on the bridge making voyage plans and my wife and the off-duty officers were playing cards in the officers smoke room.

The picture brings a smile.

With more than 14 years working for Wilhelmsen Ship Management in Kuala Lumpur a lot of moments linger in my mind. But the most precious one occurred in November 2007. Since year 2000 (when I had my first child) I had not participated in our company’s annual dinner. My friends called me anti-social, so this year I decided to join after all.

Although not dressed in accordance with the 'Hollywood & Bollywood' theme for the evening, it turned out that my bridal dress still brought good luck as I was crowned as winner of a lucky draw for a holiday trip to Bali, Indonesia.

Accompanied by thunderous applause from the audience, the prize was presented by Mr. Wilhelm Wilhelmsen. Accompanied by “We Are The Champions” by Queen and showered with artificial fireworks on stage, it was the most wonderful moment I have ever experienced at work.

Since that night, every year my friends joke that I no longer attend the annual dinner for fear that I will win again!

Anna Zhurbenko:

One team - one power I joined this powerful company as a boarding officer in 2008.

I find my job very interesting as every vessel call, even the same vessel, is a new experience, new impressions.

I remember one of the memorable events. We had a crew change at Nikolaev Sea Commercial Port on MV Shinnecock Belle. Two crewmembers who were flying to join the vessel, were stuck at Istanbul’s Atatürk Airport for several days due to Eyjafjallajokul volcano explosion in Iceland. When the crewmembers arrived in Turkey, they were in deadlock with no money in their pockets. After several hours they asked a police officer for a free call to their Wilhelmsen Ships Service agent. On the phone they informed me that they had no money, had had their last meal yesterday and needed help. The next flight was expected in a couple of days as per forecast.

I decided to call our colleagues in Istanbul and ask them to provide some money for our on-signers. Our Turkish colleagues went to the airport immediately, found them in that chaos and assisted them.

Finally, the airport was opened again and crewmembers were safely installed on board. They were more than happy and grateful to us. The Master of the vessel said that he had never seen a female boarding agent, but also that we performed our job perfectly. To tell the truth, I was proud to hear those words. So I want to say that it is great to have colleagues worldwide who help us work as a team.

WWWORLD 1 2011 17

Wilh. Wilhelmsen 150 years

Father and son: The same family in leading positions for five generations is highly unusual in today’s business world. Thomas Wilhelmsen with his father Wilhelm Wilhelmsen, fifth and fourth generation respectively.

WW is sponsor.

Wilh. Wilhelmsen Holding ASA is among the sponsors of the Centre for corporate governance research at the Norwegian Business School. Mr. Wilhelm Wilhelmsen chairs the centre’s council.

Family-owned companies ➜➜A company where one family owns 50.1 % or more of

New insight: Professor Øyvind Bøhren sheds new light on family dominated companies in his book.

(Photo: Norwegian ­Business School)

Norway: Questions regarding family domi-

nated companies have been a major concern for the last five years to Øyvind Bøhren, professor and founding director of the Centre for corporate governance research at the Norwegian Business School. Over these years, he and his colleagues and students have researched close to 100 000 Norwegian companies from 1994 to the present. A major focus of their research has been the company's ownership structure, and how this influences its behaviour and financial performance. The results were recently published in a book, a first of its kind on the subject: “Owners, the board and management”, subtitled “Corporate governance in Norway”(title translated from Norwegian).

A family affair

Throughout its 150-year-long history, WW has been a family-controlled company. Could this be one of the reasons for its survival? New research sheds light on this type of companies in general.

Text: Einar Chr. Erlingsen Photo: Kaia Means

18 WWWORLD 1 2011

Unploughed ground. When his interest in family-dominated companies was first aroused, he was surprised to find that there was very little research published on the corporate governance and economic performance of family companies. This is particularly true for family companies that are not listed on the stock exchange (private as opposed to public firms). Which was even more surprising when taking into consideration that family ownership is the dominant form of company ownership everywhere in the world.

‘Even after my 35 years of teaching, it was an eye-opener to discover how little is actually known about private company's in general and family firms in particular. We didn’t even have the vocabulary to describe key findings in Norwegian, so we had to invent some new concepts on the way,’ says professor Bøhren.

Like most other people, he was surprised to find that for every employee in a stock-listed company, there are no fewer than seven people working in non-listed companies. For annual company turnover, the comparable figures are one to four.

The roles are dramatically reversed, however, when it comes to public and political in-

terest in the two types of ownership – which in turn has influenced the financial and operating framework a family-dominated company has to work within.

‘We can’t state that there is a conscious discrimination against family ownership. But there is definitely a lack of knowledge that sometimes results in less insightful public regulation for family-owned companies compared to firms not controlled by families.

Taxation seems to be one important example,’ says professor Bøhren.

Prospects for survival. Among the many

interesting findings is what appears to be a two per cent higher average return on assets (ROA) in family dominated companies compared to

the shares is defined as a family company. ➜➜68 % of all Norwegian companies with limited liability fall into this category. ➜➜In three out of four family-dominated companies the major owner is both CEO and chair. ➜➜Family-dominated companies appear to be more profitable than other companies. to be more careful regarding how they position themselves. If you place all your eggs in one basket, you’ll definitely watch them well. On the other hand, being too careful may in itself be a threat to long-term survival. Especially if it is combined with a reluctance to recruit leaders from outside the family,’ says professor Bøhren.

‘So the old saying that the first generation creates, the second consolidates and the third generation wastes is more than mere words?’

‘Actually, studies from Denmark indicate that the waste starts already with the second generation. A “founding talent” is only rarely inherited.’

‘So when the fifth Wilhelmsen generation, represented by Thomas Wilhelmsen took over as CEO only last year, it must have been rather unusual in today’s business world?’

We can’t state that there is a conscious discrimination against family ownership. But there is definitely a lack of knowledge that sometimes results in less insightful public regulation for family-owned companies compared to companies not controlled by families. Øyvind Bøhren non-family companies (6.7% as compared to 4.7%). This tendency is especially clear in small companies with one dominant owner.

‘These owners are mostly also the company's CEO, and they tend to think that “it’s my own money anyway”. Thus, they are more likely to be more considerate spenders than managers who primarily manage other people’s money,” says professor Bøhren.

‘Such companies also tend to be more “hands on”, and in general swifter to take action when something appears amiss.’

The studies carried out at the Centre for corporate governance research can only indirectly answer whether family-dominated companies have improved prospects for longterm survival: ‘Generally speaking, these companies tend

‘From a corporate governance perspective, the key may be that unlike most family companies, WW is a public company with a significant minority stake held by non-family stockholders. Public companies are monitored more closely than private companies, both by regulators and the financial press. Moreover, almost half the WW equity is not controlled by the family. This means the family will have a hard time managing the firm in a way that just benefits themselves at the expense of the minority. Choosing a family CEO without the proper skills would fire back in terms of lost market value, lost reputation, and stockholder unrest.

This illustrates that potential conflicts between the company's stakeholders and sensible ways of handling them are vital components of corporate governance,’ says Øyvind Bøhren.

WWWORLD 1 2011 19

Spesial Report: south america

The awakening of

South America For decades South America was associated with brutal dictatorships, political unrest and poverty. Not so anymore. The southern part of the Americas is awakening, fuelled by enormous natural resources, democratic governments and an oil bonanza outside the coast of Brazil. WW World has visited the continent to see how the Wilhelmsen group is positioning itself in this vast growing market.

In South America: Arild S. Johannessen (text & photo)

20 WWWORLD 1 2011

The vibrant city of Rio de Janeiro, here seen from Sugarloaf Mountain, is base for Brazil's expanding oil- and gas 足industry. Rio is also regional head office for Wilhelmsen Ships Service and Wilhelmsen Technical Solutions.

WWWORLD 1 2011 21

Spesial Report: south america

We have a big challenge ahead of us to add sufficient capacity and this expansion is going to require hundreds of vessels; this opens a big avenue of opportunities for the shipping industry.

Jose Sergio Gabrielli

ith their endless string of pearl beaches, heavenly climate and sensual bossa nova culture, Brazilians consider themselves uniquely blessed. So when the first of two gigantic oil fields was discovered off the coast near Rio de Janeiro in the fall of 2007, former President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva saw it simply as further proof of a celestial bond. "God," Lula gushed, "is Brazilian."

At Nor-Shipping 2011 in Oslo in May, Petrobras chief executive Jose Sergio Gabrielli and Transpetro chief executive Sergio Machado delivered an epic shopping list to the shipping industry, as it seeks to triple the number of ships and deepwater drilling rigs it needs to meet its ambitious oil and gas production targets set for 2020. Announcing that Petrobras plans to double total output to 5.4m barrels of oil equivalent (boe) per day by the end of the decade from 2.5m boe today, Mr Gabrielli told offshore operators Brazil would need five new shipyards, an additional 38 deepwater rigs and more than 280 supply and special vessels by 2020 in order to hit its capacity projections.

“We have a big challenge ahead of us to add sufficient capacity and this expansion is going to require hundreds of vessels; this opens a big avenue of opportunities for the shipping industry,” said Mr Gabrielli, addressing the Nor-Shipping conference. The Brazilian government is planning to invest USD 1 billion in maritime training and research over the next three years and estimates it will need to train 208 000 people in Brazil by 2020 to meet demands across the maritime and logistics sector.

W

The growth of a giant. During the last two decades, South American

countries have experienced significant economic growth. On the downside, the economic gap between the rich and poor in most South American nations is considered to be larger than in most other continents. This wide gap can be seen in many large South American cities where makeshift shacks and slums lie adjacent to skyscrapers and upper-class luxury apartments.

South America relies heavily on the exporting of goods and natural resources. The region has 15 % of the world’s oil reserves, a large stock of its minerals, a quarter of its arable land (much of it unused) and 30% 22 WWWORLD 1 2011

of its fresh water. On an exchange rate basis Brazil – the seventh largest economy in the world and the largest in South America – leads the way in total amount of exports at USD 137.8 billion dollars followed by Chile at USD 58.12 billion and Argentina with USD 46.46 billion. The five years to 2008 were Latin America’s best since the 1960s, with economic growth averaging 5.5 % a year and inflation generally in single digits. Even more impressively, a region which had become a byword for financial instability mostly sailed through the recent recession. After a brief downturn in late 2008 and early 2009, a strong recovery is now under way, with most forecasts suggesting economic growth of over 5 % this year for the region as a whole.

Along with growth came a better life. Between 2002 and 2008 some 40 million Latin Americans, out of a total population of 580 million, were lifted out of poverty, and income distribution became a bit less unequal almost everywhere. Poverty increased in 2009 because of the recession, but is now in decline. Average unemployment went up slightly to 8.2 % in 2009, but will in 2011 be under 8 %, according to the United Nations Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC).

BRIC. The region’s newfound economic stability and social progress

also owes much to the fact that over the past 30 years democracy has become established almost everywhere. Nearly all elections are now free and fair. Latin America’s new resilience and faster growth is starting to attract increased interest from outsiders. That is especially true of Brazil, now often perceived to be in a league of its own. That is only partly because Jim O’Neill, an economist at Goldman Sachs, did it a huge favor when in 2001 he bracketed it together with Russia, India and China as one of the BRICs which would dominate world economic growth over the coming decades. If the region can keep up the growth of the past few years, it may double its income per person by 2025, to an average of USD 22 000 a year at purchasing-power parity. By then Brazil may be the world’s fifth-biggest economy, behind only China, the United States, India and Japan.

(This article is based on facts and quotes from Time Magazine, The Economist, Lloyds List and Wikipedia)

The statue Christ the Redeemer is located at the peak of the 700-metre (2,300 ft) Corcovado mountain overlooking Rio de Janeiro. The statue has become an icon of Rio and Brazil.

WWWORLD 1 2011 23

Spesial Report: south america I really love this company, and the tremendous opportunities we have to expand our business. 2011 is a year for training and investments, both in people competence and geographical structure.

Henrique Schlaepfer

Wilhelmsen Ships Service:

A man with a mission

For area director Henrique Schlaepfer nothing is impossible. Since the energetic Brazilian took charge of Wilhelmsen Ships Service (WSS) in South America in the autumn of 2009, he has streamlined the organisation and increased revenues by more than 50 %. However, according to Mr. Schlaepfer this is just the beginning. or years the natural focus of Wilhelmsen Ships Service has been the vast North American market. The regional head office is in Houston, and USA with its cruise industry and many ports is still a vital part. But something has started to happen south of the Caribbean.

“David Tandy, the president of WSS, gave us all a clear order: Grow your business. And we have done exactly that. In late September 2009, WSS South America (WSS SAM) represented just seven per cent of the total revenue of Region Americas. Today, South America represents more than 20 % of the regional income; we have managed to grow account sales by 148 % and port sales by 125 % from first quarter 2010 to first quarter 2011. But then we also have to be honest and say that in WSS SAM the order is often generated in other parts of the world, and our job is to handle the physical delivery, view limited international shipping lines in local portfolio,” says Henrique Schlaepfer.

The area director has more than 25 years of experience in the maritime industry. Originally a trained maritime officer, Henrique went onshore to pursue a successful business career in some of the best companies, like Maersk and CP Ships/Hapag Lloyd. But when the opportunity to take charge of WSS in South America materialized, he moved back to Rio de Janeiro

F

24 WWWORLD 1 2011

and has not looked back ever since.

“I really love this company, and the tremendous opportunities we have to expand our business. 2011 is a year for training and investments, both in people competence and geographical structure. A new management team is now operating in key positions both in Brazil, Chile and Argentina. We are a team for tomorrow – and the competence and spirit of our more than 170 employees is superb.”

beginning of 2010. This is also the first own West Coast South America Fire Rescue and Safety station (FRS). WSS Chile now distributes the full WSS’s range of safety products and services, which includes firefighting equipment, life rafts, as well as lifejackets and survival suits, besides vessels and cargo port agency and freight forwarding.

Expansion. A lot has happened in the past

economy by nominal GDP (foreseen to jump to seventh this year), Brazil’s ambition is to keep economic growth within its borders and not become dependent on foreign expertise.

The economic boom has resulted in a huge increase in the standard of living for the poor, the working class and the middle class in this gigantic country with more than 190 million inhabitants. The downside is a governmental bureaucracy infamous for its many regulations and long processes.

“We have a challenge with bureaucracy and protectionism, but corruption is decreasing.

As a Norwegian owned company, we benefit from the initiatives taken by Mr. Trond Giske, the Minister of Trade and the Norwegian delegation to Brazil past February,” says Henrique Schlaepfer.

Proof of the latter is that Mr. José Sergio Gabrielli, CEO of Petrobras, travelled to >>

two years. Wilhelmsen Ships Service has opened a base at Ponta da Madeira in the Amazon Region of Brazil to accommodate the mineral segment demand. Further capacity to provide agency services is being established in Colombia, Ecuador, Peru and Chile due to acquisition of joint venture partnerships by the company, thus enabling Wilhelmsen Ships Service to take full control. The same is being developed in five separate locations in South America. These offices are preparing to provide ships services to cruise, ro-ro, dry bulk and general cargo, as well as minerals.

The company has observed an increase in activity in all of these segments.

In Chile, Wilhelmsen Ships Service opened its first South American Life Raft Service Station in March this year, after having acquired company CMU at that location in the

Bureaucracy. As the world's ninth largest

WWWORLD 1 2011 25

Spesial Report: south america

The oil industry in Brazil is expected to grow from a current production of 1.8 million barrels per day, to 3.8 million barrels within the next seven years. We will take part of that growth.

Henrique Schlaepfer Norway to participate at the Nor-Shipping exhibition in Oslo in May this year. Another challenge for WSS is that – due to taxes and regulations – foreign manufactured products can be up to four times as expensive as products manufactured in Brazil. ”Our answer in WSS is to focus on our network, our proven quality and our ability to deliver at the right time at the right price,” says Henrique Schlaepfer.

Offshore industry. The offshore industry is

the economic engine in Brazil. The national oil company Petrobras is located in Rio de Janeiro, and in the port and coastal waters of this spectacular city oil rigs and offshore vessels are a very common sight. For Wilhelmsen Ships Service the offshore industry is a relatively new playground, with other demands than the traditional merchant fleet. Henrique Schlaepfer explains: “Offshore is a global industry, extremely regulated and with huge increments. Each product we deliver has to be certified and approved, involving a lot of documentation.

But we are expanding significantly in this segment, as is the industry itself. The oil industry in Brazil is expected to grow from a current production of 1.8 million barrels per day, to 3.8 million barrels within the next seven years.

We will take part of that growth.”

Wilhelmsen Technical Solutions: A bright future. Brazil is on the rise. The

country is one of the fastest-growing major economies in the world with an average annual GDP growth rate of over five per cent.

The Brazilian economy has been predicted to become one of the five largest economies in the world in coming decades.

“Like Brazil, Wilhelmsen Ships Service has huge potential. There is an upside in all of our business streams: Marine Products, Technical services, Ships agency and Maritime Logistics.

My mission in life right now is to make this happen, to take out the large potential we have within our organization towards our customers,” says area director Henrique Schlaepfer.

WWS in south america Wilhelmsen Ships Service are present in the following countries in South America. In total approximately 45 ports are being served:

Daisy Wanderley, customer service manager in Wilhelmsen Ships Service

“A real Carioca” A true stayer with more than 25 years in Unitor and now Wilhelmsen Ships Service (WSS), Daisy Wanderley knows what the customers expect.

“I’m a real Carioca,” says Daisy smiling,

➜➜Argentina

➜➜Ecuador

➜➜Brazil

➜➜Falkland Islands

➜➜Chile

➜➜Peru

➜➜Colombia

➜➜Uruguay

➜➜Cuba

➜➜Venezuela

referring to the nickname of all true citizens of Rio de Janeiro. As the customer service manager for WSS, she and her team of seven colleagues handle quotations, orders, deliveries and support for a large number of customers in all segments.

“Customer services are also about being the customers’ guide in our portfolio of products and services and helping them find the right solution. I find it a very rewarding job,” says Daisy. In recent years, WSS has expanded from the traditional maritime service industry into the offshore oil industry, which is a whole new ball game.

“Our top products are still chemicals, gases and welding equipment. But now we have increasing business with the repair ship yards and all the off shore vessels or oil rigs that come in for service and maintenance. The Chilean market is also rising rapidly,” explains Ms. Wanderley.

Customer service also acts as a representative for both Wilhelmsen Ships Service and Wilhelmsen Technical Solutions, since the sister companies approach the market together as Wilhelmsen Maritime Services.

Brazilian-Norwegian unity: Henrique Schlaepfer and general manager for East Coast South America, Alvaro Moraes (front, right), together with some of the colleagues at the regional head office in Rio de Janeiro.

26 WWWORLD 1 2011

“I have stayed on because Wilhelmsen invest in you as an employer with an open mind. I feel appreciated for what I do, and it is good to be reminded that we are all important for the company,” says Daisy Wanderley.

Prepared to serve the offshore industry For sales manager Felipe Coll and his team in Wilhelmsen Technical Solutions, the possibilities to grow as a supplier of fire-, safety- and environmental systems to the expanding offshore industry in Brazil is endless. io de Janeiro: Spanish Felipe Coll has worked two and a half years as sales manager in Brazil.

Together with sales coordinator Agatha Oliveira, supply chain manager Carlos Araujo, HVAC-R manager Raimi Riberio and Power manager Jesper Rasmussen, Felipe is responsible for bringing Wilhelmsen Technical Solutions’ products and services to an enormous market.

‘For us who mostly serve the newbuilding industry and the shipyards, the offshore market represents huge value. National oil giant Petrobras will order almost 30 oil production rigs, and 12 FPSOs (Floating Production Storage and Offloading Vessel). Further Petrobras’ wholly-owned shipping company Transpetro has an ambition to renew their total fleet of 56 oil tankers, and the demand for supply vessels is increasing. Due to Brazilian policy most vessels will be built in Brazil. This is definitively the place to be’, says Felipe enthusiastically.

R

Combined market approach. Like in all

markets, size does matter. Felipe and his colleagues are therefore teaming up with “big brother” Wilhelmsen Ships Service (WSS) in their marketing effort, and are also located in the WSS regional office in Rio de Janeiro.

‘This is a huge market, and we present

Sales manager Felipe Coll and sales coordinator Agatha Oliveira see great opportunities for Wilhelmsen Technical Solution in South America.

ourselves as Wilhelmsen Maritime Services in South America, with a combined product offering. Personally I am out with customers at least twice a week to make presentations and to establish relations. It is a rewarding job, but it takes time to establish ourselves with yard giants such as Maua, Ilha and Atlantico Sul,’ explains Felipe Coll.

Large projects. Wilhelmsen Technical

Solutions in Brazil is currently involved in two large projects. One is in cooperation with Yarwil to provide urea for the NoxCare SCR system to the brand new platform supply vessel “Beaucephalus”, build in Norway by Havyard and operated by Indian Garware Offshore Services Ltd. The other is a large retrofit project for Maersk Offshore in Brazil, in cooperation with Wilhelmsen Ships Service. A similar retrofit project is also coming up in Chile.

‘We are already selling fire suppression systems for several million dollars annually.

Brazil is our dominating market, but Chile and Argentina are also growing rapidly. In fact South America’s largest merchant fleet is still operated by Chilean ship owners,’ says Felipe.

Developing oil fields. Brazil is currently

developing three major deepwater oil fields in the Santos basin, named Tupi, Jupiter and Sugar

Loaf. All are located between Rio de Janeiro and the major port of Santos, and require huge investments, competence and infrastructure.

In order to retain national control of the large natural resources, Brazil has implemented strict regulations for national ownership and use of domestic workforce.

‘Brazil demands national production of almost all equipment. This is a challenge for us, as we manufacture most of our products in China but local production is also an option.

In total I am very optimistic for the future of safety products and the Unitor Ballast Water Treatment System (Unitor BWTS). Brazil has a coastline of more than 10.000 miles, in a fragile environment. We expect that ballast water systems to be mandatory within 2013. This opens up large possibilities,’ ends Felipe Coll.

Wilhelmsen Technical Solutions Is a provider of fully engineered solutions, equipment and services. WTS expertise includes fire suppression and prevention, water treatment, power distribution and control, and HVAC-R (Heat, Ventilation, Air Condition and Refrigeration) for newbuilds and retrofits in the maritime and offshore industries.

WWWORLD 1 2011 27

Spesial Report: south america

Golar Winter Manager: Golar Wilhelmsen Management Built: 2004 as LNG carrier off Membrane design

at DSME, Korea, converted to FSRU in 2009 at ­Keppel shipyard, Singapore.

Gross Tonnage: 95 970 LNG storage capacity: 138 000 m3 Re-gas capacity: 14 000 000 m3/d of gas, equivalent to approx. 10 600 tons of LNG per day.

On contract for Petrobras as FSRU until 2019.

Golar Wilhelmsen Management (GWM) GWM is a joint venture of Golar LNG and Wilhelmsen Ship Management, and was fully operational in November 2010. With head office in Oslo and officers and crew mostly from Croatia, Indonesia and The Philippines, GWM manage a fleet of 10 LNG vessels and 3 FSRUs.

Powering

Brazil with clean energy

Far into Guanabara Bay outside Rio de Janeiro, a large black vessel lies moored to a jetty. It's the Golar Winter, a floating storage and regasification unit (FSRU). Golar Wilhelmsen Management is pivotal in this advanced operation to provide the industry in Brazil with clean energy from liquid natural gas (LNG).

olar LNG, the owner of Golar Winter, developed the world’s first Floating Storage and Regasification Unit (FSRU) based on the conversion of existing LNG carriers. On 30 January 2009, Golar Spirit became the first vessel of its kind, with re-gasified LNG on board. At present Golar LNG has three FSRU’s in operation, Golar Winter and Golar Spirit for Petrobras in Brazil, and Golar Freeze in Dubai. The LNG carrier Khannur is currently under conversion to an FSRU in Singapore, and will commence operation in Indonesia later in 2011. All FSRUs are on technical management by Golar Wilhelmsen Management, a joint venture owned by Wilhelmsen Ship Management and Golar LNG.

G

Advanced operation. WW World is

greeted on board by Master Jere Dakovic (35). At present the Golar Winter has a crew 28 WWWORLD 1 2011

The total crew of Golar Winter assembled on the bridge. Master Jere Dacovic in dark blue coverall. of 33, representing Croatia, The Philippines, Indonesia, Romania, Spain and Brazil. The crew work normally three months onboard, and three months off. Our image of a boring life on board on a stationary vessel is rapidly terminated. We soon realize that we are visit-

We carry the full respon­sibility for loading, operation and maintenance in a 24 hours continuous operation. Jere Dakovic ing a floating factory with advanced technology. Master Dakovic explains: ‘When in full production Golar Winter supplies the Brazilian power grid with 14 million cubic meters of natural gas every day. Every 4-6 days a LNG carrier is moored alongside the opposite side of the jetty, to transfer its

cargo to Golar Winter. We carry the full responsibility for loading, operation and maintenance in a 24 hours continuous operation.’

Before the LNG can be transformed into energy on shore, it has to be converted from liquid form holding -163 Celsius to natural gas sending out on +20. By the use of heating energy from seawater, the LNG is vaporized in the onboard re-gasification system. The re-gasification is a highly advanced system starting from in tank pumps submerged in the cargo tanks, suction drum as buffer tank, comprising high pressure LNG booster pumps, cryogenic LNG vaporizers, sea water trim heaters, closed propane loop, and associated valves, piping and instrumentation. The engineering of the re-gasification and sea water system were provided Moss Maritime, the regasification units by Hamworthy HGS system and IAS control by Kongsberg & Honeywell.

The conversion was done at Keppel Shipyard in Singapore.

Mobile and efficient solution. ‘The FSRU model is becoming increasingly popular, because it's a more efficient and cheaper solution than building a full LNG terminal onshore.

Besides, since we actually are a vessel we can move quite rapidly to other parts of the country where surplus energy is needed. All that is required is a jetty with pipes connecting to the power grid,’ explains Master Jere Dakovic.

The Master says the cooperation with customer Petrobras is very good. Brazil bases most of its energy on hydro-electric power plants, but when demand is extra high the natural gas provides a welcome supplement for the domestic industry.

‘We work together as a team, and find common solutions. Last year we had full production during six months. So far in 2011 we have had more production breaks. But when Petrobras gives the signal, we are expected to power up instantly. In fact we are powering up today, and everything is going well,’ says Master Jere Dakovic.

Master Jere Dacovic (left) and chief officer Toni Poljanic discuss daily operations with supervisor Jose Carlos Melchior (left) from Transpetro.

WWWORLD 1 2011 29

Spesial Report: south america

Wallenius Wilhelmsen Logistics in South America:

High demand & Full speed

ahead

Wallenius Wilhelmsen Logistics (WWL) is positioning itself as the largest independent ocean carrier for cars and high and heavy cargo in South America. The business is rapidly expanding along with the economic boom on the continent.

30 WWWORLD 1 2011

The port of Santos: Operations manager Luiz Mazzitelli together with Katherine Realle and Emerson Chagas from the Port of Santos. Luiz and his team handle all port calls for WWL in Santos, the most modern ro-ro port in Brazil. The port operates 24/7 and annually more than 154 000 cars and large volumes of construction and agricultural machinery are loaded and discharged from the WW vessels.

The old lady MV Tagus, a Wilhelmsen-owned pure car and truck carrier, is one of the six vessels operating in the WWL South America Trade. Here the vessel is in Santos port, Brazil (Photo: Luiz Mazzitelli).

We are planning to increase both the number of vessels and our frequency.

Flavio Batista

W World meets WWL Americas commercial director Fabio Mello and Flavio Batista, vice president South America, in their regional office in Sao Paulo, the financial center of Brazil. Two floors down is sister company EUKOR, and the two ship operating companies with joint owners cooperate on both vessel handling and vessel optimization.

Currently, six vessels are operating on the South America service: WWL-operated MV Tagus, MV Tasco, and MV Medea, and NYK-operated MV Kassel, MV Global Leader, and MV Galaxy Leader.

“So far in 2011 we’re experiencing high cargo volumes and a growing demand in the trade. The vessels operating in our South American service are working very well for the mix of cargo they are transporting. And we are looking at increasing both the number of vessels and our frequency,” explains Flavio Batista. Based at WWL’s Americas head office in New Jersey, the Brazilian executive often visits Sao Paulo and the local office in order to be close to the market.

W

WWWORLD 1 2011 31

Spesial Report: south america

The former sea captains, general manager Seong Hwan Oh and operational manager Peter Jangbecker, represent 50 per cent of the EUKOR office in South America.

Flavio Batista.

North- and southbound service. The WWL service in South America consists of two main routes, one southbound and one northbound. The southbound route originates in Vera Cruz, Mexico, and moves via Galveston in Texas to the regional transshipment hub in Manzanillo, Panama. Here the route is divided into a western service with port calls in Guayaquil in Ecuador and Callo in Peru, and an eastern service departing from Manzanillo and covering the ports of Cartagena in Colombia, Puerto Cabello in Venezuela, and Vitoria, Santos and Paranagua in Brasil before terminating in the port of Zarate in Argentina. The northbound route starts in Zarate, covering the same ports with the exception of Vitoria before ending in Galveston.

“We are all in all 20 people working for WWL here in Sao Paulo. The office manages operations, sales and customer service.

We cooperate well with Wilhelmsen Ships Service which handles all our port operations as agents. We also represent EUKOR as their commercial agent in the South American market,” says commercial director Fabio Mello.

Locally manufactured. In 2010, more than 3.6 million cars were sold in Brazil, making the country the fourth largest automobile 32 WWWORLD 1 2011

EUKOR IN SOUTH AMERICA

Fabio Mello in front of some of his colleagues at the Sao Paulo office, which handles all operations, sales and customer service for WWL in South America.

Vice president Flavio Batista (left) and commercial director Fabio Mello are pivotal in WWL's South America operations.

A Far Eastern service for the Far South

Courtesy of Wallenius Wilhelmsen Logistics

We are very optimistic about developments in South America. We are here to stay and to grow our business.

We will definitively be investing more.

As the sole car carrier operator servicing South America from the Far East, EUKOR is the market leader of inbound automobile transport. WW World met two EUKOR executives who have taken on the challenge of maintaining and strengthening this position.

market in the world. The export was approximately 800 000 cars, and more than 900 000 cars were imported.

“All our large corporate customers are now established in Brazil with their own manufacturing plants. This involves construction and agriculture machinery manufacturers John Deere, Caterpillar, Komatsu, Case New Holland, and car manufacturers Ford, Fiat, Volkswagen, GM, Toyota and Honda. They are all producing for export and domestic market, and we have maintained our position as the preferred ocean carrier, especially for high and heavy machinery. In this segment we have an 80 % market share for import and export,” says commercial director Fabio Mello. And Wallenius Wilhelmsen Logistics is positioned for growth. In July 2011, a brand new Equipment Processing Center for high and heavy cargo will start operating in the transshipment hub of Manzanillo. And there are plans to establish a new terminal in Brazil.

“We are very optimistic about developments in South America. We are here to stay and to grow our business. We will definitively be investing more. In our view, South America has transitioned from an emerging to a growing market,” says vice president Flavio Batista.

In Sao Paulo reside general manager Seong Hwan Oh together with operational manager Peter Jangbecker. They say that EUKOR has a long presence in South America: the former company Hyundai Merchant Marine set up its first office in South America in 1994 with EUKOR taking over from December 2002.

Eastern and Western route. The EUKOR South America service consists of one Eastern and one Western route. The Eastern route comprises four vessels arriving per month with major discharging ports Vitoria, Montevideo, Santos and Zarate as well as Asuncion with transshipment. The Western route has three voyages every month, with port calls in Buenaventura, Manta, Callao, Iquique and San Antonio as well as Bolivia through Iquique.

“In all, we have approximately 18-19 different port calls a month in South America. We also do transit cargo between the ports visited. We use pure car and truck carriers (PCTCs) with a capacity between 6000 and 7200 units. All EUKOR vessels are allocated by our head office in Seoul , and leave Korea with maximum cargo. Our challenge in South America is to find cargo for the return voyage to Asia or other parts of the world and expand FOB customers. So far, there have been low volumes of outbound cargo for Asia,” says general manager Seong Hwan Oh. Along with operational manager Peter Jangbecker (originally from Sweden), he runs the entire region of South America with just one secretary and one commercial manager.

In 2010, EUKOR transported in total 370 000 units – of this were 90 per cent cars – on their two routes. Of this volume 70 % were Hyundai and Kia

cars, the rest were imports of other brands for one of the largest automobile distributor Derco in Chile and Mitsubishi Motor Corporation do Brazil.

“Like all the EUKOR offices we are a very lean organisation, cooperating with Wallenius Wilhelmsen Logistics in commercial area and Wilhelmsen Ships Service to handle all port operations in Brazil. We focus on the operations, the customers and the cargoes,” adds Peter Jangbecker.

Both Mr. Oh and Mr. Jangbecker are former sea captains. Mr Oh arrived in Sao Paulo just three months ago, after heading the Middle East, Africa and South America East Coast region for EUKOR’s head office in Seoul. Mr. Jangbecker has lived in Brazil since 1997, first as an expatriate for Wilhelmsen Lines and the last three years working for EUKOR. They both describe South America as a promising, but challenging market: “South America has experienced increasing stability over the years, with Chile, Argentina, Uruguay, Peru and Brazil as the leading nations. Strong competition combined with heavy bureaucracy is a tough mix, but the potential is very strong. And when you add passion and friendly people, amazing nature and great climate, you realize that this is a fantastic continent,” says Peter Jarnbecker. ”So what are the short and long term ambitions for EUKOR in South America?”

“In the short term we have an ambition to increase outbound export. Long term we will defend our position as the dominant car carrier from the Far East, and of course expand our customer base in South America,” says general manager Seong Hwan Oh.

WWWORLD 1 2011 33

Ww india Reporters in India The articles on India are written by ­Norwegian journalist students Brede Hovden, Åsmund Løvdal, and Ole Gunnar Onsøien. The latter also took all the photos, while senior WW World reporter Einar Chr. Erlingsen coordinated the articles into the WW in India section in this magazine.

A bridge to a different India A bridge to the future: The cable-stayed bridge at Bandra channels forms part of the new Rajiv Gandhi Sea Link in Mumbai and points towards a new future for India. Some of the people who built the Sea Link are trained at our International Maritime Training Centre (see separate article on page 36 and 38).

34 WWWORLD 1 2011

India is changing - fast. With an annual growth rate few other countries can match, the subcontinent’s 1.2 billion inhabitants are on their way to a more prosperous future. But there are also huge challenges ahead.

WWWORLD 1 2011 35

Ww india

Swift recovery for ship management Wilhelmsen Ship Management in India was hit hard by the financial crisis, but its recovery has been remarkably swift.

In 2010, we transported 60 000 cubic meters of Cater­pillar dump trucks from Chennai to m ­ arkets covering­ Singapore, ­Jakarta, Laem Chabang, Pyeongtaek, Zamyn Uud and Mongolia.

Michael Doran

umbai, India: The new Rajiv Gandhi Sea Link, a USD 355 million bridge between Bandra and Worli in Mumbai - was opened at half capacity in June 2009, thus reducing travel time by 4050 minutes. Less than a year later, in March 2010, the remaining four lanes of the bridge were opened in a road project where the foundation stone was laid back in 1999.

The Sea Link is part of the larger West Island Freeway, that when finished will be spanning Mumbai’s entire coastline. It can also serve as a symbol of the rapid and comprehensive changes that India is going through these days, well over a decade into a new millennium.

M

The car industry. The Indian car manufac-

turing industry is changing faster than most.

Wallenius Wilhelmsen Logistics (India) in Chennai (WWL) under Captain Gur-Prasad Kohli’s leadership has secured a front-seat position from where to observe and even influence events.

In Mumbai, general manager, business development Michael Doran is at the centre of events.

He came to India in 2007 to help set up WWL operations in the country working for WWL India AS Liaison office based in Mumbai.

With an increasing number of car producers establishing plants in the subcontinent, Mr. Doran regards the future with confidence. After signing a contract with Nissan 36 WWWORLD 1 2011

General manager: Michael Doran is representing Wallenius Wilhelmsen Logistics’ in Mumbai. in April 2010, WWL is now responsible for all inland distribution of vehicles from the Renault -Nissan plant in Chennai to dealers across India. WWL’s scope of work also covers compound management and operations at the assembly plant, quality checks of vehicles, movement of stock from plant to the loading area, washing and pre-delivery inspection.

Huge potential for growth. Approxi­ mately eight out of a thousand Indians own cars, as compared to close to eight hundred in the U.S., so there is definitely a huge potential for expansion. And importing new cars to India is anything but cheap. With import taxes at approximately 110%, foreign luxury car manufacturers opt to ship parts in kits to India for assembling locally.

Although there is a huge car market due to the huge population, important infrastructure is still lacking. ‘It took ten years to construct the 5.6 kilometer long Sea Link bridge. We still have a long way to go, but we’re definitely getting there,’ says Mr. Doran.

The less than satisfactory infrastructure is in part responsible for the fact that stevedoring costs for a standard PCTC vessel at Chennai is USD 59 000 per day, as compared to USD 5 800 in Singapore. A standard PCTC vessel can load up to 6 500 vehicles, while the storage area at Chennai Port can only accommodate 4 000 vehicles.

Since coal carriers also use the same port – and coal is stored in the open in close proxim-

ity to the ro-ro berth, cars frequently have to be cleaned of coal dust before they are ready to be shipped.

International operations. Caterpillar is among WWL’s main customers for ocean services, both in India and elsewhere.

‘In 2010, we transported 60 000 cubic meters of Caterpillar dump trucks from Chennai to markets covering Singapore, Jakarta, Laem Chabang, Pyeongtaek, Zamyn Uud and Mongolia,’ says Mr. Doran.

The dump trucks are transhipped from Singapore to Tianjin and by rail and truck to Zamyn Uud, Guangzhou, Manila, Antwerp, and to Bremerhaven for transhipment onwards to St. Petersburg, Durban, Mombasa, and Luanda.

In India to stay. WW has had a presence

in India ever since recruiting its first Indian maritime officers more than three decades ago.

This speaks of commitment on behalf of both partiers, as well as mutual trust and some excellent business contacts established over the years.

‘Like our parents company, WWL also aims to establish a long-term presence,’ says Mr. Doran. He points at five core products for the Indian market: ocean transports, terminal services, technical services, inland distribution and supply chain management.

‘More and more companies are manufacturing cars here, and we are ready to meet their demands,’ says Michael Doran with great confidence.

Mumbai: The 2008 global financial crises was a tough blow to the shipping industry, including Wilhelmsen Ship Management (WSM).

More or less at the same time as the crisis made itself felt due to the General Manager scrapping of the older Christopher D’Souza. vessels, the company also had to adjust to the sale of the Tanker Management arm (ITM). The result was a considerable loss of vessels in the WSM portfolio; from 194 to 115 ships.

‘Those were tough times, but the situation is gradually improving and we are now quite optimistic about the future,’ says WSM India Marine Personnel general manager Christopher D’Souza. He has reason for his optimism; the WSM managed fleet is now back to 150 vessels, with another 20 – 25 ships increase targeted before the end of the year.

‘The 2 300 seafarers on WSM India’s roster consist of deck officers, engineers, ratings and trainees and we are well prepared for growth,’ says Mr. D’Souza.

Not everything has changed: India is still a country of many aspects and faces.

You can still meet holy cows in the streets of Mumbai, as Michael Doran well knows.

WSM-India facts ➜➜WSM India is one of eight Wilhelmsen Marine

Personnel (Manning) Offices globally.

➜➜WSM India has its head office in Mumbai and

regional offices in New Delhi, Kolkata, Chennai and Cochin. ➜➜WSM India has 2 300 seafarers on its roster, of whom around 1 100 are at sea at any given time. ➜➜Indian officers form more than 30% of the WSM fleet.

EUKOR in India WWL’s sister company Eukor Car Carriers is also playing an important part in India’s growing car industry as the transporter of close to 300 000 new cars exported from Hyundai plant in Chennai to over a hundred destinations globally. (2009 figures).

Not cars for everyone: Eight Indians in a thousand own their own cars. For the average Indian a moped, a scooter or a bike is still more practical than a car.

There is just not enough parking space for everyone.

WWWORLD 1 2011 37

Ww india

Area Director: Nakul Malhotra and the Wilhelmsen Ships Service team have built up fifteen offices in India over the past few years and are now planning to extend the scale and scope of each office and perhaps even the number of offices as new opportunities arise.

IMTC facts

16 000 man-days of training a year

The International Maritime Training Centre in India is a key player in retraining not only officers working for Wilh. Wilhelmsen, but also a wide range of shipping companies.

P

owai, Mumbai: ‘We started

out in 1996, with a few in-house training activities under Barber Ship Management (India) (now Wilhelmsen Ship Management (India). This in turn led to the founding of the Indian Maritime Training Centre (IMTC) in 1998,’ says Captain Yashoverman Sharma, who first joined in 1998. He became manager in 2002.

From humble beginnings, activities grew in line with the expansion of the shipping business in India. In 2000, IMTC moved to its new offices in Hiranandani Gardens, Powai, where it offers professional development courses in several fields of operation, including engineering, human resources, management, information technology, cargo and navigation.

ing their coffee break confirms this. Mid-way in a four-days course on the Kongsberg engine maneuvering system – the AutoChief AC4 – they are finding the course extremely useful.

‘We are offered retraining each time we go out on a ship with a different engine system, so we have all been here on retraining programmes before. It is always useful. As engineers we work on different types of ships. It should be mandatory for companies to offer retraining to all their officers,’ they agree in unison.

Training facility: Captain Yashoverman Sharma, here photographed at the state-of-the-art bridge simulator, has been the leader of IMTC since 2002.

Top training. IMTC has for many years

now been widely recognised to offer top quality training for naval officers, and no longer just for Indians. In 2003 the “I” in the name changed meaning from “Indian” to “International”, thus better to reflect the increasing international reputation and affiliation. The name change also promotes the change from an in-house training facility to a training center for the maritime industry.

A group of students that we approach dur-

38 WWWORLD 1 2011

Students: Engineers photographed during a training session.

Optimism for the future. IMTC offers

practical courses that transform textbook knowledge into hands-on experience. Engine room simulators are linked with the bridge simulators so both navigators and engineers can participate in the same training session.

IMTC is really putting an effort into making the simulation exercises as realistic as possible to the benefit of the participants.

Captain Sharma is optimistic for the future of the IMTC. He says that the need for skilled officers is expanding rapidly.

‘We aim to provide the industry with the finest marine officers. The next decade will be exciting and more challenging for IMTC, as the global economy recovers from the crisis,’ says Captain Sharma.

➜➜Training activities started in 1996.

Mumbai office: The central staff at Wilhelmsen Ships Service in Mumbai.

40 of the 92 WSS employees in India have their daily jobs there.

➜➜Indian Maritime Training center

since 1998.

➜➜Offers courses in 50 disciplines ➜➜500 courses representing 16 000

­man-days conducted each year.

➜➜4 000 certificates awarded annually ➜➜15 full-time faculty members and 11

supporting staff. ➜➜13 360 sq. ft. office space including both bridge and engine-room simulators, plus a skills development workshop for welding and paint training

WW IN INDIA

Look how we have grown!

In just five years, Wilhelmsen Ships Service has grown into a well functioning network of 15 offices covering most of India’s main ports.

Mumbai: It was just in 2007 that Wilhelmsen Ships Service (WSS) was established in India. Since then, there has been no looking back. They’ve been far too busy!

‘And we expect our growth to continue,’ says WSS area director Nakul Malhotra. With his team he has been essential in building up a strong WSS presence in one of the world’s fastest growing economies (annual GDP growth expected to be close to 10 % in coming years).

Not only supplying the maritime market with traditional WSS products and services, Mr. Malhotra and his staff are also providing active support to sister company Wilhelmsen Technical Solutions (WTS) and their sales manager Prakash Bhakta in getting a firm foothold in the Indian market.

Mr. Bhakta is working out of the WSS Mumbai office and promoting WTS equipment including its Unitor Ballast Water Treatment System (see article on page 54) to Indian yards and owners.

Wilhelmsen Ships Service at present has 92 employees in India, including the 40 working at the Mumbai head office.

WWWORLD 1 2011 39

Ww profile

Sea captain and big game

hunter Captain Petter Wilgaard Christiansen on board MV Tønsberg is living a double life; divided between the sea and the desert.

Text: Marianne H Wang Photo: Thomm Wilgaaard Christiansen and Marianne H Wang

Z

eebrugge, Belgium: ‘The last

time I was home I had to remove four python snakes from my property,’ says captain Petter Wilgaard Christensen. We met him at the naming of WW’s anniversary vessel MV Tønsberg on Friday 13 May in Zeebrugge. An unlucky day, some might say – and most seafarers will - but the naming was a success and marked the height of captain Christiansen’s career at sea – so far.

But let us go back in time and look at the extraordinary story of a captain of the Seven Seas living in the Kalahari desert in Africa.

The big game hunter and family man.

Maun in the north-western part of Botswana is where Wilgaard calls Home and where his family lives; his wife Punkie and two daughters, Helena and Ana. Originally he came from the small town Arendal in southern Norway.

His parents worked for Norway’s Peace Corps in Botswana back in the 1980’s, and at 16 Petter went with them. He became infatuated with Africa and when he met Punkie in school, 40 WWWORLD 2 2010

he was determined to return to live in Africa when the family moved back to Norway.

Knowing that he needed something to live from in Botswana, he decided to follow his ancestors’ example and became a seafarer.

Wilh. Wilhelmsen gave him his first chance to experience life at sea in 1990, and 21 years later, he still walks the decks of Wilhelmsen vessels.

‘I have never considered any other shipping company,’ he says. ‘In the beginning I was not 100% certain that I wanted to live my whole life as a seafarer, but the more responsibility Wilhelmsen gave me, the more I enjoyed the work. Today, as a captain I am very happy with my choice of both career and employer. Even more so now, with our new schedule of two months on, two months off. This life suits me fine, and is a perfect combination with my life on shore.’

When at sea, his movements are limited by the vessel schedule, but when he goes home, he enjoys family life and roaming the countryside. His home is on the outskirts of the Maun village. His piece of land is bordered by the Thamalakane River on two sides, and the Christiansen family has the wildlife liter-

Big game hunters: Wilgaard’s cousin Thomm Wilgaard Christiansen (left) has just shot a kudu with 54 inches horns. They are at the border between Botswana and Namibia.­ Wilgaard’s personal record is a kudu with 62 inches horns, which might be one of the three largest registered in Botswana.

WWWORLD 2 2010 41

Ww profile 10 questions: Char Kar Yong

Equipped with an accounting degree from his native Singapore, he climbed the career ladder in Ernst & Young Singapore and London before moving on to semiconductor equipment manufacturer Applied Materials South East Asia. In 2002, he joined Wilhelmsen Ships Service and became their regional finance director for Asia Pacific. Last fall he was named vice president in Wilhelmsen Technical Solutions (WTS), responsible for the Asia operation. At 42, Char Kar Yong has taken on what may be the challenge of a lifetime.

I have noticed that the tougher the job, the better the team spirit often becomes. ally on their doorstep. Like the python snakes already mentioned. ‘Since pythons are an endangered species in Botswana, I had to catch the snakes one by one, put them into buckets and drive them outside our village to release them in the wild. Even though a python is a non-venomous snake, they still have a nasty bite, and I did not enjoy the drive with the bucket next to me in the passenger seat. But since all four snakes were “only” about 2.5 metres long, I suspect there is a big mother snake somewhere on the property, still not found. I have my work cut out for me when I return,’ Wilgaard says with a smile.

What motivated you to change from finance to management?

The mariner: Captain Christiansen on the bridge of MV Tønsberg.

Wilgaard is like most seafarers. Sit

him down in a comfortable chair and give him a cup of coffee, and the stories come like beads on a string. ‘During the floods last year, when we were coming home, we were greeted by a crocodile guarding our gate entrance. Also, there are hippopotami in the river close to my house, and being the number one killer amongst African animals, we need to be extra careful around them. My children are driven to and from school and any other social activities, and

Wilgaard's family home in Maun, Botswana, which he built based on the label of a South African wine bottle. and the thrill of the hunt,’ says Wilgaard.

‘In addition to hunting ducks in Norway and antelopes in Africa, I am very fond of butterflies. I have a collection from Norway and

loves travelling in Botswana and enjoys being able to walk the streets of Maun without much attention. But it is not that often I hobnob with celebrities,’ Wilgaard says.

Among his main tasks for the last 10 years has been to build a family home. He fell in love with a house on the label of a South African wine bottle and decided to design his home based on the drawing. The label shows a house with a man next to it and he started making his calculations; based on the assumption that the man was 1.80 meters tall he calculated the length and height of the house and drew up the building plans. Last year he went down to South Africa to see the Meerlust vineyard, and he was actually surprised when he saw the main house – he was home!

Even though a python is a non-venomous snake, they still have a nasty bite, and I did not enjoy the drive with the bucket next to me in the passenger seat. my wife and I try to teach them to respect the nature and always be vigilant,’ Wilgaard says.

Once at home, Wilgaard goes for big game hunting whenever he can. He has an agreement with a nearby farmer to hunt on his property. ‘I really love to camp out for days on end and enjoy the peace of being outdoors 42 WWWORLD 1 2011

Text and photo: Don Pyle

the Southern part of Africa, a few thousand specimens organized in glass boxes.

But don’t be mistaken, Maun is not all about wild animals! Maun can also be a celebrity spot, being the “tourist capital” of Botswana.

Once I went to my local pub, I met Prince William (the one from the UK, you know). He

The sea captain. Having sailed

the Seven Seas for more than 20 years, Wilgaard had to ponder a while when asked about his favorite Wilhelmsen moment. ‘There are many moments which I remember fondly,’ he says. ‘For instance, I have noticed that the tougher the job, the better the team spirit often becomes. Before I came on board Tønsberg, I worked on the 26 year “old lady” Tasco. It was hard work keeping her ship shape, but the team I worked with was one of the best in my entire career.

Back in 2008, we were able to assist 5 fisher-

men from drowning when their boat capsized some 130 nautical miles off Sri Lanka. The fishermen were taken onboard, given warm, clean clothes, food and a phone call home.

Then they were taken off the vessel by a boat arranged by the ship’s agent in Colombo the next morning. That is a moment etched into my memory. But if I have to pick one, I would have to say that taking MV Tønsberg out for the first time is a memory that I will treasure for a very long time. And the naming ceremony in Zeebrugge with the owners present was a very enjoyable moment.’

‘Taking over a new vessel is something you have to think about before agreeing to it. You have to be willing to put in the extra time, be interested in learning and be motivated and enthusiastic about your job. I went out to the Mitsubishi Heavy Industries’ shipyard in January 2011 and the vessel was delivered in mid March. Being stationed in Nagasaki for over two months gave me an opportunity to work with the Wilhelmsen site team headed

by Alexander Maresca and with the builders at the shipyard. I also got the chance to learn more about Japanese life and culture.’

After the ceremony in Zeebrugge Wilgard has his eyes firmly fixed on the Port of Gothenburg where he is to disembark. He is looking back on four successful months on Tønsberg’s maiden voyage and forward to returning to his family and “other” life in Maun.

A: The right opportunity presented itself at the right time. I was 42 and felt it was too early to commit to finance for the rest of my career. On the other hand, I reasoned, my financial background would be a good platform for business management.

Q: Describe your main challenge.

A: In the next few years Asia needs to be-

come an engine for serious growth. This includes the countries that WTS operates in – Singapore, Japan, Korea and China.

Since China is where the greatest growth in shipbuilding is expected, it is crucial that we build up our presence there to meet the coming demand.

Q: How do you want the customers to perceive

Wilhelmsen Technical Solutions?

A: We want to be seen as the preferred supplier

of safety and environmental solutions.

Q: How does that translate into internal perceptions?

A: To be seen as preferred by the customers

means that the WTS organisation needs to feel empowered and confident. And of course we have to have the right skills set.

Q: Has the groundwork been done?

A: We are making steady progress. A lot

has been done on competence building, to upgrade our skills in key areas. We have also invested a lot in infrastructure and in further developing our offer. WTS opened for business worldwide on 17 January with 700 of the

finest men and women in the industry. We supply safety systems to around one-third of all newbuildings. We deliver enough ventilation ductwork to stretch from Oslo to Athens and switchboards capable of controlling power to entire cities.

Q: WTS launched the Unitor Ballast Water

Treatment System last fall. What is this system’s importance in the big picture?

A: The industrialization of the product touches every part of our organisation, so we are using it as a change agent to help us achieve some major transformations in our operating processes this year. This includes upgrading the sales team, developing a learning organisation, increasing customer satisfaction and streamlining our delivery logistics.

Q: What does the word ‘success’ mean to you?

A: It means effort. Do not expect guaranteed

success. Be brave enough to try and brave enough to fail.

Q: What about the word ‘people’?

A: It is a person’s attitude that is important.

You hire on attitude and train on skills.

Q: ‘Management’…?

A: It has a lot to do with common sense and

emotional quotient (EQ), understanding how people react and interact.

Q: ‘Last but not least ‘After customers …?’

A: Customers are the centre of our system of

shared values and are our most important stakeholders. We are here to serve the needs of our customers, both internal and external.

WWWORLD 1 2011 43

Send us your good stories

people&places

Have you got any stories or photos that you want to share with your WW colleagues either through WW World or the Wilhelmsen Intranet? Please send an email to ww.world@wilhelmsen.com

Do as the locals do: ”Have a yarn,” says Kerry Ashton.

Promising future: Wilh. Wilhelmsen employee Thamba Rajeevan has been selected to participate in a leadership programme for immigrants to Norway. (Photo: Einar Chr. Erlingsen)

When I was a WWL rookie I used to say: ’What a big boat’, and my colleagues always corrected me; ’It is a ship not a boat’.

Leadership material The future looks promising for Thamba Rajeevan, WW senior project manager. With 24 other people with an immigrant background, he was selected for the high-profile leadership programme Global Future.

Oslo, Norway: The program is offered through the Norwegian Business School (BI) and AFF (an executive education provider) on behalf of the Confederation of Norwegian Enterprise (NHO). It aims at making participants visible for leader roles and board positions. The competition for selection was hard, as the 25 were chosen among some 225 applicants from many countries.

The programme goes over two years, and aims at giving the participants leadership and board membership experience, how to handle people of different cultural backgrounds, business laws and regulations etc. ‘Very rewarding so far,’ says Mr. Rajeevan after four gatherings of the students. The programme will continue for yet one year.

Be my guest

Have a ’yarn’ Kerry Ashton has a lot to show off when welcoming visitors to her home city Sydney. “Have a ‘yarn’, she says. “It’s a very Australian thing to do!”

Text and photos: Håvard Solerød Australia: Sydney is the state capital of

New South Wales. Sydneysider Kerry Ashton settled there in 1989 and works for Wallenius Wilhelmsen Logistics as executive assistant to the regional director. She lives in the city with her husband and two girls; four and seven years old. So we challenged her to help us experience Sydney the way the locals do. ”One of my favorite activities in the city is to have a ’yarn’. Simply to go down to the harbour, sit at a café, have a chat and a drink with friends. You can have a ’yarn’ to wind down and just watch people passing by. The main ingredient of a yarn is to relax and enjoy life with friends and colleagues. It is informal and quite a bit of fun.”

We had our yarn outside the Opera House, a perfect place for the purpose, with lots of cafés and a wonderful view of the port and the famous Harbour Bridge. It is also an intimate place - a bit like Singapore, but bigger. 4.5 million people live in Sydney.

44 WWWORLD 1 2011

”Too bad our ships don’t call here anymore.

When those giants passed under the bridge almost touching it: that was really an attraction in its own right. The port was closed to ro-ro and container vessels two years ago. We used to watch our ships come and go from the office windows. When I was a WWL rookie I used to say: ’What a big boat’, and my colleagues always corrected me; ’It is a ship not a boat’.”

Manly Beach: This idyllic town and beach is only 15 minutes from Sydney Harbour by ferry.

Manly Beach. Ferries are plentiful in the harbor. They provide opportunities to take your ’yarn’ out to one of the attractive beaches that surround the city.

The ferry ride to Manly Beach takes only 15 minutes. It is both a small town and a large beach with breathtaking nature and a unique atmosphere. This can’t be far from Paradise, a kind of mixture between Africa and the Mediterranean. Young and old bask in the sun on the spacious beach. Young boys engage in rugby, kids play in the sand, and many look as if they are just enjoying a ’yarn’.

There is an alarm from the lifeguard as stinging jellyfish are observed. ”The sting only lasts for half an hour,” the guard says on the loudspeakers. ”We often bring the kids to the natural rock pools, where they are safe from all dangers.

There is also a shark net to protect swimmers.

You should not go swimming, especially early mornings and late evenings without the net,” says Ashton.

Small paths bring us from the beach to small cafés and further to a number of smaller beaches.

The traditional dish of fish & chips is highly recommended. There is room for a ‘yarn’ everywhere, if you feel like it.

Originally a citizen of Sri Lanka, Thamba Rajeevan (45) arrived with his family in Norway back in 1984 as a student. He started working with Wilhelmsen Marine Consultants in 2006, where he mainly worked on new building projects. In 2009, he joined Wilhelmsen Ships Equipment and was made in charge of developing the Unitor Ballast Water Treatment System (BWTS).

He was also in charge of all testing activities on board M/V Toronto related to the type approval program.

At present Mr. Rajeevan is leading a joint feasibility study between WW and business partner Wallenius on the installation of large scrubbers on ships for reducing SOx emissions to air, aiming to meet future requirements coming into force in a few years time.

Kerry’s top 10

Clocking up money and kilometres

1. Dee Why Beach (kids can play in rock pools

When Wilhelmsen Ships Service employee Preggie Pillay ran his Comrades Marathon recently, he was inspired by friends and family who have been diagnosed with cancer.

and playground) 2. Shelley Beach (as above, nice walk from Manly Beach) 3. Fish&chips at Manly Beach 4. Ferries from the harbour (to any of our beaches!)

5. Lunch at Watsons Bay Hotel 6. Taronga Zoo 7. Winnererremy Park (near Mona Vale; northern beaches – fabulous park by the water with bbq facilities, café, playground and kids’ bike track!)

8. Walk across Harbour Bridge 9. B ronte Beach for swimming/playing with kids (nice walk to/from Bronte Beach and Bondi Beach) 10. Leura (pretty village in the Blue Mountains, west of Sydney - Christmas in July!)

Durban, South Africa: Preggie Pillay (49) ran his sixth Comrades 0n

29 May to raise funds for cancer. Comrades Marathons is a gruelling 89 km race between Pietermaritzburg and Durban - and five Two Oceans marathons, the 56 km race run in Cape Town.

‘I told myself I wanted to do something for charity because I know people who are suffering, and people who have passed away. I know so many people within my family and circle of friends who have been diagnosed with cancer. It's sad and very painful,’ he said.

Pillay has raised almost 10000 Rand (approximately USD 1 500) so far with help from friends, family and his company, Wilhelmsen Ships Service South Africa. He runs between 45 km and 60 km a week to ensure he stays in top form.

Pillay took up the sport six years ago after deciding to improve his lifestyle and to keep fit. His dream is to run the 42 km New York Marathon, which he is hoping to do at the end of the year.

Runs for others. Wilhelmsen Ships Service employee Preggie Pillay.

WWWORLD 1 2011 45

Send us your good stories

people&places

Have you got any stories or photos that you want to share with your WW colleagues either through WW World or the Wilhelmsen Intranet? Please send an email to ww.world@wilhelmsen.com

Export record South Africa: To export Volkswagen cars

from Africa to Germany sounds a little like selling sand to the Sahara, but not so. Recently a record number of 3 141 new 2011 model VW Polo´s and Cross Polo’s were exported from Port Elizabeth in South Africa to Emden in Germany on board Wallenius Wilhelmsen Logistics’ vessel MV Tortugas. This is the largest number of vehicles ever transported on one keel from South Africa’s VW production plant.

A ‘big boy’ now

Christoffer Thorsheim has come a long way since he was presented to our readers as a ‘young talent’ and trainee a few years ago. He is now a ‘big boy’ – both professionally and as a record collector!

Let’s begin with the collector: The song

Record team: (from the left) Andreas Breidenbend from VW planning/purchasing, chief officer Oskar Feltenstedt, captain Trond A. Jamtli, VW production director Tom du Plessis and transport manager Selwyn Naidoo.

Captain Kay O. Myhre (74) has been given the Royal Norwegian Order of Merit for his many achievements in the shipping industry.

Korea: On 10 of May, Buddhists in South Korea, including

Tønsberg, Norway: Captain Kay O. Myhre (now retired) has worked for most of

46 WWWORLD 1 2011

On 18th December last year, one of these original first records went on auction through the famous Bonhams Auction house in London.

Not only is this record extremely rare, the copy in question was signed by Michael Jackson, Tito Jackson and Jermaine Jackson. The record therefore holds the very first autographs in existence.

(Michael was 9 years old at the time).

You have of course guessed already the identity of the buyer: Christoffer Thorsheim. Christoffer has been a Michael Jackson fan for a long time and still is, also in his present ‘big boy’ position as manager for WT Logistics in Pakistan. This is an off-shoot of Wilhelmsen Ships Service, specializing in last-leg logistics transportation in some of the most challenging environments in the world.

The birthday of Buddha celebrations

Royal order to captain Kay Myhre

his life in a number of positions in the Wilh. Wilhelmsen group of companies, including vice president cargo handling in Wallenius Wilhelmsen Logistics (1996-1997) and 1997-2003 as coordinator for WWL’s activities for Whitbread and Volvo Ocean Race.

In his home town of Tønsberg captain Myhre is best known for transforming the former customs house into a great club house and museum for the local seamen’s association. We congratulate captain Myhre with his well-deserved Royal Order.

‘Big Boy’ was the first single ever released by The Jackson 5, in January 1968, through Steeltown Records. The release came one year before they signed with Motown Records, and their breakthrough came on their first release with Motown in 1969 with ‘Diana Ross presents the Jackson 5’.

The single ‘Big Boy’ was neither a success with the critics, nor was it a commercial one, and was printed in very small numbers. The group's recordings at Steeltown were thought to be lost, only to be rediscovered more than 25 years later.

The originals of ‘Big Boy’ were still believed to be lost; however, but in 1994 the family friend Ben Brown found the originals in his parents' kitchen pantry.

‘Big Boy’: Christoffer Thorsheim, big time record collector and leader of WT Logistics.

Awarded: Tønsberg’s mayor Petter Berg (to the right) presents captain Kay O. Myhre with the plaque and medal on behalf of Norway’s King Harald. (Photo: Kirvil Håberg Allum, Tønsbergs Blad)

many of our EUKOR colleagues, celebrated Buddha’s 2555th birthday with great festivities. The day is also a national holiday.

The celebrations in Korea take place on the eighth day of the fourth month in the Chinese lunar solar calendar. In preparation for the festivities, Buddhists attach prayer petitions with names written on cards to colourful lotus-shaped paper lanterns that cover all temples and sometimes even overflow into the streets.

The cards are thought to bring luck and bless families.

(Source: EUKOR News)

From this year’s celebrations of Buddha’s ­birthday. (With the courtesy of EUKOR News).

WWWORLD 1 2011 47

on site:

rotterdam Facts and figures

Port of Rotterdam Port Authority: 1 200 employees, turnover approx. € 500 million.

Port area: Approx. 26 000 acres (12 500 acres commercial sites, 13 500 acres water and rail lines, roads and pipeline zones). The port will be extended

by Maasvlakte 2 by 20%. The length of the port area is approx. 40 km.

Direct employment: Over 90 000 jobs.

Goods throughput: 430 million tonnes of goods a year.

Shipping: Approx. 34 000 ocean-going vessels and 100 000 inland vessels per annum.

Source: Port of Rotterdam Authority

That’s shipping”

Tens of thousands of deliveries are made throughout the year by Wilhelmsen Ships Service in Rotterdam, where the global recession is now something of the past.

Text: Einar Chr. Erlingsen Photo: Scanpix, Einar Chr. Erlingsen and WSS Netherlands

48 WWWORLD 1 2011

WWWORLD 1 2011 49

on site:

rotterdam

Where all ends meet At present, the operational pressure is high.

It’s more or less back to normal after the global recession. Which means a lot of work in a 24/7/365 operation and no regular hours. But then again – that’s shipping.

Hans Mout

he Netherlands: More years ago than he cares to remember, Wim van Iperen joined a Norwegian company then known as Unitor. He started out as a driver, but his technical and salesman’s skills got him promoted to his first service job within six months. It was not long before he was promoted once more, now to become a service manager. He established a reputation as trouble-shooter, and joined the ranks of the legendary Unitor “Mr.-fix-its” in ports around the world.

Last year Wim became safety service manager Netherlands and responsible for all fire fighting and life saving equipment. He is still known as a problem solver, but his company has changed dramatically.

WSS Rotterdam has seen a tremendous growth in recent years; both in the scope of services and products and in customers and total business.

These days WSS in the Netherlands covers just about all areas of international ship agency operations, plus some unique activities of their own, like the life raft rental and maintenance concept.

Around 200 people work at the WSS location in Rotterdam, including the 67 employees at the International Distribution Centre (see separate article). Not only do they serve customers in the Netherlands, but also in Belgium and some are even located in Switzerland. The 31 men and women strong customer services department under Petra van der Velden’s leadership assisted no fewer than 1 500 ships last year.

The main business streams are technical services, regulatory products and services, marine products, marine chemicals, maritime logistics and ship agency services.

‘At present, the operational pressure is high. It’s more or less back to normal after the global recession. Which means a lot of work in a 24/7/365 operation and no regular hours. But then again – that’s shipping,’ says Hans Mout, general manager the Netherlands.

The less you hear of them, the better. A dozen highly dedicated young men are literally keeping tabs on all our European inter-company data exchange.

Rotterdam: Regional IT manager Simon

General manager: Hans Mout is in charge of all Wilhelmsen Ships Service’s sales and operations in the Netherlands.

Pressure testers: Michael Oostindien (to the left) and Barry Russel take a break from their work with pressure testing CO2 cylinders to share a joke with WW World’s reporter.

Customer service centre: Busy days at work for customer service manager Petra van der Velden (standing) and technical services manager Margo Broders.

Central staff: (standing, from the left): Dennis Boender, area QHSSE manager Central Europe; Petra van der Velden, WSS customer services manager Netherlands & Belgium; Hans Mout, general manager Netherlands; Dimara Poldervaart, HR manager Netherlands; Jeroen Coers, ship agency operations manager, Netherlands; and John Greeve, finance manager Netherlands. In front: Wim van Iperen, WSS safety service manager Netherlands; and Mark Goossens, supply manager Netherlands.

T

50 WWWORLD 1 2011

Roozendaal is proud of his young team, all of whom he has trained himself. Two of the team are currently trainees from school; the others have been trainees.

‘I prefer to train and develop our people myself through in-house workshops that deal specifically with internally relevant issues,’ says Mr. Roozendaal, himself an employee of Unitor/WW for the last 13 years.

His team is responsible for all IT activities throughout WW’s European network, 64 locations in all, with Vladivostok (Russia) as the easternmost.

The team’s main responsibility is to keep the IT network operative at all times, and to assist with any problems that might arise, implement IT solutions in new offices etc.

There is a 24/7 operated first line service desk, with back-up expertise to be called in if the problem is not solved immediately.

‘A total breakdown of communications due to some unexpected event is of course the nightmare for any IT manager,’ admits Mr. Roozendaal. ‘We would be completely put out of action should i.e. our e-mail system break down for some reason. This is why we have decided to move some of the most vital functions away from our WW in-house data centre to an external centre as a back-up.’

Internal training: IT manager Simon Roozendaal (standing) with Glenn van der Windt, IT Service Desk Coordinator Europe.

WWWORLD 1 2011 51

on site:

rotterdam

In the centre of the action Not only is Rotterdam among the world’s busiest ports, it is also home to one of the maritime industry’s most complex logistics operations. Welcome to Wilhelmsen Ships Service’s International Distribution Centre.

Text: Einar Chr. Erlingsen Photo: Einar Chr. Erlingsen, Ruud de Groot

he Netherlands: The warehouse is large enough to house two football fields. Multiple side roads fork off from the main thoroughfare to both sides, while forklifts shuttle back and forth with a seemingly endless stream of boxes, heavy single items, cylinders and barrels.

This enormous warehouse is at the heart of the action for Wilhelmsen Ships Service’s (WSS) distribution of marine chemicals, welding equipment, spare parts, and the thousands of items that are needed to keep the world’s commercial fleet running. 6 500 different

T

Two football fields: 2 200 ports and 220 inventory sites all over the world are served by the Rotterdam International Distribution Centre; the floor area equals two football fields.

Bringing ships spares all the way Keeping track: Some 6 500 different products are received, stored and distributed to the world through the Rotterdam International Distribution Centre. IDC management (from left to right) Leo Klootwijk; purchase and supply manager, Rob Vermeer; operations manager, and Marcel Ketting; warehouse manager, do their utmost to keep tags on the constant stream of goods through their enormous warehouse.

supply chain management. No fewer than 60 employees are committed to keeping a smooth flow of goods from the IDC to the rest of the world; chemicals, welding equipment, lubricants, nuts and bolts and everything else that it takes to keep vessels going.

Managers, warehouse operators, office employees, accountants, purchasers and freight forwarders; they are all doing their utmost to handle a steady stream of truck deliveries entering the warehouse at one end, then being registered and shelved, next being repacked according to orders coming in from all over

‘We do use bar codes for tracing and tracking our standardised stock like life rafts and cylinders,’ explains Rob Vermeer. ‘The rest; it’s still picking and packing. We’ve yet to implement a data system that can deliver the same level of order accuracy. You do not renounce on quality control when you know a ship could be delayed for days if it receives the wrong delivery.’

The 20/80 rule. Warehousing all the 6 500

different products in the WSS portfolio would probably be quite impossible had it not been for what is known as the “20/80 rule.”

‘This is our core product offer; 80% of the orders are covered by 20% of the products. We utilise this fact to keep our three Regional Distribution Centres (in Singapore, Dubai and Houston) and our 220 inventory sites around the world well stocked at all times,’ says Laurens den Breejen. He is international distribution manager within the supply chain group and ultimately also responsible for the IDC operation led by Rob Vermeer.

The stock setup for each inventory site is defined centrally at the supply chain group in a Core Product Offer (CPO), based on the local sales history. Within this framework it’s up to each site to perform its own inventory man-

You do not renounce on quality control when you know a ship could be delayed for days if it receives the wrong delivery.

Rob Vermeer products are stored at the WSS International Distribution Centre (IDC) at any given time, with an average turnaround time of 60 days.

Rotterdam being among the largest ports in the world, there are tens of thousands of deliveries made locally every year, to this port and others in the Netherlands and Belgium.

A constant flow of goods. As IDC opera-

tions manager Rob Vermeer is in charge of the

52 WWWORLD 1 2011

the world. It’s a 24/7/365 job, as the flood of goods in and out of the warehouse never ends.

Picking and packing. The operation is, of course, an extremely complex one. It’s even more complicated due to the huge diversity of goods; no data system has yet been designed to keep track of everything from spare parts weighing up 3,5 tonnes to thousands of nuts and bolts of every imaginable dimension and size.

What really makes Wilhelmsen Ships Service’s global distribution network unique is its ability for “last mile delivery.” This is now being utilised in the new offer called Ships Spares Logistics.

Never ending: A stream of cylinders, chemicals, welding equipment and other maritime goods are distributed from the International Distribution Centre in Rotterdam in a 24/7/365 operations. agement. In principle, any CPO item will be available locally within 24 hours of an order.

2 200 ports covered. To avoid congestion

on the order lines, each location follows a standardized order pattern each week, in the sense that orders from i. e. Singapore come in on Fridays, with different week days for other major locations.

‘We also process some 30 to 40 express orders daily for delivery the same day as ordered. The combination definitely makes this a dynamic working environment,’ says Laurens den Breejen.

Between them, the regional centres and 220 inventory sites cover around 2 200 ports all over the world. Not all their stock is received from Rotterdam, however, the filling of gas cylinders is for instance done locally. Add also a steady flow of local supplies to regional centres, area and site warehouses alike, and an immensely complex distribution pattern starts to emerge.

‘We are working on direct delivery structures wherever we can. It would be meaningless to transport items produced in i.e. China first to Rotterdam, then repack and redistribute back to China in similar volumes. So this is where the network of global suppliers come in,’ explains den Breejen.

If you want to stay on top in international logistics, you must always be one step ahead.

From Rotterdam to the world: Supply chain management at the International Distribution Centre. To the left: international distribution manager Laurens den Breejen and IDC operations manager Rob Vermeer.

Facts and figures

IDC Facts and figures for Wilhelmsen Ships Service’s International Distribution Centre in Rotterdam: ➜➜Size warehouse: 10 000 m2 ➜➜Pallet locations: 9 500 ➜➜No. of stocked products: 6 500 ➜➜11 000 pallets locations ➜➜9 000 small storage locations (“nuts & bolts”) ➜➜Stock value: 16 MUSD ➜➜200 000 orders per year ➜➜800 000 order lines ➜➜Inventory deliveries to 3 Regional Distribution

Centres (Singapore, Houston, Dubai), plus 220 main ports around the world ➜➜Deliveries to 20 000 ships in 2 200 ports annually (50% of total world fleet) ➜➜94% delivery service level on order ➜➜97% delivery service level on order line ➜➜67 employees Source: Wilhelmsen Ships Service

Oslo/Rotterdam:

Somewhere in the world, at an average of every three minutes, an onboard delivery is made through Wilhelmsen Ships Service.

‘We are now moving into the next Vidar Hole phase of our Ships Spares Logistics (SSL) “First Mile to Last Mile” offer that we launched in June 2010,’ says Vidar Hole, business director maritime logistics services portfolio.

This service provides a single point of contact for the delivery of spare parts from manufacturer to vessel, with total visibility on data and associated prices.

‘More than 60 customers with over 200 vessels have started to use our SSL offer. The number of customers signing up has increased significantly in the past months,’ says Mr. Hole.

The next phase will include increased efficiencies in quoting and invoicing processes, and quicker response times. SSL combines a central Freight Forwarding Centre with an online service that allows customers to see the location and status of their orders, as well as offering a number of reporting features.

Commenting on the future Hole says: ‘The global SSL offers will require close cooperation across regions, as well as strong central management and support. To meet this challenge, our customer services department is building the strongest team of logisticians the Wilhelmsen group has ever seen.’

SSL deliveries will utilise the existing infrastructure through the Rotterdam IDC, but in a separate delivery stream. Imperative to the SSL offer was the fact that IDC was able to open its own bonded customs warehouse facility only last year to make the handling both of own products and third party goods more efficient.

WWWORLD 1 2011 53

Ww feature

Boom city: Singapore represents a rapidly growing market for Wilhelmsen Technical Solutions.

WILHELMSEN TECHNICAL SOLUTIONS

Stronger together

Formally launched on 17 January this year, Wilhelmsen Technical Solutions (WTS) is the result of merging former Wilhelmsen Marine Engineering (WME) and Wilhelmsen Ships Equipment (WSE).

Text: Einar Chr. Erlingsen and Don Pyle Photos: Don Pyle

slo, Norway: The new com-

O

pany is a global provider of cost efficient, fully engineered environmental, safety, HVAC-R, and power distribution and control solutions for newbuilds and retrofits in the maritime and offshore industries.

‘The philosophy behind the merger is really quite simple: by joining two relatively small business areas into one company we will increase efficiencies to become more competitive. Both WME and WSE were frequently competing with small and often local companies with little or no overheads,’ says WTS president Petter Traaholt.

One example: sales representatives for both WME and WSE were frequently approaching the same shipyard, sometimes in the company of colleagues from other WW companies such as Wilhelmsen Ships Service or Yarwil.

Truly global. ‘The alternative to a merger

would be to develop two parallel organisations with scarce resources and minimize expenses in each company, even though there was little to begin with. By merging the activities into WTS we create synergies and appear more competitive while also securing a stronger position as a truly global supplier, as opposed to most of our competitors,’ says Mr. Traaholt.

‘Through our core competence we design, 54 WWWORLD 1 2011

Booming in Singapore

By merging the activities into WTS we create synergies and appear more competitive while also securing a stronger position as a truly global supplier, as opposed to most of our competitors Petter Traaholt.

Simple philosophy: ‘By joining two relatively small business areas into one company we will increase efficiencies as well as become more competitive,’ says Wilhelmsen Technical Solutions president Petter Traaholt. produce, install and commission our own solutions, and ensure worldwide support and maintenance. We have more than 700 of the finest men and women in the maritime industry. Other strong “selling points” are our technical sales teams, localised engineering teams, highly trained commissioning and service engineers who all have in-depth experience with our products and services to assist local needs. In addition to this is that we are taking a leading position in safety and environmental solutions and already equip one third of all the newbuildings in the world,’ Mr. Traaholt says.

WTS facts ➜➜More than 700 of the industry’s finest men and

women ➜➜ 110 engineers (30 within product engineering 55 service engineers) ➜➜120 electricians/technicians ➜➜80 project/contract managers ➜➜70 sales/sales support ➜➜24 offices in Europe, Asia, and the Americas

“The opportunity of a lifetime”

Because of its location, Singapore is a very active market for the shipyard sector, with some 23 yards competing for the newbuilding, repair and retrofit business. ‘

W

TS has good relationships

with most, including the Keppel Group and Sembawang Group totalling seven yards. These large customers are quite surprised when they learn about WTS' capabilities,’ says Bernard Phua, WTS Sales Manager in Singapore. A graduate marine engineer, Bernard has been with the company for eight years, including four years as a project engineer. His main focus now is to win business and gain market share in Singapore as well as in Malaysia, Indonesia, Vietnam, Thailand, Australia and New Zealand. He says that understanding the market in each part of the region is essential to success. A contract with BW Offshore was recently won together with colleagues in Norway for an FPSO conversion.

Also in Singapore, vice president WTS

Great capabilities: WTS Sales Manager Bernhard Phua in Singapore says that large customers are quite surprised when they learn about his company’s capabilities.

Asia Char Kar Yong identifies two important targets for the new company: ‘I want WTS to be seen as the preferred supplier of safety and environmental systems.

Internally, I want WTS to be a confident, empowered organisation.’

Taken together, these will be the engines for growth in the next few years. China is where the greatest growth in shipbuilding is expected so increasing WTS presence in China is crucial to being able to meet the coming demand. Much progress has been made in this direction with investments in infrastructure and competence.

WTS has identified its largest potential for growth within the rapidly expanding market for Ballast Water Treatment Systems (BWTS).

Pending IMO regulations will require every ocean going vessel to have such systems on board.

Ratification of the new regulations still remains, but is expected within the next 12 months, according to WTS president Petter Traaholt. When ratified, a market estimated at 36 billion USD and encompassing 75 000 ships will open up.

WTS is about to be positioned to take a substantial part of the new market. A number of owners are planning for new regulations to come while others are not in a hurry. With our knowledge of customers and their needs our preliminary target is to take 5 per cent of the newbuilding market for BWTS, and 10 per cent of the after market. There is really nothing that limits us from taking larger shares. We are developing an excellent product with expected high efficiency, both for owners and shipyards,’ says Mr. Traaholt.

WWWORLD 1 2011 55

Ww environment

New tool: Captain Odd Sørsæther of Tamesis is in the process of testing the Marorka ship performance monitor.

Tamesis measures up New fuel flow meters and ship performance monitors (SPMs) are currently being installed on the entire WW fleet, in the ongoing effort to reduce fuel consumption. MV Tamesis has had the equipment installed ahead of the rest, as part of a pilot project.

Text and photos: Kaia Means

remerhaven, Germany: ‘It’s extremely important to adjust and calibrate the equipment,’ says Captain Odd Sørsæther. ‘If you’re really going to save fuel, everything has to be perfectly calibrated. And that’s what we’re working on now,’ he says.

The most detailed fuel flow information has only been displayed in the engine room until now. To enable more awareness and thereby higher savings in fuel consumption, the information must be available also on the bridge.

The new Marorka ship performance monitors (SPM) are going to be installed both on the bridge and in the engine room. All ships in the WW fleet will have the new SPM installed this year.

engine and one for the auxiliary engines.

Vessel manager Ove Sætre says the calibration is an ongoing process, and that he sees a clear potential for fuel savings. ‘The system gives feedback, and we will for example be able to see more accurately what the optimum speed is in given weather and loading conditions.’

B

Improved accuracy. ‘We want to give the crew more information about fuel consumption,’ says Petter Chr. Jønvik, WW shipping and environment manager. ‘Previously the fuel flow meters have not been accurate enough for our intended use,’ he says on an inspection round of the system that has been installed on Tamesis.

In addition, new Coriolis fuel flow meters are also being installed, one for the main 56 WWWORLD 1 2011

More reliable: The new Coriolis fuel flow meter is more accurate than previous fuel flow meters.

Marorka: The basic Marorka ship performance monitor (SPM). It can be upgrade to a more advanced energy management system in the future if the system shows a promise for additional savings.

No moving parts. The new fuel flow meter is much more accurate than previous versions – and with no moving parts its accuracy is maintained in all conditions. Crews will be able to report accurate fuel consumption for any time span, something that has previously been extremely difficult to do.

Of course, saving fuel by optimising speed is also dependent on coordination, planning and other factors. Obviously, if the instructions are “full steam ahead to the next port” it is difficult for the crew to optimise the voyage for minimum fuel consumption. But in cases where optimisation is possible the new system could prove to be a valuable tool.

‘The SPM gives extensive information. For example it can display a graph showing fuel efficiency over the last six hours of sailing, which can give valuable information on the

effect of any changes that the crew has made over this time period. Giving the crew more information is really something that I believe in,’ says Jønvik. ‘So much is dependent on communication and access to data,’ he says.

‘We’re installing this system to improve performance. It’s not perfect yet, but we’re working on making it as good as possible. I’m very interested in getting feedback on how it’s working from our crews,’ says Jønvik.

Huge savings potential. During 2011 there will also be a new method of reporting for vessel performance that will replace the existing reports. That will mean less workload for the crew onboard and better information to the crew and to onshore personnel.

The superintendent will also get much better information and overview of the ship’s condition. It will also save the crew from repetitive reporting.

‘This new system is part of the strong focus we have on reduction of fuel consumption.

The rule of thumb is that if we can save 1 % of fuel, then the annual savings translate to USD 100,000 to USD 150,000 per vessel with present fuel prices,” says Jønvik.

The system gives feedback. we will for example be able to see more accurately what the optimum speed is in given weather and loading conditions.

Ove Sætre

Chief engineer: Per Hallgren-Andresen uses his Marorka system to analyse fuel consumption by creating graphs showing consumption over time in relation to various parameters.

Vessel manager: Ove Sætre sees the potential of the new system when it is optimally calibrated.

WWWORLD 1 2011 57

Ww environment

ENERGY EFFICIENCY IN FOCUS

The Energy Efficiency Working Group (EEWG) is a cooperative effort between WW, WWL, Eukor and ARC, driving high value improvements to reduce vessel energy consumption.

Text: Kaia Means photo: Tommy Normann

Everybody has to be part of this. both on shore and off shore.

The jury: Jan-Eyvin Wang, CEO and president in Wilh. Wilhelmsen ASA , Kai Kraass, COO Ocean Services and SCM in Wallenius Wilhelmsen Logistics, and Anders Boman, president ­Wallenius Lines will select the winners of the 2011 Energy Efficiency Competition.

Petter Chr. Jønvik

Save energy – and win cash!

Oslo, Norway: Recently a new steering committee was appointed:

The Energy Efficiency Competition 2011 turns to all seafarers, with their vast experience of daily vessel operations, to identify specific improvements that will increase energy efficiency and reduce fuel consumption.

Anders Boman, president Wallenius Lines, Jan-Eyvin Wang, CEO and prsident Wilh. Wilhelmsen ASA and Kai Kraass, COO Ocean Services and SCM in Wallenius Wilhelmsen Logistics.

The EEWG consists of ten senior managers from Wilh.

Wilhelmsen ASA, Wallenius Wilhelmsen Logistics, Eukor and ARC (American Roll-on Roll-off Carrier). Key objectives are driving energy-efficiency improvements through common objectives across the fleet, evaluating technology, establishing measurement methods and KPIs for reduction of fuel consumption, defining efficient operational and management incentives and promoting behavioural change.

One example of improvements due to the EEWG is the decision that a beneficial reporting system developed by Wallenius Marine will now be implemented on all WW vessels. It will then be possible to compare energy efficiency of all vessels in the WWL fleet, as they will be collecting and reporting the same type of data. This system will also be introduced to EUKOR and ARC. ‘Everybody has to be part of this,’ says Petter Chr. Jønvik, WW shipping and environment manager. ‘Both on shore and off shore.‘

Text: Elsa Naumann What burns around USD

25 000 every day? Answer: each and every one of our vessels!

USD 25 000 is an approximate running cost for the 50 tonnes of heavy fuel oil (HFO) that an average vessel consumes per day. There is of course also an environmental cost to this – 50 tonnes of HFO consumed equals around 156 tonnes of CO2 per vessel per day.

‘Improving energy efficiency reducing fuel consumption - is one of the most important actions we can take to reduce costs and emissions today and be best prepared in our industry for future challenges such as regulatory compliance and fuel price volatility,’ says Jan-Eyvin Wang, CEO and president in Wilh. Wilhelmsen ASA. Calling on all seafarers.

The team: (from the left) Geir Fagerheim, Petter C Jønvik, Per Brinckmann, Martin Von Sydow, Lars Dessen, Per Tunell, Jørgen Føyen. Not present: Filip Svensson, Thomas Martensson and Melanie Moore.

58 WWWORLD 1 2011

This summer, kicked off on the 7th of June, the Energy Efficiency Working Group (consisting of Wallenius Shipping & Logistics, Wilh.

Wilhelmsen ASA, and WWL senior managers), is calling upon all OW and WW seafarers operating in the WWL and EUKOR fleets to help improve energy efficiency on vessels.

Even a small change can have big impacts, and all ideas and initiatives are welcome. Consequently, the stakes for this competition are high, with a cash prize pool equivalent to

the average daily fuel consumption of a vessel multiplied by the average HFO price during the competition period (expected to be in the range of USD 25 000 – USD 32 000).

Energy Efficiency Working Group

The Steering Committee of the EEWG will be the competition judges and will award prizes in 3 categories: 1. Technical/design improvement 2. Operational improvement 3. Quick win (low to no cost, quick to implement) ‘Reducing fuel consumption reduces the daily costs and emissions of our fleet. Considering the volatile bunker prices we see at the moment and pending regulations that will drive the demand for expensive low sulphur fuels upwards, there has never been a more appropriate time to implement high value energy efficiency improvements,’ says Jan-Eyvin Wang.

Through this competition and other initiatives, the EEWG is looking to significantly reduce fuel consumption, to address the increasing costs of bunker as well as the equally important environmental agenda. The competition closes on August 16th and winners will be announced in September.

WWWORLD 1 2011 59

nor-shipping 2011

In early summer every second year the city of Oslo makes a transformation. Instead of its normal role of peaceful Scandinavian capital, Oslo becomes the centre (or very nearly) of the maritime industry. The reason for the change is Nor-Shipping.

<< WW group CEO Thomas Wilhelmsen participated at the opening conference to discuss issues facing the shipping industry. The WW group was also represented at the newly established Nor-Shipping Campus in central Oslo, where 10 000 students and other visitors could meet company representatives and discuss maritime career opportunities.

Thomas Wilhelmsen, WW Group CEO at the opening ceremony.

Photo: Torunn Eik

Text & photo: Don Pyle

>> Wilhelmsen Maritime Services was visited by hundreds during the four days the show lasted

Four days of hard work, sore feet and fun! his maritime trade show has been around for 40 years and has developed into one of the top exhibitions in the business. It is owned and operated by Norway Trade Fairs, who a few years ago moved the venue to the unlikely town of Lillestrøm, about 20 km to the northeast of Oslo city centre. A large purpose built exhibition centre was erected. It featured plenty of exhibition space and plenty of parking spaces. The sceptics of the day were many: a maritime trade fair in the middle of the countryside? It will never work! But it did work. The show’s owners had the foresight to do it right and build for the present and also the future. Importantly, Lillestrøm is also midway between Oslo and the international airport and is served by a high speed airport express train only 100 metres away.

T

WMS elected to be a main sponsor. The 2011 edition of Nor-

Shipping drew 16 235 visitors from 54 nations, a growth of four % over the 2009 event. A unique feature of Nor-Shipping is its composition.

The total number of visitors plus exhibitor representatives was 33 500, so for each visitor there was an exhibitor representative.

Conclusion: Nor-Shipping is very much an event by the industry, for the industry. In other words, hard work, sore feet and fun.

60 WWWORLD 1 2011

Dag Schjerven: Nor-Shipping is a good opportunity to meet customers.

Because of the show’s reputation for quality, Wilhelmsen Maritime Services took a main sponsorship role this year. Dag Schjerven, president and CEO comments on the reasons for this: “Nor-Shipping is a good opportunity for us to meet with customers outside the normal office environment. Since we are celebrating a major milestone this year, we also wanted to use the event to profile our 150 year anniversary.”

Meeting place Hall E

The 176 sq. m.

Wilhelmsen Maritime Services stand in Hall E was designed to project the message that the company is solid, innovative and has a global reach. Representing WMS on the stand were its operating companies: Wilhelmsen Technical Solutions, Wilhelmsen Ship Management and Wilhelmsen Ships Service .

WWWORLD 1 2011 61

nor-shipping 2011

After-hours

On the last evening of Nor-Shipping, Wilhelmsen Maritime Services hosted its traditional customer event. The location was at quayside, just outside the WW group head office in Lysaker. Around 400 guests attended, enjoying tapas and visiting with representatives of the company.

Wilhelmsen Ship Management’s focus at Nor-Shipping was on their capabilities, technical management services, crew management, marine insurance, green ship recycling/green passport and lay-up management services. Carl Schou, president says that the show is a great place to be visual and meet customers. He had just been in meetings with two important clients.

Håkon Lenz, Wilhelmsen Ship Management (right) having a cup of coffee with visitors from the UK.

Inger-Lise Josefsen, general manager WSS Norway with Arild Julsen, BW Gas.

Arnstein Stavnheim, Wilhelmen Technical Solutions (right) discussing the Unitor Ballast Water Treatment System with a visitor.

Wilhelmsen Technical Solutions aimed

to create awareness of their capability to provide cost efficient, fully engineered environmental, safety, HVAC-R and power solutions, for newbuilds and retrofits in the maritime and offshore industries. Product focus was on their newly launched Unitor Ballast Water Treatment System.

150 years WW is very proud of its 150th anniversary this year. The exhibition stand and customer event venue were decorated with anniversary motifs, and all consumable­ items used on the stand and the customer event afterwards were branded with the company’s 150 year logo.

Wilhelmsen Ships Service’s message was,

‘Making every port your home port’. Product focus was on their current market initiatives, including their life raft rental offer, Ships Spares Logistics and Ships Agency Re-Defined. WSS also hosted a Maritime Experts Forum, where senior executives presented the latest offers and important trends.

Jan-Oskar Lid, Wilhelmsen Ships Service Sweden.

Nor-Shipping at a glance Nor-Shipping is a biennial event, first staged

Frederic Fontarosa, business director Ships Agency speaking on the new offer, Ships Agency Re-Defined.

62 WWWORLD 1 2011

in 1965 and is today a leading meeting place for the world’s shipping industry. It aims to bring together the best and the brightest of the shipping industry worldwide. Almost 100% of the participants at Nor-Shipping are maritime and offshore professionals. Exhibitors from almost 50 countries where participating at Nor-Shipping 2011, with 22 national pavilions from 19 countries also represented.

63

Ww HR/OD

Everybody participates, and everybody becomes engaged in learning.

MIPMAP ENTHUSIASM

Emilie Lundwall

Risk taker: Pål Bergerud, accounting controller at Wilhelmsen Ships Service.

‘Our motto is “It’s Fun to Learn”, says Emilie Lundwall, learning consultant, WW Academy. She is involved in the new, engaging ways of imparting knowledge at the Maritime Industry Programme (MIP).

New tool: Johanna Sunden (left) and Hilja Tuori are convinced that new managers will get a good introduction by using the “New as a Manager” kit.

Text and photo: Kaia Means

orway: ‘Is it going from Zeebrugge to San Francisco?’ a

N

Team & coach: Marit Friberg (to the left), customer service coordinator, Wilhelmsen Ships Service, Emilie Lundwall, learning consultant, WW Academy and Eric Ramm, sales support coordinator, Wilhelmsen Ships Service.

64 WWWORLD 1 2011

woman asks. ‘Yes,’ comes the reply. ‘The max bid is 2.7 million and the delivery is nine days.’

This conversation was overheard not in the heat of hardball negotiations, but at the WW Academy ran Maritime Industry Programme where employees from seven different countries came together in Oslo recently.

One of the interesting new elements in the four-day Maritime Industry Programme is the introduction of a specially designed WW board game, MIPMAP. Participants play the game in teams of two’s and three’s, with each team representing a vessel operator competing in the ro-ro market.

‘Everybody participates, and everybody becomes engaged in learning,’ says Lundwall. It is part of the WW Academy strategy to use highly interactive learning tools throughout all their activities whether it is workshops, eLearning or classroom programmes.

‘It’s impossible to just sit passively at the back of the room without really grasping the concepts,’ she says.

The board game is run over the course of the four days, in between segments where various experts give talks concerning aspects of the shipping industry and giving insight into WW operations.

‘When you follow the lectures, you will get strategic advantages in the game,’ notes Lundwall.

Claes Horndahl, sales manager Sweden, Wilhelmsen Ships Service says that the programme is extremely useful, and has helped him to understand the synergies within the WW group. He says the MIPMAP board game brings an element of excitement to the workshop. ‘But I’m afraid the dice should have been a bit more on the Claes Horndahl, sales manager, Sweden, Wilhelmsen Ships Service side of my team,’ he says with a smile.

SURVIVAL KITS OUT TO MANAGERS ‘It’s really a survival kit for first-time managers during their first year,’ says Johanna Sundén, Head of WW Academy at Wilhelmsen Maritime Services, describing a set of learning aids including a film, a series of short eLearning sessions, a workbook and an interactive dilemma-value board to use in local workshops.

Norway: “New as a manager” is a kit available for all new

managers in the WW group, and can be requested via regional Human Resources.

Hilja Tuori, learning manager, WMS is responsible for “New as a manager.” In the kit, Thomas Wilhelmsen hosts a short video welcoming managers into their new jobs, telling a little bit about the history of the company and discussing the core values.

New managers have many things to work out, including what kind of leader they need to be to get the most out of their team.

In addition to the video, the kit includes a workbook, where new managers can let themselves be inspired by questions and reflection exercises. Also, a series of five very short eLearning sessions leads managers through various scenarios that provide insight into their coming challenges.

‘We want to help new managers achieve an empowering leadership style,’ says Tuori.

‘Then they can make a conscious and informed decision on what their team needs from them as a leader in order for them to perform in the most optimal way,’ says Tuori.

Included in the kit is also a simulation board that can be used during workshops. The board instigates discussions concerning our company values, and participants are asked to discuss various issues, based on real cases, that they could face in their new jobs.

WWWORLD 1 2011 65

The world as I see it

The Koreans are truly a wonder­ful people – full of spirit and energy – you will never be bored, that is for sure!

WHERE EAST AND WEST HAVE MET

Sjur Galtung, EUKOR president and CEO

Morning Lynn: One of the 85 vessels in EUKOR’s fleet of specialised car carriers.

Eukor ➜➜EUKOR Car Carriers Inc. (EUKOR)

“East is East, and West is West, and never the twain shall meet,” wrote British poet Rudyard Kipling in his much quoted poem. Well, he was spectacularly wrong in the case of EUKOR president and CEO Sjur Galtung and Korea.

Still going strong: At an age when

most people have gone into retirement, Sjur Galtung instead chose to take over at president and CEO of EUKOR Car Carriers one year ago, a decision he has not regretted for a minute.

Text: Martin Malmfors Photos: EUKOR

eoul, Korea: Sjur Galtung has just passed his first anniversary at the helm of EUKOR Car Carriers. After almost 40 years in the Wilhelmsen system, latest as deputy group CEO, Sjur made a somewhat bold and unconventional career choice when he at the young age of 66, accepted the offer to move his life to Korea and take over from Jan-Eyvin Wang as EUKOR CEO. ‘I was almost in retirement mode already,’ Sjur says. ‘But then this challenge turned up – somewhat out of the blue. I thought a lot about it – but then again, how could I say no!?

Having been so closely involved with EUKOR during the acquisition process from its very beginning, I always felt a special relationship with the company and the team. EUKOR was always ”my baby”. I knew this would be the last chance for me to get back into the front line again during my professional career, so I just dove in and went for it – and I have honestly never looked back since...’

S 66 WWWORLD 1 2011

A new “home” country. Sjur is quite im-

The way the world looks depends largely on where you are. In order to balance the traditional head office view, WW World is challenging managers from our worldwide organization to give their views on the market situation, current events and other subjects of interest.

Our guest this time is SJUR GALTUNG, president and CEO, EUKOR Car Carriers. Inc., Korea.

Seoul

pressed by his new “home” country and its people: ‘Korea has become a hugely advanced and technically competent country with great ambitions. Koreans know what they want. After 500 years in the hands of different conquerors they have finally gained their own proper independence and now they make sure to make the most of it.

The Koreans are truly a wonderful people – full of spirit and energy – you will never be bored, that is for sure! I see the Koreans as particularly multifaceted; they can be simple but complex, passionate but reserved, polite but pushy, humble but extravagant – all at once in a fantastic mix and fusion.

One thing is clear however, they are tough negotiators – I have had to experience that first hand. Relations are everything here. Forget any progress around the negotiating table before you have become friends around the dinner table first – and that probably involves at least a few bottles of Soju (the Korean traditional liquor) in the process.’

Do or disappear. ‘Koreans are great at

setting goals – and at achieving them. Even though the goals can be imposed from above and may seem totally unrealistic at first – many organisations have created absolute wonders in a short amount of time. Global brands like Samsung and Hyundai are good examples.

Koreans cannot take no for an answer – you just get on with it and fight until its done – or you ”die” – it is that simple.

In less than 60 years this country has risen from the ruins and poverty after the Korean War to become the world’s 15th largest industrial nation with a GDP well above USD 20 000 per capita. That is a development that is nothing short of incredible.

People here work hard, extremely hard.

Also, being the boss, you have to act the part because people expect you to. There is a very clear hierarchical system and it is important to give strong signals and instructions on what needs to be done. From a Scandinavian perspective Korean working culture can seem almost brutal. Do your job – or you are out!

However, my ambition is to blend a bit of Scandinavian values into the EUKOR culture whereby we can extract the best of two worlds.’

Eight great years. ‘From EUKOR’s per-

spective, I guess the past eight years can easily be summarised in one simple word: Great!

The Korean auto exporters – particularly Hyundai and Kia Motors - have shown fantastic development over the past few years. Even during the global financial crisis the export industry was strongly helped by a rapidly falling currency that made Korean cars extremely competitive.

EUKOR is since 2009 no longer exclusive carrier to Hyundai and KIA but share the volumes with the Hyundai Group’s in-house logistics provider GLOVIS (today owned 15%

by Wilh Wilhelmsen ASA). Despite the trade split with GLOVIS – and increased transplant production at the overseas HMC/KMC production facilities – EUKOR volumes out of the Far East still remain strong. We are currently running full ships out of Korea and can rather easily adjust our short to medium term

ranks as one of the world’s largest shipping companies specialised in the ro-ro segment ➜➜World market share is almost 13%. ➜➜EUKOR currently operates some 85 specialised car carrier vessels, annually carrying over 3.5 million cars to 110 destinations world-wide. ➜➜EUKOR is owned 40% by Wilh. Wilhelmsen ASA, the remainder controlled by Wallenius Lines (40%) and Korean car manufacturers Hyundai/ Kia (20%)

tonnage needs through shorter time charters should the cargo situation so require.’

One Korea? ‘I do not detect that people in

Seoul feel threatened by the neighbour up north despite the belligerent language and some military provocations last year. As to unification, I am convinced that it is purely a question of time before there will be some sort of resolution. Long-term, there is just too much to lose on not allowing that to happen.

However, a rapid full-scale unification in line with what happened in Germany is less likely. The economical differences are just astronomical. That makes the costs impossible to afford for South Korea. The DPRK regime will change – sooner or later – and significant changes will have to come. Most important will be to achieve a durable peace agreement and start taking advantage of the many synergies that can easily be achieved between the two Koreas over time. It is important however to control the development and the speed at which it happens,’ says Mr. Galtung.

WWWORLD 1 2011 67

historic corner

Wilh. Wilhelmsen was established as an independent company in 1861 and will celebrate its 150th anniversary in 2011. WW World would like to share some of the company’s long and exciting history with its readers.

Readers with stories to share or feedback to give are welcome to send an email to ww.world@wilhelmsen.com.

The struggle for the Norwegian America Line At exactly noon on Wednesday 15 November 1995, a notification was sent from WW to the Oslo Stock Exchange. It stated that the Norwegian America Line A/S (NAL) had been acquired in its entirety by Wilh. Wilhelmsen Limited ASA. Text: Hans Chr. Bangsmoen

slo: Only minutes later the same

O

message was sent to the employees in both organisations. And thus it was concluded – one of the rare thrillers in Norway’s financial establishment – the tug-of-war for ownership of NAL. This was also the last of the Norwegian overseas liner companies founded before the World War I to be brought under WW management.

The struggle encompassed a number of financial initiatives that will take too long to describe in this article. However, the anniversary book soon to be published will take the reader who is interested in the details on an exciting journey.

The financial crisis of 1986 had forced WW to sell its 20% share in the joint venture company NOSAC to NAL. Fearnley & Eger, who controlled part of NAL, also had financial problems and were forced to sell their NAL stock. WW’s entry into the battle for NAL was initiated by an acquisition of a block of shares of 12.5%.

This action marked two things: that WW was determined to increase its involvement in international car transport and that the NOSAC cooperation with NAL was of strategic significance. Wilhelmsen Lines was out to establish its territory and the acquisitions continued.

During the autumn, however, a new and formidable competitor showed up. Norway’s largest tanker company, Bergesen d.y. acquired an ownership stake representing 42% of the shares and the struggle to acquire the rest of the stock continued over the following weeks. The situation seemed completely deadlocked, and some of the financial moves made by some parties were not regarded as being completely above board businesswise.

The situation resolved itself somewhat when

MV Tricolor: The vessel was owned by WW prior to the integration of the Norwegian America Line into Wilh.

Wilhelmsen Limited ASA. (Photo: WW archieves) Bergesen a bit later announced that they had acquired 34% of the shipping company Havtor, a business that was close to Bergesen’s core activity. Bergesen’s NAL stock was therefore for sale, pending an agreement regarding the price. After intense negotiations an agreement was reached and NAL was taken over by WW. The price was about NOK one billion.

The CEO of WW in 1995, Leif T. Løddesøl, made the following comment: “The company cost a bit more expensive than we liked, but the decision was correct and based on the many positive opportunities. This is illustrated by the fact that while Wilhelmsen Lines has more cargo than capacity, the opposite has been the case in NOSAC. We now control a fleet of 31 car carriers/ro-ro ships and have three newbuildings on order. With this inte-

gration we are creating a powerful operator in international car transport.”

Work to merge the two organisations into one was started and it was soon in place at WW’s new head office at Lysaker. Ingar Skaug continued as general director in the new integrated liner/car carrier company, while the head of NAL, Nils P. Dyvik, assumed the position of vice general director. The technical-maritime department in NAL was integrated with Barber Ship Management that overtook the running of NAL’s fleet. The NAL company Aagaard Bunker Broker was merged with WilBunkers AS. Reactions in the shipping environment both at home and overseas were largely very positive, and greetings and congratulations poured in from friends and business associates – and even from competitors.