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Archives for July 2020

GEODIS Appoints New Managing Director in Ireland

The appointment of Gary O’Connor was effective in June and is aimed at helping drive GEODIS’s growth in this important market.  The strategy will be focused on developing business in the healthcare sector while growing the company’s influence over well-established verticals, including e-Commerce, high tech and FMCG.

Gary O’Connor, CEO, GEODIS Ireland

Gary will oversee the operations of the GEODIS Group that encompasses Contract Logistics, Overland Transport, Freight Forwarding, Supply Chain Optimization, Express & Parcel Deliveries and effectively manages customers’ supply chains in their totality’  “Gary is well qualified for the challenging role,” says Laurent Parat, President and CEO of the WEMEA Region.As MD in Ireland of another leading logistics company for the last number of years, Gary worked closely within the healthcare sector, serving global clients with large manufacturing or distribution operations in the country. He brings valuable knowledge of a sector that demands high levels of quality and compliance from its 3PL partners.”

O’Connor joins a GEODIS team that recently established itself in a new state of the art logistics facility at Dublin Airport Logistics Park. The property extends to almost 20,000sq m.  With a fully secured yard and 15 dock levellers, the new operation benefits from its proximity to the airport as well as swift access to the city centre and road links to the rest of the country.

“I’m hoping to add my fifteen-year experience of working with healthcare supply chains to that of the GEODIS Ireland team, which already has considerable presence in the sector,” says O’Connor. “The growth potential in the Irish healthcare market is encouraging, as is GEODIS’ ability to implement true end-to-end control of customers’ supply chains across our other target verticals. I am excited by the possibilities of designing solutions that potentially comprise forwarding, transport, contract logistics, distribution and last-mile delivery and allow our customers to grow their businesses.”

GEODIS – www.geodis.com 

GEODIS is a top-rated, global supply chain operator recognized for its passion and commitment to helping clients overcome their logistical constraints. GEODIS’ growth-focused offerings (Supply Chain Optimization, Freight Forwarding, Contract Logistics, Distribution & Express, and Road Transport) coupled with the company’s truly global reach thanks to a direct presence in 67 countries, and a global network spanning 120 countries, translates in top business rankings, #1 in France, #6 in Europe and #7 worldwide. In 2019, GEODIS accounted for over 41,000 employees globally and generated €8.2 billion in sales.

TT Club forum examines the barriers to growth of autonomous freight transport

The forum, held via an interactive webinar entitled ‘Drones and autonomous vehicles: The future… now?’, presented the current advances in autonomous transport in the air, at sea and on land. It examined the benefits and limitations of the technologies as well as the accelerating effects on adoption within international supply chains brought about by the current crisis.

The development of drones, autonomous road vehicles and unmanned ships has been rapid in recent years. The benefits of such automation to freight transport infrastructure are often enumerated – sustainability, cost reduction, environmental protection and resistance to disruption. However, the adoption of such technologies has seen a degree of resistance due to concerns over safety, security, levels of investment and variable regulatory regimes.

“To provide a forum at which the pros and cons can be explained and debated was our primary aim,” says TT Club’s MD Loss Prevention, Mike Yarwood. “Some of the concerns about widespread use of autonomous transport methods, safety and security for instance, can be in fact improved in certain circumstances through the technology. At TT Club, one of our fundamental principles is the dissemination of best practice and risk mitigation across all modes. We feel therefore that an understanding of, and debate about, the implications of automation is vital for its responsible development.”

Participating in the forum under Yarwood’s guidance were: Svilen Rangelov, Co-Founder and CEO at Dronamics; Pranav Manpuria, CEO of autonomous truck developer, Flux Auto and Hussain Quraishi, Strategic Innovation Manager at Wärtsilä, a leader in smart technologies for marine and energy markets. Each emphasised the advantages of autonomy on the transport modes in which they specialise.

In the air, most notably Rangelov outlined the flexibility of drones in delivering cargo to smaller and possibly more remote centres of population as economically and as swiftly as larger cities. Speed to market for urgently required supplies, such has been seen during the COVID-19 crisis, was also emphasised.

Taking a broader slice of the supply chain, Manpuria suggested that driverless trucks could be slotted into a transport system that also features automated warehouses, ports and freight terminals. Computer-guided inventory selection, product picking and packing and lift-truck operations can be integrated with optimum road vehicle scheduling to improve supply chain efficiency.

At sea, the near-term benefits of autonomy including increased safety and voyage optimisation have already been realised. The medium-term benefits of reduced crew are expected to impact coastal cargo vessels the most, where crew expense forms a higher percentage of operating costs and where enhanced situational awareness and precise manoeuvrability is at a premium. Wärstilä’s autonomous technology in the marine sector is well advanced across smart sensors, smart routing and smart vessel control. The technology is demonstrable and has been proven to enhance safety and provide operational savings. 

So what of the barriers to more rapid development? “The COVID-19 crisis has certainly acted as an accelerant for change in potential adoption of autonomous technology, as it has in other aspects of supply chain management,” says Yarwood. “But significant barriers need to be overcome. Our panel identified a number of these and responded to concerns from the webinar’s participants around the world.”

As an obstacle, perhaps surprisingly, the level of investment required is not high on the list.  A lack of uniform regulation across national governments and even within countries is a major block to autonomous vehicle and drone deployment. This is an incidence of regulation and certainly international authorities not keeping pace with commercially driven technological advancement.

Environmental hazards such as bad weather, winds and high seas affecting drone operation and autonomous ships, and icy and rain-effected roads are seen as challenges that technology can cope with and the avoidance of human error is generally seen as an asset in improving safety. A vulnerability to cyber-attack that is perceived to increase with the use of computer-controlled vehicles is a strong disincentive to adoption, the forum concluded.

“However, this particular threat is of critical concern across the supply chain in general,” says Yarwood. “And autonomous transport with all its environmentally sound and economically tempting characteristics will continue to progress.”

A recoding of the webinar proceedings can be viewed here – https://vimeo.com/438946190

An overflow of Q&A’s can be found with this link: https://i.emlfiles4.com/cmpdoc/4/9/5/3/files/673720_drone-webinar-qa.pdf?dm_t=0,0,0,0,0

About TT Club

TT Club is the established market-leading independent provider of mutual insurance and related risk management services to the international transport and logistics industry. TT Club’s primary objective is to help make the industry safer and more secure. Founded in 1968, the Club has more than 1100 Members, spanning container owners and operators, ports and terminals, and logistics companies, working across maritime, road, rail, and air. TT Club is renowned for its high-quality service, in-depth industry knowledge and enduring Member loyalty. It retains more than 93% of its Members with a third of its entire membership having chosen to insure with the Club for 20 years or more. www.ttclub.com

DRONAMICS

www.dronamics.com

silven@dronamic.com

Flux Auto

pranav@fluxauto.xyz

https://fluxauto.xyz/

Wärtsilä

https://www.wartsila.com/marine

hussain.quraishi@wartsila.com

Dachser builds new location in Kassel

The family-owned company is investing some EUR 25 million in the construction of a new logistics location

Kassel/Kempten, July 13, 2020. Logistics provider Dachser has started construction on a new branch in Kassel, the economic centre of northern Hesse. Located in the Lohfelden commercial zone, the new transit terminal for industrial goods with adjacent offices is due for completion by summer 2021. In the medium term, the new branch will create roughly 200 jobs. 

The symbolic groundbreaking ceremony took place today, attended by Dr Alexander Friedrich Wachter, Vice President of the Kassel district government, Norbert Thielen, deputy mayor of Lohfelden, Michael Schilling COO Road Logistics Dachser, and Alexander Tonn, Managing Director European Logistics Germany, who is responsible for Dachser’s transport and storage business for industrial goods in Germany.

“Thanks to Dachser’s closely integrated logistics network, transports departing from the new Kassel branch will reach all economic centres across Europe within 24 to 48 hours. Dachser customers throughout Europe will benefit from fast delivery times and our consistently high service quality,” says Andreas Fritsch, General Manager of Dachser’s Ostwestfalen-Lippe logistics centre in Bad Salzuflen, explaining the strategic relevance of the new location. Fritsch will assume responsibility for the new Lohfelden facility in Kassel, which falls under the Bad Salzuflen group; Mathias Oetter will be the local branch manager. A large share of the new branch’s customers will come from the region’s robust industrial production companies, Fritsch explains. 

Dachser’s new facility in central Germany is conveniently located at the interchange of the A7, A44, and A49 highways. Construction work on the approximately 78,000 m2 lot in the Lohfelden commercial zone began this April. The transit terminal will have approximately 6,400 m2 of floor space and 78 gates for loading and unloading trucks. A 2,500 m2 office building will be built adjacent to the terminal as well. 

The new facility in Kassel rounds off Dachser’s own groupage network for industrial goods in Germany and will replace the company’s long-standing regional partner Schmelz Transport und Logistik. Dachser will continue working with its trusted partner until building work on the new Dachser branch is completed next year. 

About Dachser

Dachser, a family-owned company headquartered in Kempten, Germany, provides transport logistics, warehousing, and customized services in two business fields: Dachser Air & Sea Logistics and Dachser Road Logistics. The latter consists of two business lines: Dachser European Logistics and Dachser Food Logistics. Comprehensive contract logistics services and industry-specific solutions round out the company’s range. A seamless shipping network—both in Europe and overseas—and fully integrated IT systems ensure intelligent logistics solutions worldwide.

Thanks to some 31,000 employees at 393 locations all over the globe, Dachser generated consolidated net revenue of approximately EUR 5.7 billion in 2019. That same year, the logistics provider handled a total of 80.6 million shipments weighing 41.0 million metric tons. Country organisations represent Dachser in 44 countries.  

For more information about Dachser, please visit www.dachser.com

New CEO for fast-growing MR Marine Group

MR Marine Group has announced the appointment of Karel Peters as CEO.

Karel Peters, CEO, MR Marine Group

Karel succeeds founder and CEO Nick Bosch van Rosenthal, who established the company in 2002. Bosch van Rosenthal will continue to contribute his experience and expertise in serving ships worldwide; he is remaining on board as an advisor.

Welcoming his successor, Nick Bosch van Rosenthal reflected on MR Marine Group’s history and reaffirmed his positive outlook on the company’s future: “We have tackled many challenges and achieved many successes; I feel privileged and super proud of what we’ve accomplished together – a fantastic team working in strategically located offices and a truly global network of certified engineers, ready to serve ships 24/7. The time is right for me to now hand over the helm, and I am pleased to have found a highly experienced and driven successor who can steer us to the next level.” 

Prior to joining MR Marine in June, Karel Peters had held senior executive positions in World Fuel Services, Royal Burger Group and S5 Agency World Ltd.

ABOUT MR MARINE GROUP

MR Marine Group is the world’s leading specialist service company for the inspection and maintenance of marine elevators and ballast water systems. The group comprises MR Elevator, MR Spares, and MR Ballast. Founded in 2002 and currently operating from hubs in Rotterdam, Kochi, Singapore, Shanghai and Panama, the organisation manages a global network of 150 certified service engineers in over 130 ports. The company prides itself on the passion of its people and their drive to excel. Their collective ambition assures customers of instant service response. More information: www.mr-marinegroup.com .

American Club Managers announce Senior Appointments in New York

Dorothea Ioannou becomes Deputy Chief Operating Officer and Mary (Molly) McCafferty appointed as Senior Vice President and Director of Claims for the Americas

New roles, and growing responsibilities of other senior managers, signify continuing development of key executive team

NEW YORK, JULY 15, 2020:  Shipowners Claims Bureau, Inc. (SCB), the Managers of the American Club, has announced senior appointments to its management team in New York. 

Dorothea Ioannou

Dorothea Ioannou takes on the role of Deputy Chief Operating Officer (DCOO) with immediate effect, and Mary (Molly) McCafferty becomes Senior Vice President and Director of Claims for the Americas as from the beginning of September.

A New York-lawyer by training, and a well-known figure within the global industry at large, Dorothea Ioannou began her career in marine insurance over twenty-two years ago.  She joined SCB’s Piraeus office in 2005, originally as a claims specialist, but quickly moving on to be its Managing Director.  She subsequently led the American Club’s business development activity, regionally at the outset and then globally over the next several years.  Since 2018 Ms. Ioannou has been the Managers’ Chief Commercial Officer.

Molly McCafferty is also a well-known and highly-regarded figure in the maritime community. Her wealth of experience is derived from a career which has included the practice of law, P&I club correspondency and senior executive positions with international shipping companies, most recently as general counsel to a leading operator in the bulk trades.

Molly McCafferty

A US attorney by training, Ms. McCafferty is admitted to the Bars of Connecticut and Florida. Among her many professional affiliations, she is a Member of the Society of Maritime Arbitrators its on its Board of Governors. She is also a Director of New York Maritime, Inc. (NYMAR). As a key member of the senior management team, Molly’s responsibilities at Shipowners Claims Bureau will include the supervision of all claims and related activities across the Americas, in regard to which she will report to Don Moore, Global Claims Director and Joanna Koukouli as his deputy in that role, as required.

As Deputy Chief Operating Officer, Ms. Ioannou will provide support to Vince Solarino, President and COO and, by extension, to Joe Hughes, Chairman and CEO.  Her duties will entail the day-to-day oversight of the Managers’ operating activities in their offices across the world, as well as involvement in the setting of management policy and global strategy in general. She will be supported by key members of the senior management team, each with increasing responsibility as the Club continues to develop its capabilities in fulfillment of its mission for the future.

Ms. Ioannou will relinquish her previous oversight of business development to Tom Hamilton who will now take on that assignment in conjunction with his existing duties as Chief Underwriting Officer, in which position he will continue to oversee underwriting strategy.  Arpad Kadi continues as Chief Financial Officer and Dan Tadros remains as Chief Legal and Compliance Officer.  Their responsibilities will continue to entail oversight, respectively, of the growing complexities of the financial landscape within which the Club operates and of the burgeoning legal and regulatory imperatives to which its business must increasingly be modeled.

Joe Hughes, Chairman and CEO of SCB, commented: “We are delighted to be welcoming Molly McCafferty to the management team at the beginning of September.  Molly will have an important role in the supervision of all claims and related activities across the Americas.  We are also delighted to announce the elevation of Dorothea Ioannou to Deputy Chief Operating Officer.  Dorothea has been a key member of the management team for some time now and has contributed greatly to the success of the American Club, and its other business lines, over recent years.  Her new duties will be of vital importance to the future of the Club in its operations across the world over the years ahead.

“As Dorothea transitions to her new role, and Molly assumes her new responsibilities, I am sure that everyone will wish to join me in wishing them both the very best of good fortune as a part of a dedicated, and developing, senior executive team.”

ENDS

Notes to Editors

The American Club

American Steamship Owners Mutual Protection and Indemnity Association, Inc. (the American Club) was established in New York in 1917. It is the only mutual Protection and Indemnity Club domiciled in the entire Americas and its headquarters are in New York, USA.

The American Club has been successful in recent years in building on its US heritage to create a truly international insurer with a global reach second-to-none in the industry. Day to day management of the American Club is provided by Shipowners Claims Bureau, Inc. also headquartered in New York.

The Club is able to provide local service for its members across all time zones, communicating in eleven languages, and has subsidiary offices located in London, Piraeus, Hong Kong, Shanghai and Houston, plus a worldwide network of correspondents.

The Club is a member of the International Group of P&I Clubs, a collective of thirteen mutual which together provide Protection and Indemnity insurance for some 90% of all world shipping.

The American Club also operates a fixed premium facility, Eagle Ocean Marine (EOM), aimed at the operators of smaller vessels in local and regional trades.  Since it commenced underwriting in 2011 with its coventurers at Lloyd’s, EOM has enjoyed considerable success in building a growing footprint in this specialist market and generating strong profitability for both the Club and its co-insuring partners.

American Hellenic Hull Insurance Company, Ltd. (AHHIC) is a wholly-owned, Solvency-II accredited hull and war risk subsidiary of the Club, based in Cyprus.  Since it began operating in mid-2016, AHHIC has enjoyed an increasing market presence coupled with growing premium volume and rising profitability.

For more information, please visit the Club’s website http://www.american-club.com/

GEODIS supports the launch of the European Clean Trucking Alliance and calls for the decarbonization of Road Freight Transport

Strongly committed to reducing its carbon footprint, GEODIS, a world leader in transport and logistics, has set itself the ambition of reducing its CO2 emissions by 30% by 2030.

To achieve this objective, GEODIS has deployed a program that focuses on four areas of progress: measuring; reducing its greenhouse gas emissions – in particular through lower fuel consumption and the development of alternative engines and energies; setting up partnerships with its main subcontractors and developing “low-carbon” solutions for its customers.

In addition, GEODIS is aware that collaboration and involvement with major groups are essential to meet the challenges of climate change and is therefore engaging with the various players in the sector.

By joining ECTA’s creation and call to action alongside 20 other leading European businesses and organisations, it is GEODIS’ intention to help progress the mission of decarbonizing road freight in the European Union.

GEODIS calls for the implementation of policies that accelerate the decarbonization of the road freight sector with an approach that is fair to the whole market. The deployment of low-emission vehicles and energy infrastructure is an essential requirement to enable the transport sector’s transition.” says Philippe de Carné, Executive Vice President, Business Development, Innovation & Business Excellence of GEODIS.

ECTA calls urges the European Union to make the shift to zero-emissions trucks a priority in order to meet the ambitious emission targets of the proposed EU Climate Law by 2030 and achieve a carbon-neutral Europe by 2050.

More information on the ECTA announcement: https://clean-trucking.eu/

GEODIS – www.geodis.com 

GEODIS is a top-rated, global supply chain operator recognized for its commitment to helping clients overcome their logistical constraints. GEODIS’ growth-focused offerings (Supply Chain Optimization, Freight Forwarding, Contract Logistics, Distribution & Express, and Road Transport) coupled with the company’s truly global reach thanks to a direct presence in 67 countries, and a global network spanning 120 countries, translates in top business rankings, #1 in France, #6 in Europe and #7 worldwide. In 2019, GEODIS accounted for over 41,000 employees globally and generated €8.2 billion in sales.

TT Club supports UK crime agency targeting cargo theft

The Freight Unit of the National Vehicle Crime Intelligence Service (NaVCIS) has been involved in numerous theft cases related to cargo crime in the UK; most recently acting to recover £200,000 of stolen goods.  Long-time supporter, international freight transport insurer TT Club welcomes the agency’s successes in recovering goods and tracking their owners, significantly reducing the extent of the loss.

London, 14 July 2020

Through the recent period of lockdown in the UK, there has been a demonstrable change in behaviour and tactics of criminal organisations involved in cargo theft. Restrictions on free movement have impacted criminal “business models”. Reported theft cases have demonstrated an increase in local activity and involved thefts from warehouse facilities, something less frequently experienced in the UK.

In recent weeks there have been a number of “hook-up” thefts, whereby perpetrators steal entire loaded trailers from premises. This type of incident underlines the need for physical barriers to protect goods and assets. King pin locks, perimeter fencing, CCTV and security guards would also serve to deter perpetrators.

Following a recent spate of arrests across the UK in such cases, police searched various premises and discovered several hundred boxes of fashion goods. In the normal course of events, these goods risk disposal or destruction. Fortunately, on this occasion, the arresting police force contacted NaVCIS’ Freight Unit to report the discovered goods. The agency used its extensive database of theft activity to identify the reported loss of such goods and therefore the rightful owner. In this instance nearly £200,000 worth of stolen goods were recovered and returned.

The Freight Unit is part of the NaVCIS, a national police unit that acts as a bridge between the police and industry.  Different sections of the service, of which the Freight Unit is one, handle crime involving ports, vehicle financing fraud and agricultural machinery among other types of crime.  It works hard to protect communities in the UK from the harmful consequences of crime. It provides dedicated police capability into developing and disseminating intelligence that helps police forces pursue offenders, recover stolen goods and prevent crime, when and where possible.

“This is a great demonstration of the valuable work being undertaken by NaVCIS’ Freight Unit,” said Mike Yarwood, TT Club Managing Director Loss Prevention. “Unfortunately, the Unit would not exist without the continued support and sponsorship of multiple private entities,” he continued. “Results like this should be a call to action for all potential stakeholders to support this valuable resource – less about direct benefit, rather taking responsibility to tackle crime proactively.”

TT Club has supported NaVCIS’ Freight Unit for a number of years as it believes their work is crucial to understanding and stamping out crime in the supply chain. In addition to helping recover stolen goods and allowing police to hold thieves to account, their work improves insurance records and disrupts criminal activity in the supply chain on a larger scale.

As it remains one of the main disruptors of global supply chains, TT Club’s own commitment to minimising the effects of cargo theft remains undaunted.  This element of risk is consistently one of the top five heads of cost in terms of claims for businesses TT Club insures. In addition to collaborating with a number of organisations to address this global challenge (for a recent example see the Club’s joint report on theft with BSI Supply Chain Services and Solutions here), TT Club is focused on understanding all aspects of this risk and where possible influencing good management controls to mitigate the potential losses. More advice on this approach is available in the Club’s StopLoss publication.

As restrictions on movement are lifted in the UK, stakeholders need to be ever more vigilant, exercising due diligence to ensure that they maintain security, in what is predicted to be a very active period of cargo theft. The COVID-19 lockdown is unlikely to have diminished organised criminal gangs’ appetite to realise funds through cargo theft, which continues to be a low-risk high-gain opportunity for them.  

For more information on how to support the work of the NaVCIS’ Freight Unit and to help mitigate the risk of cargo theft, please contact freight@navcis.pnn.police.uk.

About TT Club

TT Club is the established market-leading independent provider of mutual insurance and related risk management services to the international transport and logistics industry. TT Club’s primary objective is to help make the industry safer and more secure. Founded in 1968, the Club has more than 1100 Members, spanning container owners and operators, ports and terminals, and logistics companies, working across maritime, road, rail, and air. TT Club is renowned for its high-quality service, in-depth industry knowledge and enduring Member loyalty. It retains more than 93% of its Members with a third of its entire membership having chosen to insure with the Club for 20 years or more.

“K”Line Selected for FTSE4Good Index Series and FTSE Blossom Japan Index

Kawasaki Kisen Kaisha, Ltd. (“K” Line) has been selected again as a constituent of the “FTSE4Good Index Series”, one of the leading global indices for ESG investing (*1), for the 18th consecutive year since its initial inclusion in 2003, and “FTSE Blossom Japan Index” for four years in a row since the index was launched in 2017.

FTSE4Good Index Series is an index developed by FTSE Russell, wholly owned subsidiary of London Stock Exchange Group, whose constituents are selected by measuring their performance in terms of management and information disclosure utilizing globally-recognized Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) standards (1,075 companies selected world-wide, including 192 Japanese companies). FTSE Blossom Japan Index reflects the performance of Japanese companies that demonstrate strong ESG practices (180 companies selected out of 507 constituents of FTSE Japan Index). This index has been adopted as a benchmark of ESG investing by Government Pension Investment Fund (GPIF) in Japan.  

We have defined ESG initiatives as one of the important management issues, and signed the United Nations Global Compact (*2) in April this year. We will continue striving to contribute to sustainable progress of the society through our business activities, as well as to improve our corporate value.

(*1) ESG investing describes an investment strategy which takes account of enterprises’ social, ethical and environmental aspects as well as financial performance.

(*2) The United Nations Global Compact is a voluntary initiative in which companies and organizations act as good members of society and participate in the creation of a global framework for sustainable growth by demonstrating responsible and creative leadership.

Reference

“K” Line to participate in the United Nations Global Compact (dated April 22, 2020)

https://www.kline.co.jp/en/news/csr/csr-4769873618192259007/main/0/link/200422EN.pdf

American P&I Club and ABS Consulting Join Forces to Drive Cyber Awareness for Maritime Insurance

Collaboration between risk management and insurance sectors will focus on education, training and guidance to reduce maritime cyber risk

(Houston) – ABSG Consulting Inc. (ABS Consulting), a subsidiary of ABS focused on safety and risk management, and American Steamship Owners Mutual Protection and Indemnity Association, Inc. (the American Club) have joined forces to provide education, training and insurance guidance that address maritime cyber security.

As digital transformation in the maritime industry brings both opportunities and new challenges, owners and operators are relying more on smart technologies and operational data to drive decisions and run their businesses. Comprehensive cyber security programs are not only necessary to protect operations, but are also critical to protect the overall safety of crew and the environment. More frequent cyber attacks, increased digitalization and emerging global regulatory focus are adding to immediate demands to address and reduce cyber risk across the industry’s value chain. Cyber security has become a business imperative and new measures will have an impact on how maritime vessels and facilities will be covered by insurers.

“The safety and security of our members is a priority. Having a better understanding of the tools available, the programs that can be implemented and the integration of these in the marine industry will help us provide better services to shipowners and charterers globally,” says William Moore, Director of Loss and Prevention at the American P&I Club. The work we are going to do with ABS Consulting is going to help us identify how to enhance our policies, and the offerings we need to incorporate to improve the coverage and services we offer to our members.”

“Collaborating with the American Club to build education programs for their members and industry will give us a better understanding of the real challenges we are collectively facing,” says Ian Bramson, Global Head of Cyber Security of ABS Group. “This alliance enables us to develop the tools, training and services that support compliance and help ship owners and operators put protections in place to secure their vessels – from the design and construction phases through continuous operation over their service life.”

About the American Club

American Steamship Owners Mutual Protection and Indemnity Association, Inc. (the American Club) was established in New York in 1917. It is the only mutual Protection and Indemnity Club domiciled in the entire Americas and its headquarters are in New York, USA. The American Club has been successful in recent years in building on its U.S. heritage to create a truly international insurer with a global reach second-to-none in the industry. Day-to-day management of the American Club is provided by Shipowners Claims Bureau, Inc. also headquartered in New York. The Club is able to provide local service for its members across all time zones, communicating in a large number of different languages, and has subsidiary offices located in London, Piraeus, Hong Kong, Shanghai and Houston, plus a worldwide network of correspondents. The Club is a member of the International Group of P&I Clubs, a collective of 13 mutuals which together provide Protection and Indemnity insurance for some 90% of all world shipping. For more information, please visit www.american-club.com.

P&I Insurance

Protection and Indemnity insurance (commonly referred to as “P&I”) provides cover to shipowners and charterers against third-party liabilities encountered in their commercial operations; typical exposures include damage to cargo, pollution, death/injury or illness of passengers or crew or damage to docks and other installations. Running in parallel with a ship’s hull and machinery cover, traditional P&I cover distinguishes itself from usual forms of marine insurance by being based on the not-for-profit principle of mutuality where Members of the Club are both the insurers and the assureds.

About ABS Group

ABSG Consulting Inc. is part of ABS Group of Companies, Inc. (www.abs-group.com), a wholly owned subsidiary of ABS, one of the world’s leading marine and offshore classification societies. Through its operating subsidiaries, ABS Group provides data-driven risk and reliability solutions and technical services that help clients confirm the safety, integrity, quality and efficiency of critical assets and operations. Headquartered in Spring, Texas, ABS Group operates with more than 1,000 professionals in over 20 countries serving the marine and offshore, oil, gas and chemical, government and industrial sectors.

Eagle Ocean Marine (EOM) enters its tenth year of successful operations in the Fixed Premium P&I Sector

Reinsurance for new facility period recently concluded on favorable terms with Lloyd’s and other first-class security

Steady growth, continuing profitability and reputation for exceptional service sustain EOM’s leading position as a dependable player in an unsettled market

NEW YORK, JUNE 9, 2020:  Eagle Ocean Marine (EOM), the American Club’s facility providing fixed premium P&I cover chiefly to the operators of smaller vessels in local and regional trades, has announced further progress in the development of its business as it enters a tenth year of service to the global maritime community.

EOM’s primary security is provided by the American Club but, unlike the latter’s mutual business, its facility years commence on July 1, from which date it traditionally arranges its reinsurance program for the following twelve months.  The renewal of this program was recently completed on favorable terms, mainly with underwriters at Lloyd’s, many of whom have long subscribed to EOM’s business in recognition of its enduring and highly respected presence in the fixed premium P&I market.

Blending the unsurpassed service traditions of an International Group mutual with a responsible approach to risk selection and pricing, EOM has been successful in achieving steady growth with sustained profitability.  This has earned it a secure place in a fixed premium P&I market which has experienced considerable turbulence over the recent past.

Since 2015, EOM has enjoyed a compound premium growth rate of about 17% per annum, with the three most recent years exhibiting an annual average closer to 20%.  The last three years have also seen an increase in tonnage of 34%, and a rise in the number of insured vessels of 52%.  Encouragingly, the average premium per ton has also increased – by about 20% over the period.  As it commences its tenth year of operations, EOM insures a fleet of nearly 1,300 vessels of about 2.5 million gross tons generating a total premium of approximately $15 million.

EOM serves a diverse constituency of insureds.  About 39% of its business comes from Northeast Asia, 32% from South and Southeast Asia, 20% from Europe and 9% from the rest of the world.  All kinds of smaller vessels are represented in its portfolio, the average unit size being a little under 2,000 gross tons.

However, growth and diversity have not come at the expense of profitability:  EOM’s aggregate combined ratio since inception is currently less than 80%.  These results continue to benefit the American Club mutuality, its reinsuring coventurers, as well as EOM’s insureds and other stakeholders who have been sustained by EOM’s reliability in a shifting fixed premium P&I landscape.

Speaking in New York today, Joe Hughes, Chairman and CEO of Eagle Ocean Agencies, Inc., which operates EOM, said: “Eagle Ocean Marine enters its tenth year of service to the global maritime community in excellent shape.  The sterling support recently received from EOM’s reinsurers was a vote of confidence in the sustainability of its business model for the future.  In a world of continuing uncertainty, EOM remains the gold standard in the fixed premium P&I sector.  It looks with optimism at the many exciting opportunities it is poised to develop over the years ahead.”

-ENDS-

NOTE:

Eagle Ocean Agencies, Inc., is a member of the New York-based Eagle Ocean Group of companies – North America’s leading provider of mutual management, underwriting, adjusting, claims handling, surveying and loss consultancy services to the international shipping and insurance communities.  Eagle Ocean Agencies, Inc.’s core business is the provision of coverholder and related services to a variety of insurance carriers.