Business Focus Magazine - BFM 96

Issue No.96

AMPLER BIKES

Making urban commuting carbon-free.

NEWPHARMA

Automated, digital pharmacist.

SPECIAL FEATURE: POST-PANDEMIC PORTS

LUMEL

MAKING IT COUNT Exclusive interview with CEO Dinesh Musalekar on manufacturing industrial automation devices and plans for the future.

Al Laith | A Transforming Business | Asante Gold | Golden Opportunity CMC Networks | One Step at a Time | GRI Tires | Tireless Innovation TMD Friction | Safety First | Zakher Marine Int | A Culture of Growth

EDMONTON INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT Sustainable expansion & community spirit.

FEATURE YOUR BUSINESS With a global readership of over 290,000, Business Focus Magazine is the perfect platform to place your business in front of our Senior Executive level audience.

CONTACT SALES & MARKETING DIRECTOR:

TREVOR GRETSINGER | t.gretsinger@ceomediagroup.com

PROJECT MANAGERS

EDITOR’S NOTE

ANDREW BOURKE a.bourke@ceomediagroup.com DEAN BROWN d.brown@ceomediagroup.com CHRIS CONWAY c.conway@ceomediagroup.com DAVID GARNER d.garner@ceomediagroup.com TIMOTHY GARWOOD t.garwood@ceomediagroup.com JOHN HOLLIMAN j.holliman@ceomediagroup.com MAX HUTCHINGS m.hutchings@ceomediagroup.com ROBERT NAPIER SMITH r.smith@ceomediagroup.com LIAM PYWELL l.pywell@ceomediagroup.com JAMIE SIVYER j.sivyer@ceomediagroup.com JOHN SMART j.smart@ceomediagroup.com ANDRZEJ SZANDOR a.szandor@ceomediagroup.com DAVID TAVERNOR d.tavernor@ceomediagroup.com HAYDEN TURNER h.turner@ceomediagroup.com RASH UDDIN r.uddin@ceomediagroup.com

DESIGN SCOTT ANDREWS design@ceomediagroup.com ADRIANA STROIA artwork@ceomediagroup.com

ACCOUNTS MIKE ASHER accounts@ceomediagroup.com

PRODUCTION KAMILA KAJTOCH production@ceomediagroup.com

EDITORIAL CHRIS FARNELL cfarnell@ceomediagroup.com JIM HUNTER editor@ceomediagroup.com

SALES & MARKETING DIRECTOR TREVOR GRETSINGER t.gretsinger@ceomediagroup.com

SUBSCRIPTIONS, PRESS RELEASES AND GENERAL ENQUIRIES: info@ceomediagroup.com

The content of this magazine is copyright of CEO Media Group.

Redistribution or reproduction of any content is prohibited. © Copyright 2022 CEO Media Group.

FOCUS ON

TRANSIT We have often talked about the importance of the supply chain in this magazine, and in carrying out the research and interviews to put together this issue of Business Focus Magazine, we have seen that the entire sector is undergoing a huge overhaul. We have looked at several airports, including Cherry Capital Airport, Edmonton International Airport, Flughafen Friedrichshafen GmbH and Aalborg International. We have also talked to many seaports and harbours, including Aberdeen Harbour, Dublin Port, and Ghana Ports & Harbours Authority.

N

early all these facilities have had a rough ride through the pandemic, with some of them running at a loss for long periods as their income dried up but costs remained static. Despite this, these facilities all kept operating through even the height of the pandemic. But perhaps even more impressive, now that lockdowns and travel restrictions are subsiding, they are working to build up and out. We have heard a lot about improved and expanded facilities, new digital capabilities, and above all a global, industrywide effort to make our travel infrastructure greener, more sustainable, and an active force for social good in their surrounding communities. New investments include everything from electrical vehicle charging facilities to onsite theatre venues.

Of course, no industry is investing more in the energy transition than the energy sector itself, and we talk to a range of companies across the sector including HelioRec, Nostromo Energy, and Subterra Renewables.

Solutions can come from all angles, even surprising ones.

Ampler Bikes’ range of electric

bikes and scooters is aiming to make urban commuting carbonfree, and their attitude to the design and marketing of their vehicles is an illuminating lesson in reacting to customer needs.

Even the tires on vehicles have a part to play, as GRI Tires shows us with their new, environmentally friendly product range.

And that is only a tiny fraction of the wealth of businesses and organisations from all industries included in this month’s magazine.

ON THE COVER Lumel Go to page 140

Issue No.96

AMPLER BIKES

SPECIAL FEATURE:

Making urban commuting carbon-free.

NEWPHARMA

POST-PANDEMIC PORTS

Automated, digital pharmacist.

LUMEL

MAKING IT COUNT Exclusive interview with CEO Dinesh Musalekar on manufacturing industrial automation devices and plans for the future.

Al Laith | A Transforming Business | Asante Gold | Golden Opportunity CMC Networks | One Step at a Time | GRI Tires | Tireless Innovation TMD Friction | Safety First | Zakher Marine Int | A Culture of Growth

EDMONTON INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT Sustainable expansion & community spirit.

EDITOR’S NOTE | 3

IN THIS ISSUE

8

13

16 24

32

Mozambique Mining, Oil, Gas and Energy Conference & Exhibition.

Maputo, Mozambique / 2nd-3rd June, 2022.

Focusing on sustainable development across the entire mineral and energy value chain.

NEWS

Ports & Airports Post-Pandemic Ports

AUTOMOTIVE

GRI Tyres Tireless Innovation TMD Friction Safety First

32

AVIATION

Aalborg International Airport Greener Skies

40

Cherry Capitol Airport The Cherry on Top

46

Edmonton International Airport The Community Airport

56

8

EVENT

62

Flughafen Friedrichshafen GmbH Flight to the Future

46

68

74

78

84

4 | CONTENTS

COMMUNICATIONS & TECHNOLOGY CMC Networks One STEP at a Time

Kongsberg Digital Digitalising the Supply Chain

CONGLOMERATE

Pioneer Safety Group Safe and Sound

CONSTRUCTION

Al Laith A Transforming Business

ENERGY & UTILITIES HelioRec A Bright Idea

90

Nostromo Energy Water is Forever

94

Subterra Renewables Why Heating Is A Hot Topic

BUSINESSFOCUSMAGAZINE.COM

ISSUE NO. 96

98

104

110

118

ENGINEERING

Lithon Bridging the gap

FMCG

Harlech Foodservice Grub’s Up

GOVERNMENT

Ecolog Meeting the Challenge

Intravacc Leading the Vaccine Sector

122

Newpharma Human-centric Automation

128

Stada World-Beating Partnerships

134

MANUFACTURING

Ampler Bikes Development Cycle

140

Lumel Making It Count

146

StoreDot Charging Ahead

152

122

HEALTHCARE, HOTEL & LEISURE

166

MINING

160

Asante Gold A Golden Opportunity

134

SHIPPING, PORT & MARINE Aberdeen Harbour The Heart of Aberdeen

166

Dublin Port A Dublin Heart

172

Ghana Ports & Harbours Authority Gateway to Africa

178

Hutchinson FCP Uncontainable Excitement

190

United European Car Carriers A Greener Fleet

194

Zakher Marine International Inc. A Culture of Growth

CONTENTS | 5

Find your way out of a complex operating model.

Let’s talk.

Operations Strategy | Digital | Cultural Engineering

Global io

- integrated operations experts.

globalio.com

EVENT OF THE MONTH

WHERE: JOAQUIM CHISSANO CONFERENCE CENTRE, MAPUTO, MOZAMBIQUE / WHEN: JUNE 2ND- 3RD, 2022

MOZAMBIQUE MINING, OIL & GAS & ENERGY CONFERENCE & EXHIBITION 2022 The 8th Mozambique Mining, Oil & Gas and Energy Conference and Exhibition (MMEC 2022) returns to Maputo on 2 – 3 of June 2022. The event will be held at the prestigious Joaquim Chissano Conference Centre. The main theme of this edition is “Sustainable Development Across the Entire Mineral and Energy Value Chain. Towards a Low Carbon Future”, in a context where the effect of global climate change on Mozambican economic activities has been profound in recent years.

M

MEC 2022 will focus on key developments, local content, climate change and emerging policies and projects in Mozambique’s Energy and extractive industries, in a world post pandemic.

www.mozambiqueoilmining.com

8 | EVENT OF THE MONTH

EVENT OF THE MONTH

EVENT OF THE MONTH | 9

lead wıth the leader Today, Internet is in our pockets; our virtual and real worlds are coming together. LTE offers you great potential to deliver a superior mobile broadband experience to your customers, but the stakes are high. Success in LTE means getting to market quickly, with services that offer subscribers more than what they have today, as cost efficiently as possible. With 60 live commercial LTE networks on all continents and about 50% of all smartphone traffic on LTE running through our networks, we have what it takes to support you.

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Headquaters DMT Group I Am Tüv 1 I 45307 Essen I Germany I Phone: +49 201 172 1867 I Mail: info@dmt-group.com

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PORTS AND AIRPORTS

WITH MULTIPLE INTERNATIONAL LOCKDOWNS RIGHT BEHIND US, AND THE ROAD TO NET-ZERO AHEAD, OUR ENTIRE GLOBAL TRANSPORT INFRASTRUCTURE IS UNDERGOING A TIME OF RENEWAL.

POST-PANDEMIC PORTS One of the biggest lessons of the pandemic was just how critical international supply chain infrastructure is to our civilisation.

The world’s ports and airports are the links in the chain that holds our economy together, and even now we are still assessing the impact the pandemic has had on them.

I

t has brought in a new world order on how business is done,” says Michael Luguje, Director General for the Ghana Ports & Harbours Authority in our profile of the organisation this issue. “You have to restrict movement, slow down, follow all the necessary protocols. The process of clearing vessels has to change and that has come with additional costs. Of course, there is also the cost of providing additional support to the medical sector, the cost of investing in additional IT infrastructure to

support working from home and dealing with more of our business online.”

As well as the direct challenges posed by the pandemic, the aftershocks are also having a lasting effect on how harbours, ports and airports are run.

“It has been a struggle to get talent in the industry. We are working closely with the American Association of Airport Executives to recruit talent,” says Kevin Klein, Executive Director of Cherry Capital Airport in this month’s profile.

NEWS | 13

MODERN CONSTRUCTION

Through Covid, Cherry Capital partnered with Michigan Health and Human Services, offering testing inside the facility for passengers and employees, offer vaccinations in the terminal.

“That is part of our toolbox to show our people that they’re working in a healthy and safe environment and that lets our passengers see that as well,” Klein explains.”

BIG PLANS

The pandemic has also slowed down or disrupted a wide range of existing plans.

“If you’re burning money in the operational side of the business it means you lack money for all other necessary activities in the future, such as the measures we’d like

14 | NEWS

to implement with regard to climate change,” explains ClausDieter Wehr, CEO of Flughafen Friedrichshafen GmbH. However, what is also clear from our numerous discussions with the heads of transport and supply chain infrastructure facilities around the world is that we are seeing a period of a massive overhaul in the industry, with numerous highly ambitious expansions and redevelopments underway.

“We’re now preparing to conduct an economic environmental and social impact study that will be completed this year,” Luguje tells us. “We also have the dry dock and shipyard which is a strong source of income that needs to be properly developed, and we’re looking to that.”

“IT HAS BROUGHT IN A NEW WORLD ORDER ON HOW BUSINESS IS DONE.” “We call it Master Plan 2040,” explains Eamonn O’Reilly, CEO of Dublin Port in an interview in this magazine, of his port’s ambitious overhaul plans.

“Rebuilding a lot of existing infrastructure and adding new infrastructure, but all on the port’s existing footprint. We cannot expand outwards, so we are bringing the port to its final capacity by 2040.”

While many facilities have large scale plans in place, global passenger and cargo transport will not simply come to a halt while construction work is underway.

MODERN CONSTRUCTION

“The biggest challenge is carrying out all that work in an already busy port that has seen, notwithstanding the crises over the last year, growing volumes of trade,” O’Reilly points out.

“We’re trying to do this work within the port while maintaining throughput.”

A GREENER OUTLOOK

Among these development projects, there is one common and recurring theme. The task of building a greener terminal.

“Before the pandemic we had implemented changes to our apron illumination, switching to LED bulbs. We as well exchanged all the illumination on the runways and taxiways to LED, saving a lot of energy,” Wehr recounts. “Right now, we are changing areas in the airport where the lighting systems see the most use, such as security control, to LEDs. We have started to invest in electric-driven tractors for baggage transportation. Right now, we have five of them in operation, but we are increasing the number to eight.”

This is part of a raft of measures, including making the airports’ vehicles more environmentally friendly and looking into installing a solar panel system at its parking lots.

“We’re targeting the energy consumption of our buildings,” Wehr tells us. “Our target is to be climate neutral by 2045.”

In our feature on Aalborg International Airport, we learn that the airport has been encouraging airlines to switch to greener fuels, but again, this is not a silver bullet, but one facet of a far wide strategy.

“Green fuel is only one aspect of it, and that involves the airline.

When it comes to bringing the airport itself to net-zero we need to take into account all the stakeholders of the airport,” explains Niels Hemmingsen, CEO of Aalborg International Airport. “The question for the net-zero scenario is what can the airport itself do?”

Aalborg is approaching this challenge through biodiversity projects, electrifying its vehicle fleet, and establishing infrastructure for fuelling electric cars.

In our profile of Aberdeen Harbour, we can see a similar transformation taking place.

Situated on the North Sea, Aberdeen Harbour has been a keystone of Scotland’s oil and gas industry, but now it is also acting as the vanguard of the energy transition.

Aberdeen is set to become the energy transition capital of Europe, with a multi-millionpound port expansion at the heart of the development of high potential clean energy

sectors such as offshore wind and green hydrogen.

“We strive to be a leader in energy transition and our efforts to drive down emissions at the port will be critical for the development and use of clean fuel in ports around the UK,” says Bob Sanguinetti, Aberdeen Harbour’s CEO. “Our joint project with Connected Places Catapult, which has benefitted from more than £400,000 in funding from the Department of Transport as part of the Clean Maritime Demonstrator Competition, will act as a blueprint for the implementation of shore power for UK ports and the wider maritime industry, particularly with small to medium-sized vessels, such as Platform Supply Vessels and Offshore Support Vessels, which regularly visit the port.”

Each of these facilities is transforming, and acting as exemplars to one another. Our ports and harbours might not ever look like they did in 2019 again, but what replaces them has the potential to be far better.

“OUR TARGET IS TO BE CLIMATE NEUTRAL BY 2045.”

NEWS | 15

GRI TIRES

GRI IN SRI LANKA ARE PRODUCING SPECIALITY TIRES FOR THE TOUGHEST SECTORS AND HARDEST APPLICATIONS OUT THERE, DEVELOPING THE INNOVATIVE SOLUTIONS THEIR CUSTOMERS NEED.

TIRELESS

INNOVATION PROJECT MANAGED BY: DEAN BROWN

GRI produces speciality tires across a range of sectors, including industrial tires, tires for forklifts and other material handling equipment for warehouses and manufacturing facilities. The company produces tires for the agriculture sector that go on tractors and other heavy agriculture equipment around the world, primarily for the United States and Europe. It also produces construction tires- heavy-duty tires for heavy machines in the construction industry, including building construction, road construction, and infrastructure construction. All three of these sectors are demanding, hard-wearing, and critically rely on having the right equipment and the right tires for the job.

In competing to get its tires into these projects, GRI Tires has one important ace in the hole.

“Our unique selling point is the fact we use natural rubber from Sri Lanka. The natural rubber we get from Sri Lanka is of a very high grade and high quality,” says Dr Mahesha Ranasoma, CEO of GRI. “Sri Lanka is well known for that. Using this natural rubber means that our tires are also very high grade and high quality, and being close to the source means we are able to supply our customers on time.

We delight our customers.

We’re a medium-sized, nimble

16 | AUTOMOTIVE

company that listens to our customers.”

A GLOBAL ROLLOUT

GRI occupies a niche as a proudly Sri Lankan company, with locally sourced materials and a global sales reach. Recent events have made that a challenging position to occupy.

“The main challenge the last year has been the skyrocketing freight costs along with the freight challenges that many companies are facing,” Ranasoma tells us.

“That has been one of the biggest challenges, to get our finished goods to the US and Europe.”

Dr Mahesha Ranasoma, CEO, GRI TIRES.

GRI TIRES

#1

SUPPLIER Sri Lanka

THIS IS FIBER REINFORCEMENT AT ITS BEST. DRI Rubber is top supplier of FRC© to the global solid tire industry.

RETURNING VALUE Corporate HQ Waalwijk / The Netherlands T +31 416 674 000 - E info@drirubber.com www.drirubber.com

DRI RUBBER Established in 1948, DRI Rubber has become the leading authority in reprocessed rubber compounds. We believe in the best circular alternative by caring for the environment, our customers, suppliers, and each other. That is why we put great value into creating and delivering consistent, high-performing rubber products and global solutions.

We use rubber waste materials from the global tire and rubber industry, both the easy and difficult rubber waste streams. By upcycling these unvulcanized and vulcanized rubber waste streams into materials and finished products, we provide the world with the best circular alternative for new raw materials, reducing the environmental footprint of the global tire and rubber industry.

DRI Rubber – with its corporate headquarters located in Waalwijk, The Netherlands – has manufacturing locations in Europe and the USA. With this strong global presence, we can (re)process and handle approximately 50.000 metric tons of rubber waste materials per annum, on three continents. DRI Rubber is completely ISO-certified, is fully REACH-compliant, and has an outlet for every type of rubber waste.

Also, DRI Rubber is the inventor and #1 supplier of Fiber Reinforced Compounds (FRC©) to the global solid tire industry. We are the leader in the industry to develop high-quality upcycled materials with great consistency at a large scale, by using innovative technologies. DRI Rubber keeps investing in long-term collaborations with partners who put great value in environmental focussed business. Together we can realize true sustainability! www.drirubber.com

18 | AUTOMOTIVE

BUSINESSFOCUSMAGAZINE.COM

GRI TIRES

It is a challenge that has been affecting every facet of international trade, but it is one that GRI has been proactive in addressing from the start.

“We engage with our suppliers for raw materials and try to find the best route to acquire them while working closely with our customers to optimise the shipping costs of our products,” Ranasoma explains. “It works well for them as well as us.

We’re proactively engaging our customers and suppliers alike.”

Of course, another valuable resource on both a local and international level is talent, and it is another resource that GRI is tireless in seeking out.

“We find people from the industry who have experience here in Sri Lanka. We get talent from Sri Lanka as well as from overseas,” Ranasoma says.

“OUR UNIQUE SELLING POINT IS THE FACT WE USE NATURAL RUBBER FROM SRI LANKA. THE NATURAL RUBBER WE GET FROM SRI LANKA IS OF A VERY HIGH GRADE & HIGH QUALITY.” BUSINESSFOCUSMAGAZINE.COM

AUTOMOTIVE | 19

GRI TIRES

“We attract some of the expat staff who come from India and Europe to work with us here. Then in our overseas companies, we look for talent who have experience and achieve good results. We attract talent and retain talent through attractive incentive programmes, taking care of them in terms of financial status and engaging them in career development and training programmes.”

“WE ENGAGE WITH OUR SUPPLIERS FOR RAW MATERIALS AND TRY TO FIND THE BEST ROUTE TO ACQUIRE THEM WHILE WORKING CLOSELY WITH OUR CUSTOMERS TO OPTIMISE THE SHIPPING COSTS OF OUR PRODUCTS.” REVOLUTIONISING RUBBER

Talent is a critical resource because of the emphasis that GRI has always placed on innovation, which Ranasoma explains takes place across two fronts- the concerns of the customer and the concerns of GRI itself.

“We continually engage with our key customers and ask them what they see as the future trends in their respective industries, whether it’s agriculture, material handling or construction,” he points out. “We direct R & D teams to develop towards those trends across different segments of the market and end-users.”

20 | AUTOMOTIVE

GRI TIRES

While GRI pays attention to those trends, it is also a key part of the company’s identity that it sees environmental sustainability, the protection of our planet and the response to climate change as playing a much bigger role in the industry.

“We’ve embarked on green initiatives, incorporated sustainable materials in our tires while keeping the performance at a high level,” Ranasoma says. “Last year we launched the ULTIMATE GREEN XT solid tire for the material handling industry. It is made from 48% sustainable material, a first in the industry and we’re proud of that.”

As well as the ULTIMATE GREEN XT solid tire, GRI is also connected to the GreenX Circle, a global farmer ecosystem connecting natural rubber farmers with crop farmers around the world, focusing on sustainable farming practices while increasing productivity to benefit farming communities.

This is the origin of the pure natural Sri Lankan rubber that builds GRI’s high-grade tires.

GRI has made a commitment to sustainably increasing Sri Lanka’s natural rubber harvest at the same time as creating opportunities for the rubber farmers of the island.

Through the GreenX Circle ecosystem, GRI helps to raise awareness among farming communities about sustainable and productive resource use.

Through GreenX Circle GRI has also helped to introduce solutions that enhance the lives of farming families with technical tools, products and services, while educating farmers and implementing sustainable practices in rubber tree farming and tapping to improve productivity and yields.

AUTOMOTIVE | 21

GRI TIRES

GRI offers a range of benefits to help farmer families to grow as a community. But this is all just a foundation for what is to come.

“We see ourselves expanding our market, within our current markets as well as expanding into new markets and new countries,” Ranasoma says. “At the same time, we will remain a high quality, high-end supplier.

We are not a mass-market producer of low-cost tires.

That is not a route we want to go down. We will also be expanding our manufacturing capabilities in Sri Lanka to meet the increasing demand for our tires.”

While growth is certainly on the cards, however, Ranasoma is adamant the company will stay true to its roots.

“We are proud to be a Sri Lankan company,” he says.

“We are unique, carving our own niche, unique space in the industry.”

“WE ARE NOT A MASS-MARKET PRODUCER OF LOW-COST TIRES. THAT IS NOT A ROUTE WE WANT TO GO DOWN. WE WILL ALSO BE EXPANDING OUR MANUFACTURING CAPABILITIES IN SRI LANKA TO MEET THE INCREASING DEMAND FOR OUR TIRES.” 22 | AUTOMOTIVE

BUSINESSFOCUSMAGAZINE.COM

ULTIMATE GREEN XT

Probably the Most Environmentally Friendly Solid Tire in the World.

REDUCED

Carbon Particles to Environment

REDUCED Solid Waste Generation

REDUCED CO2 Emissions in ICE Forklifts

www.gritires.com

LONGER

Battery Life in Electric Forklifts

TMD FRICTION

24 | AUTOMOTIVE

TMD FRICTION

PLANT MANAGER TOM RUSSELL TALKS ABOUT HIS MANAGEMENT OF THE TMD FRICTION SITE IN HARTLEPOOL, HOW THE BRAKE PAD MANUFACTURER HAS DEALT WITH THE LATEST CHALLENGES AND ITS POSITIVE WORKING ETHOS.

SAFETY FIRST PROJECT MANAGED BY: DAVID GARNER

For over 135 years, TMD Friction has been supplying brake pads for passenger, commercial, racing and industry applications. The company has over 500 employees in the UK and is part of the Japanese-based Nisshinbo Group.

While its activities are global, Plant Manager Tom Russell is based in Hartlepool and feels that there is, as he describes it, a more “modern” feeling in how they operate.

R

ussell believes his role is vital in encouraging a smooth operation and positive working relationships within the business “As the plant manager, my job is to keep it simple.

Mainly it is about keeping people safe and keeping people employed. I look at how to make the business more sustainable as well as ensuring we invest in the right places and in the local area.”

CHALLENGES

Tom Russell, Plant Manager, Hartlepool, TMD Friction.

Like a lot of companies in the manufacturing sector, TMD Friction’s site in Hartlepool has had to deal with issues that have affected their supply chain and recruitment drive. “Like

a lot of companies, we have dealt with supply chain issues, with some orders taking longer than expected and costing a bit more. In addition to that, we have had to look at challenges with labour shortages, Covid-19, and inflationary pressures.

We also had to address some issues due to Brexit, given that half our product goes to the EU” Russell explains.

While these factors have proven challenging, the team at TMD Friction in Hartlepool has had to find ways to adapt, starting with the uncertainty that companies are having to look at post Brexit “When it came to dealing with Brexit issues, we have overcome these challenges by working as a team, dealing with paperwork and seeking out external knowledge to help address the problems that have come as a result.”

AUTOMOTIVE | 25

Contract Mixing | Technical Textiles | Recycling

Proudly based in the North-East of England, Aptec Products Ltd have been manufacturing different grades of mix for over 30 years, specialising in the Automotive, Rail, Gasket and Seal markets. Working closely with our customers we mix to their desired specifications and where necessary, provide on-site lab assistance.

Apart from our mixing facility, we also have a secondary arm to our business, where we manufacture technical fibers and fabrics. By sourcing fibers globally, we pride ourselves on having the ability to transform a fiber into a fabric. Using our expertise, we can very accurately blend different fibres to produce materials that are bespoke and suit our customer’s needs. The markets we commonly target are composite reinforcements, packing, automotive, seals and marine. We consider ourselves to be a fully vertically integrated textile plant.

www.aptecproducts.co.uk | enquires@aptecproducts.co.uk | +44 (0)1388 832321

Aptec Products has been a vital part of supplying TMD Friction for the past 20+ years. We are specialists when it comes to mixing dry powders. Using our team’s extensive knowledge, we fully understand our abilities and know the niches of the mixing market. We have supplied many different specifications to TMD Friction over the years and it has been interesting to see how the market has developed. In more recent times, the difficulties of COVID 19 have brought new challenges which we have never seen before; nevertheless, during the whole pandemic, we have always maintained supply.

Utilizing a well-established international supply chain, we plan, purchase and manufacturer mix. Our location is perfect for TMD Friction Hartlepool, being situated only 25 miles away. This allows us to work with TMD Friction and supply mix to fulfil a daily Kanban system, which subsequently enables Aptec Products and TMD Friction to have a streamlined stock holding. We also regularly manufacturer mix for other customers globally. Aptec Products is fully ISO 9001:2015 accredited meaning quality is always of the highest importance.

Through investment in machinery and people, we anticipate supply between Aptec Products and TMD Friction to grow and in fact recent investments by Aptec Products has enabled us to benefit the local community by increasing our manning capacity by 33%.

It is our expectation to continue to provide the best quality service to TMD Friction and we are proud to supply them and their subsidiary plants throughout the world. We expect our relationship with TMD Friction to prosper in 2022 and beyond.

We have a history in providing high quality products and have been based at our current site since 1966.

Northern Security’s highly successful, proactive approach has been built upon many years of experience in the management & application of security contracts across a broad spectrum of businesses & locations.

We are fully committed to creating secure partnerships with our clients & to providing total security management.

The security services we offer cover the complete range of requirements & encompass Security Personnel, Mobile Patrols, Alarm Response & Keyholding, Intruder Alarms, CCTV, Fire Alarms & Access Control Systems.

Should you wish to discuss anything of interest please contact us on: +44 (0)1388 832321 or email us at enquires@aptecproducts.co.uk www.aptecproducts.co.uk

BUSINESSFOCUSMAGAZINE.COM

+44 (0)1228 547 662 • enquiries@northernsecurityltd.co.uk

www.northernsecurityltd.co.uk

AUTOMOTIVE | 27

TMD FRICTION

Russell then goes on to describe ways of countering problems within the supply chain “With regards to the supply chain, we have a good team that is generally very accurate on when they can deliver. In general, one of the best ways to deal with these problems is with the right people working in the right direction.”

THE RIGHT PEOPLE

Russell is focused on the benefit of bringing in the right people to the workforce “A key part at the moment is raising the profile of the company, it helps if people know you and the vision you have for the business. We believe in keeping our workforce safe and that we have the best manufacturing site in the world.”

Furthermore, part of the attraction TMD Friction in Hartlepool can offer is the ability for people to be able to come in and shape the future of the company in the long term “Another way is through rigorous HR practises. A lot of what we are discussing with them is the journey with our company - now is a good time and it is possible to take on a role with a good deal of responsibility. Our factory is not the finished product, so there is a lot of opportunity there. We also offer degrees, apprenticeships, on the job training and leadership training.”

Increasingly, people are also looking at the quality of life that a company can offer and the mental health and wellbeing of his team is something that Russell believes needs to be looked after

From left to right: Apprentices Jack Fallow and Jonathan Davison.

28 | AUTOMOTIVE

BUSINESSFOCUSMAGAZINE.COM

GEM PARTNERSHIP Since our inception in 2009, GEM Partnership has strived to deliver an unparalleled recruitment service with the sole intention of solving organisations’ people challenges. Today we are a market-leading provider with a reputation forged on exceptional service delivery with a foothold across the North-East, providing large scale fully trained temporary and permanent candidates to a wide range of manufacturing facilities throughout the region.

We continue to work in partnership with our client, TMD Friction Hartlepool; over the last 8 years, we have built a strong relationship that has been founded on a bedrock of trust, commitment, and knowledge.

At GEM Partnership we are excited to continue growing with one of the world’s leading manufacturers within the automotive braking industry.

Our goal is to ensure TMD Friction Hartlepool receives outstanding recruitment and training services, underpinned by informed and valueadd consultancy. We deliver a 360-degree service bespoke to our client encompassing temporary and permanent recruitment, end-to-end assessment center provision, and training.

GEM Partnership also supports the delivery of TMD Friction Hartlepool’s apprenticeship programme and continued development of their workforce; working closely with the Learning and Development department we have been able to bridge skills gaps aligned to TMD’s business objectives.

In what are undoubtedly exciting plans for TMD’s Hartlpool site, GEM Partnership is proud to play a key role in their people development and look forward to our partnership going from strength to strength. www.gempartnership.com

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in order to create a better working environment. “It is also important to us that we support our local team with personal issues, being flexible where needed, something that was not really considered five years ago. We believe that more trust and clarity is important for the business – if you need to take the kids to school then you should be able to, this is a more modern way of doing things.”

A more modern way of doing this is also being considered in terms of automation “We are looking at ways of reducing the skills gap and automation is

something that may be able to plug the gap when we can’t get people in.”

CARE IN THE COMMUNITY

In terms of positive action and community engagement, TMD Friction is also involved in a number of community and charity projects in the local Hartlepool area “We do the usual charity events such as cake sales, raffles, wearing pink and so forth. On the external side, we are looking at more community projects like providing funding for local

schools to deal with drainage issues. We are also looking at our own initiatives, such as providing road safety lessons for children in local schools.”

For the last four years, the company has also sponsored the charity Miles for Men & Walk for Women’s annual 5k fun run.

The charity raises money that goes to causes such as Cancer Research UK and Hartlepool Hospice. Alongside the fun run, the charity organises a number of events throughout the year that companies like TMD Friction support.

TMD Friction, UK, Leadership team.

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TMD FRICTION

TMD Friction, Better Health at Work team.

This engagement is also something that Russell is looking to achieve within Hartlepool itself, effectively creating a more positive community feel in the company’s working environment “Our aim is to build a more modern, more positive organisation that empowers people from the shop floor to the top of management.

We are looking to change the perception of manufacturing as a rough, physical environment.

It is important that everyone feels we are one big team and we need this in order to continue to be a world-class company.”

In recent years, surveys have suggested that a major concern for people wishing to stay in a job or join another workforce is the nature of the company culture. What is admirable is that Russell believes his role is to nurture this atmosphere and encourage a more positive approach. In his words “I work for the shop floor.”

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AALBORG INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT

AALBORG INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT IS ESTABLISHING ITSELF AS A BENCHMARK FOR ENVIRONMENTALLY CONSCIOUS AIR TRAVEL.

GREENER SKIES PROJECT MANAGED BY: ROBERT NAPIER SMITH

Aalborg International Airport is based in the far north of Denmark, alongside the Royal Danish Air Force Transport Wing Aalborg. The airport operates flights to 33 destinations across Europe through scheduled flights, charter flights and leisure flights, and currently employs 260 staff.

Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, Aalborg International Airport served approximately 1.6 million passengers a year. It is an essential part of Denmark’s flight infrastructure, with its facilities handled entirely in-house.

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AALBORG INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT

W

e are very close to the city of Aalborg.

Infrastructure-wise we have a set-up where nothing is outsourced. All our activities are in-house from ramp handling to customerhandling, to providing food and beverages,” says Niels Hemmingsen, CEO of the airport.

Besides services to airlines, Aalborg boasts a direct rail connection, a huge parking area, and an independently owned airport hotel. The airport grounds even support a local police department, as well as a number of private jets.

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“We are also unique in the sense that if you look domestically the airport plays a huge role in traffic to and from Copenhagen,” Hemmingsen says.

In short, Aalborg International Airport is a vital piece of flight infrastructure, and so as the airport turns its attention towards the urgent and growing need for environmental sustainability, it is important to get it right.

“We have been driving hard to create a net-zero airport by 2025. That means we have electrified a lot of equipment at the airport, the lighting has switched over to LEDs,” Hemmingsen tells us.

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AALBORG INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT

The Danish Prime Minister, Mette Frederiksen, announced in her new year’s speech a target for Denmark to have 100% green flights by 2030. It is a bold, but not unsurmountable ambition. With Europe as a whole setting a 2055 target for greener aviation fuel, it is clear which way the wind is blowing.

“As far as how it’s possible we’re involved in several projects domestically to look at how to create the volumes of green fuels needed,” Hemmingsen says. “You can imagine there’s a lot of focus on the pricing element to this.

We and other airports are pitching hard to be among the first in 2025 and 2030 to be completely green. Everyone is aware of the discussions in this area in a social context. There is a very hard drive to show it

is possible to run an aviation business with green fuel going forward.”

A HOLISTIC APPROACH TO SUSTAINABILITY

Greener fuels are obviously an essential ingredient in any plan to make flight environmentally sustainable, but ultimately Aalborg International Airport is an airport, not an airline, and so that can only be a part of its focus.

“Green fuel is only one aspect of it, and that involves the airline.

When it comes to bringing the airport itself to net-zero we need to take into account all the stakeholders of the airport,” Hemmingsen says. “The question for the net-zero scenario is what can the airport itself do?”

The answer, it turns out, is “a lot”.

“WE HAVE BEEN DRIVING HARD TO CREATE A NET-ZERO AIRPORT BY 2025.”

“We have projects right now to offset some of the footprint we can’t get rid of. This will be done through biodiversity projects. The other part of the solution is that nationally there is a huge drive towards electrification around vehicles and transportation in general,” Hemmingsen tells us.

“This means we’re in the process of establishing infrastructure for fuelling up electrical cars at the airport. The airport will change, we do not just talk about CO2 emissions. We are changing and adapting to the future requirements that we see. There’s a lot of activity and it has a huge impact on the future of our airport.”

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AALBORG INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT

Achieving net-zero is a long process that requires carefully timed investments into equipment and processes.

“It’s a huge investment, and the challenge is very much about implementing that focus across the organisation and making it clear to the public that this is a drive for the future,” Hemmingsen says.

There are also economic concerns to bear in the mind, ensuring that the aviation sector can remain economically viable as well as environmentally sustainable.

“In terms of green aviation fuel, it is important that we are able to reach a pricing level competitive with existing fuel prices,” Hemmingsen tells us.

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AALBORG INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT

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AALBORG INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT

“At the end of the day if you have green fuel available but the pricing is a factor two, three or four higher compared to traditional fuel prices, the question is who will have to pay for this excess pricing? There will be an interim phase where you need pricing models that are sustainable for the aviation business as a whole. This will be an international issue.”

Aalborg International Airport is going right to the source to address these issues, looking into creating plants to produce the aviation fuel needed.

“The airport plays just one role here, providing infrastructure.

There’s an investment to be made, technologies to look into, various ways of creating sustainable solutions,” Hemmingsen acknowledges.

“The other challenge for us is continuing our drive and making the investments needed to adjust our carbon output. Right now, I am negotiating different ways to offset the last part of

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AALBORG INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT

our carbon emissions. We are a part of the ACI group working with this and for us. This is the challenge going forward right now. We are ensuring our stakeholders are doing similar work in offsetting everything that they do. This is what we’re working with right now.”

Sustainable flight is an international challenge, and so to respond to it Hemmingsen is keen for the airport to become more international on a strategic level.

“We’re not a major airport like the capital airports, but we’re a secondary airport, we have certain capacities and

we’re working hard on using our position with our close links to the North Atlantic area,” he says. “We’re very focused on the activities going on in Greenland, Iceland, and we have certain industries in the northern part of Denmark that are very interlinked in this region. I truly believe an international airport should have links overseas and this is something we’re working on.”

The aviation industry ten years from now may look very different from the industry today, but Aalborg International Airport shows how it can be a strong one.

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AALBORG AIRPORT INTERNATIONAL GATEWAY

TO THE CENTER OF SCANDINAVIA

OSLO STOCKHOLM

AALBORG

COPENHAGEN

CHERRY CAPITAL AIRPORT

AS THINGS RETURN TO NORMAL, CHERRY CAPITAL AIRPORT IS A GATEWAY TO A FANTASTIC TOURISM DESTINATION AND AN EXCITING BUSINESS HUB.

THE CHERRY ON TOP PROJECT MANAGED BY: RASH UDDIN

Charry Capital Airport is the third-largest airport in the state of Michigan for passengers, named because the state is the world’s leading producer of Montmorency tart cherries.

From there, northern lower Michigan has become known as a great agricultural tourism location.

O

ur main driver of business is leisure tourism because we have so many outdoor recreational activities that many people can participate in, from the sleeping bear dunes, wineries, golf, our hiking, kayaking, and fishing,” says Kevin Klein, Executive Director of the airport. “It’s a great four-season destination.”

Cherry Capital Airport is served by four great airlines, Allegiant, America, Delta and United, providing 17 non-stop flights to cities across the United States. The airport facility itself has six gates that operate all those destinations.

“When you look at our terminal design, it’s a Frank Lloyd Wright northern Michigan resort-type feeling, complete with even a fireplace!” points out Klein.

Cherry Capital Airport’s runways serve the entire narrow-body fleet of all its airlines, with two runways,

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7,015 feet and 5,378 feet long respectively. As well as great facilities, Cherry Capital Airport is also home to great tenants including a fixed-base operator AV Flight, that provides services for general aviation aircraft, minor maintenance, catering, rental cars and more. The airport is also home to 45 North aircraft charters, North Flight air ambulance service, and the United States Coast Guard, who operate search and rescue operations across the Great Lakes from here.

“We have Northwestern Michigan College who has an aviation program operating out of here to train pilots, and another flight school called Giving Wings Aviation,” Klein tells us. “We have the Cherry Country Café and Gifts gift shop that provides home-cooked soups and local cherry flavours, and we boast every major car rental service, all here at the facility.”

SECRET MICHIGAN

While the airport has much to offer, speaking with Klein it is clear he also has a great deal of enthusiasm for the region beyond it.

“It’s a great destination. Our peak months for passenger traffic are May, June, July August, September, and October, when we have temperatures from the upper 60s in May to the low 80s in July. We have a fantastic range of temperatures, but also being in an eastern time zone, on the western side, means we have the longest days,” he says.

“You can start playing golf as the sun rises at 6 am and play until 10 pm at night. That puts us on the 45th parallel, the perfect parallel for fruit including grapes for award-winning wine, so we’re very thankful for that.”

Following a troubled pandemic, Cherry Capital Airport rose to set passenger records in 2021, and its latest challenges include growing demand as things return to normal and people want to come to Michigan to enjoy the outdoors and be in the company of friends and family while safely socially distancing.

CHERRY CAPITAL AIRPORT

Kevin Klein, Executive Director of Cherry Capital Airport.

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BELLAIRE EXPLORE NORTHERN MICHIGAN

STAY SHOP DINE PLAY

BELLAIRE AREA CHAMBER OF COMMERCE Fun fact! Bellaire is only a short drive from Traverse City and Cherry Capital Airport. Thirty-five miles to be exact. Nestled in the Chain of Lakes, the Bellaire Chamber of Commerce works to promote this wonderful area of Northern Michigan and all it has to offer. Get to know Bellaire by visiting our unique shops, places to eat and drink, traditional movie theater, and much more. This small town is the perfect day-into-evening destination. We have numerous accommodations including award-winning Bed & breakfasts, motels, inns, resorts, cabins, and campgrounds. Bellaire is a great place to visit no matter what time of year! Picture this: 16 hours and 51 minutes of visible daylight. On the summer solstice - the longest day of the year – that’s how much the sun shines in Bellaire. With the sun rising at 5:54 am. And setting after 10 p.m. How many things could you do in northern Michigan in one day? Crisp fall evenings turn the entire countryside into a brilliant blaze of color. Take a color tour by car or boat through the Chain of Lakes. In the fall the fishing and hunting in Antrim County are plentiful. There was a time when winter in the north saw many small communities “close shop”…not today.

Winter now finds a beehive of activity with most shops, restaurants, and entertainment remaining open. The now provides so many options for the outdoor lovers who ski, snowboard, snowmobile, bike, skate, snowshoe, and ice fish.

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CHERRY CAPITAL AIRPORT

“Having the aircraft availability and crews to fly them is our biggest challenge,” Klein points out.

While demand is healthy, Klein is also keen to be an advocate for Michigan and all it has to offer.

“Northern Michigan is a secret to a lot of people. Most people think of Michigan as Detroit, and the industrial areas around there, but do not know about our streams, rivers, and forest areas,” enthuses Klein. “We have a compelling marketing campaign called Pure Michigan, talking about all that Michigan has to offer. We employ different avenues to get the word out, primarily targeting our 17 non-stop destinations. We use digital marketing in those areas, as well as traditional marketing advertising in print, radio, and television. Our focus recently has been digital marketing social media campaigns, partnering with those communities.”

Charry Capital has the added challenge that it must spread the word using the marketing budget of a small airport. Its marketing spend is usually within the region of $450,000 a year, for which Klein expects a three-to-one return, if not more.

“NORTHERN MICHIGAN IS A SECRET TO A LOT OF PEOPLE.” The secret is receiving a lift from Michigan’s vibrant cultural life.

“We’ve had travel writers come in and participate, and we’re known in our region for festivals,” Klein says. “We have the National Cherry Festival that celebrates the cherry industry.

We partner with most festivals and take that information out to these other communities to bring people in for our events.

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CHERRY CAPITAL AIRPORT

Then there is the Traverse City Film Festival Michael Moore puts on, the Great Lakes Equestrian Festival which is international now. We’ll take these events and promote them in those communities where they are of interest.”

Klein’s advocacy for the region has also had an impact on those who collaborate with him.

"Cherry Capital Airport is proud of its collaborative efforts through regional partners including the many destination marketing organizations to the likes of Traverse City Tourism, Gaylord All Outdoors Visitors Bureau, Destination Bellaire, Charlevoix, Petoskey and historic Mackinac Island Convention and Visitors Bureaus. Together with their premier resort and hotel properties we are able to celebrate all that our northern Michigan region has to offer guests coming from all over the globe ready to enjoy our awardwinning recreation opportunities.

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From the Grand Traverse Resort, just minutes from the TVC runway to Gaylord’s Golf Mecca premier golf resort Treetops Resort guests will enjoy perfectly manicured golf links celebrating golf designers to the likes of Palmer, Nicklaus, Robert Trent Jones, and Donald Ross."

Adding the attraction of northern Michigan is the vibrant business economy that draws awardwinning medical and healthcare professionals, technology, and manufacturing in addition to one of a kind world-class businesses like Hagerty Insurance which specialises in vintage auto and marine insurance and employs over 1,000 community members.

Manufacturers like East Jordan Iron Works which exports its products internationally are also key ingredients to the success of the region’s economy.

“The airport is an asset necessary to continue to grow our business economy,” Klein noted.

“Without question, without Kevin’s leadership within the community, these initiatives Kevin spoke so passionately about would not have happened,” says Susan Wilcox Olson Media & Marketing Manager of TVC- Cherry Capital Airport.

THE WELCOMING PARTY

Of course, it takes a team of people with the right skills, qualities, and attitude to keep Cherry Capital going. The airlines recruit pilots and flight crews from the local college and flight school that offers a pipeline of talent.

“THE AIRPORT IS AN ASSET NECESSARY TO CONTINUE TO GROW OUR BUSINESS ECONOMY.” BUSINESSFOCUSMAGAZINE.COM

CHERRY CAPITAL AIRPORT

“It has been a struggle to get talent in the industry. We are working closely with the American Association of Airport Executives to recruit talent,” Klein says. “Recently we’ve hired a new airport engineer that is a longstanding member of those organisations. We have also brought in a new CFO, and they provide training and accreditation for those businesses to promote our longevity at the airport.”

Cherry Capital itself offers a plethora of incentives to new staff.

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“We really have something here for everyone, higher pay, flexible hours, we offer a flexible schedule. We meet people’s demands. We’ve been doing a lot of recruiting and training in that regard,” Klein explains.

“Through Covid we partnered with Michigan Health and Human Services, offering testing inside the facility for passengers and employees, offer vaccinations in the terminal. That is part of our toolbox to show our people that they’re working in a healthy and safe environment and that lets our passengers see that as well.”

Looking to the future of Cherry Capital Airport, Klein is clearly optimistic. There are plans to get the airport to 10 or 15 gates within the next five years, with brand new air carrier ramps and taxiways, a new instrument landing system, for a new aircraft approach to the airport for low visibility weather.

“The future is really bright for us,” he says. “When we look at the airport, we had a record year and when I look at the airport industry and compare other airports to us many consultants are looking at our growth. We want to be a leisure destination airport. We are also very business focused and that continues to grow.

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EDMONTON INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT

VICE-PRESIDENT MYRON KEEHN TALKS ABOUT EDMONTON INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT, ITS PLANS FOR SUSTAINABLE EXPANSION, & THE COMMUNITY SPIRIT THE COMPANY ENCOURAGES.

THE COMMUNITY

AIRPORT

PROJECT MANAGED BY: JAMIE SIVYER

Myron Keehn spoke about the strong vision for the future of the Edmonton International Airport (EIA) and how the airport will help to spur advances in sustainable transportation and economic development. “Edmonton International Airport (EIA) is a not-for-profit. We are not a typical airport. Our job is to drive economic development and create jobs in Edmonton and Canada as a whole. My role is to drive air service and all revenue-related business development as well as stakeholder relations and ESG,” he states.

O

ne issue that has concerned people about air travel is sustainability. This is something that Keehn believes EIA can address, both as a company and in partnership with other organisations. “Sustainability is the biggest issue we are facing after COVID-19. We are the only major airport signed on to The Climate Pledge, co-founded by Amazon and Global Optimism, in a commitment to net zero carbon by 2040. We are also in partnership with Air Canada, which is the first sustainability partnership between an airport and airline globally, to reduce carbon emissions and advance a sustainable and green aviation sector. This includes the electrification of aviation equipment, replacements of single-use plastics with plant fibre, and using drones

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for e-commerce and cargo delivery,” Keehn explains.

EIA’s sustainability activities go beyond airport operations.

What’s unique about EIA is that we have taken our large landmass and developed what we call the Airport City Sustainability Campus. This is an integrated ecosystem that spurs collaboration and innovation and fosters the commercialization of emerging clean technologies.

“In partnership with Alpin Sun, we will have the world’s largest airport-based solar farm. The airport only needs so much energy, the rest goes toward low carbon energy for the community. When we look at what we build or how we build, we embed ESG principles in all our decision making. We always strive to be as sustainable as possible,” Keehn says. EIA has

EDMONTON INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT

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CENTURY MILE RACETRACK AND CASINO! WELCOME TO CENTURY MILE RACETRACK AND CASINO! Established in April 2019, Century Mile has since made its mark on the Edmonton entertainment scene, providing a first-class racing entertainment center with a variety of casino gaming, dining, and horse racing opportunities year-round.

As the premier destination for racing fans, Century Mile is home to Thoroughbred, Standardbred and Quarter Horse racing, headlined by the prestigious Canadian Derby. Get close to the action and cheer on your favourite horses from the outdoor apron, experience the excitement while enjoying a gourmet buffet meal from The Finish Line Restaurant, or take your event to the next level with a selection of private, customizable suites complete with floorto-ceiling windows and a panoramic view. The racetrack allows fans of all ages to join in on the festivities. Century Mile is proud to be the only one-mile Class-A racetrack in Western Canada and boasts one of the longest homestretches in North America.

Inside the spacious casino, guests will find an extensive selection of over 590 slots, VLTs and electronic table games. With everything from the classic hits to the latest and greatest slot game themes, as well as an off-track betting lounge, there is something for everyone to enjoy. No visit will be complete without a stop at The Derby Restaurant to kick back, relax, and enjoy a delicious meal or a tasty beverage.

Located next to the Edmonton International Airport, Century Mile Racetrack and Casino is easily accessible from the QEII highway or by the EIA On-Airport Transit.

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ONE PROPERTIES As a real estate investment firm that develops and manages high-quality assets with longstanding roots in Western Canada, ONE Properties is proud to partner with Edmonton International Airport (EIA) and support their efforts on the new Airport City Sustainability Campus. As property manager for EIA’s existing land-side tenants, ONE helps improve EIA’s services and enhance the value of their real estate assets. This partnership will enable economic opportunities, attract investments and deliver long-term impact for the Edmonton Metropolitan Region.

“At ONE Properties, we understand the importance of EIA to the Edmonton economy and recognize the value that ONE Properties can contribute to optimizing the EIA’s real estate portfolio to support its growth objectives and business plan,” says Kimberlie Garraway, Vice President, Property Management at ONE Properties.

Airport City Solar, developed by Alpin Sun, Sun, is a 120MW solar facility designed on Edmonton International Airport premises to sit at the forefront of the airline industry decarbonization.

Alpin Sun is an experienced solar developer with a 4GW pipeline in the USA & Canada.

This partnership is an opportunity to make further inroads in the Edmonton market, building on ONE’s existing portfolio that includes ICE District, Edmonton Tower and numerous retail and industrial properties. Amid the rise in demand for industrial real estate, ONE has seen remarkable success in the Alberta market, with 6.3M sq. ft. of real estate currently under construction. ONE recognizes that every project boosts our economy and creates demand for jobs, ensuring thriving communities for Albertans.

ONE Properties offers an integrated approach, from development and asset management to leasing and property management. With a focus on industrial, multi-use properties and purpose-built rentals, ONE remains true to our values of integrity, collaboration, and alignment - and that starts with our valued partnerships. www.oneproperties.com

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www.alpin-sun.de

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EDMONTON INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT

also recently partnered with Innovative Fuel Systems (IFS) and KAG Canada to become more energy-efficient, with IFS’ technology reported to reduce certain emissions in heavy-duty trucks by 45 per cent.

BUILDING A COMMUNITY

Keehn believes the company is well-poised to lead and demonstrate a green and sustainable aviation sector, “We want air travel to be done responsibly and sustainably.

We want to help drive forward systemic change.”

The world is changing.

Businesses globally are rebuilding and evolving. During the COVID-19 pandemic, we looked at our processes to adapt and position ourselves for the post-COVD recovery.

Aviation will be different after COVID and our airport is looking towards the future,” he states.

Improving processes also apply to how they look at potential employees. “Our team is the secret sauce – I always say as a good leader you work for the team, not the other way round. Any success comes from building the right team - people can be trained in terms of skills, but they need to have the right attitude and values to do what is best for the community and business. We are looking to grow and develop careers that in turn contribute to the community around us, making EIA a positive place to work. We want people to feel they are part of something bigger,” Keehn explains.

Keehn is not just passionate about the airport, but also Edmonton as a whole.

“Edmonton as a city is a melting pot with over 1.4 million people speaking over 100 languages.

There are a lot of young, highly educated people out there and it is so enlightening to meet different people,” he says.

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EDMONTON INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT

PROVIDING SUPPORT

While a lot of companies provide charity and community support, EIA is proactive when it comes to giving back. “EIA supports over 100 organisations, including shelters for vulnerable women and children. For example, our retail partners recently donated backpacks while our catering partners provided food donations to the local food bank. We have drivers that provide transportation for senior citizens and children who need to get to school,” Keehn outlines.

There is also a dedication to improving aspirations for people in the local area, including women, people from an ethnic minority background, and Indigenous Peoples. “We are partnering with our local Indigenous communities as well as encourage creative talent through our art program

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Based in Toronto, Terracap is a fully integrated owner, developer and operator of over 5 million sq. ft. of high-quality real estate assets across North America. Founded by Larry Krauss in 1989, Terracap has successfully completed over 100 real estate deals across North America, including multi-residential properties, development lands, retail, office, industrial and hotel properties.

Keeping you in the air… from the ground up!

www.efcaviation.ca

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www.efcdev.ca

www.agft.ca

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TERRACAP In early 2012, Terracap entered a long-term land lease to construct a new, 50,000 sq. ft., state-of-the-art, air cargo handling facility located at the Edmonton International Airport. The cargo facility is designed such that aircraft can roll up to the facility on a strengthened apron designed to accommodate large aircraft and offload cargo directly into the facility.

Terracap prides itself on its relationship with great tenants such as Purolator, DHL, and Cargojet. In 2019, a second building was completed to accommodate Air Canada. A third building consisting of 60,000 square feet is currently under construction and occupancy is anticipated for May 2023 providing additional airside access to the new Apron #8 cargo space.

EDMONTON INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT

by giving them a platform that they may not otherwise have. We have also worked on encouraging entrepreneurship, including within the Indigenous community,” Keehn further explains.

Terracap is involved in several exciting new developments, including the development of two mixed-use commercial, hotel, and luxury residential towers in highly attractive locations in downtown Toronto. Terracap is also a partner in One Bear Mountain, an upscale development project located in Greater Victoria, BC, where we will be delivering a rich array of “live, work, play” amenities, including a recreational golf course with 36 Nicklaus-designed holes.

Terracap’s, mission is to secure high-quality investment opportunities for its investors across diverse geographic markets and is delighted to be a part of outstanding projects that are committed to providing a retail and lifestyle experience that delivers the finest in unique shopping and living experiences. www.terracap.ca

EXECUTIVE FLIGHT CENTRE

Executive Flight Centre is pleased and proud to be a partner with Edmonton International Airport! The EFC Group of companies provides a broad array of services at the EIA and throughout Canada. Our mission is to provide excellent service to all customers in the aviation industry by focusing on safety, quality, and customer service.

Executive Flight Centre Aviation EFC Aviation covers the full scope of aircraft services, from fueling to ground handling to hangar facilities. We are constantly evolving and elevating our standards to remain at the forefront of our industry and to ensure our customers are receiving EFC’s “Blue Carpet” service.

EFC Aviation specializes in: • Fueling: Into plane, bulk, and remote • Ground & passenger handling • Fixed Base Operations (FBO) • Air cargo • Aerodrome management www.efcaviation.ca EFC Developments EFC Developments specializes in real estate development and construction, facility maintenance, and property management. We strive to bring growth to our construction and development community while helping our clients bring their visions to reality. www.efcdev.ca Aviation Ground Fueling Technologies (AGFT) AGFT is a one-stop-shop for aviation fueling systems, parts, and service.

We also supply certified mechanics for your vehicle and equipment repairs.

We are committed to providing cutting-edge fueling solutions and service to customers across Canada. Our knowledge and experience within the aviation fueling industry make us the ideal choice for your fuel system design, build, and servicing. www.agft.ca

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Keehn also states how EIA has created a “living lab” for new and emerging businesses to pilot and test their technologies and ideas.

“While I am proud of working for the airport, I am most proud of the five business incubators we have on-site. We have dedicated 170,000 square feet specifically to help businesses grow and scale-up. We have an ecosystem with companies from all sectors, including food, pharma, and autonomous systems. We also started the Ag-celerator, which is a certified food production and contract packaging (copack) with a business and market development accelerator for growing food companies. We are also using the space to empower more women and minorities to pursue careers in aviation in partnership with Elevate Aviation, so they can explore career paths such as air traffic controller, pilot, maintenance engineer and so forth,” he states.

AVIATION | 53

EDMONTON INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT

A BETTER FUTURE

While the last few years have been challenging, Keehn is optimistic in terms of the future, both for EIA and Edmonton as a whole. “Working with great partners is key to making this brighter future a reality.

We strive to make our airport campus a destination of its own.

Hotels, restaurants, recreation, shopping, and entertainment including Century Mile Casino, a premier destination for horse racing fans holding thoroughbred and standardbred racing year-round, make EIA a must-visit for travellers as well as members of our community.

“In the three years before COVID-19, our ecosystem resulted in 13,000 new jobs. We have attracted over CAD 1.5 billion in private investment. Now things are starting to get back to normal, our major ambition is to decouple growth from emissions. We use an ESG approach to our business development of EIA’s Airport City Sustainability Campus.

Developers such as Pannattoni and Terracap as well as property managers ONE Properties are instrumental partners in the development of our campus.

Their commitment and quality service deliver exceptional results that align with our sustainable goals for our future developments and tenants.

Edmonton is the second largest airspace in the world with uncongested facilities. We are one of the fastest-growing cargo airports in Canada.

Partners including Executive Flight Centre, provide the facilities and services required to move not only passengers but cargo as well, ensuring the reliable movement of goods in the dynamic world of shipping and logistics. EIA plays a critical role in global supply chains as a major hub for the movement of medical

54 | AVIATION

supplies, food, and e-commerce across North America and into remote communities and the Canadian North. With our cargo developments, we are also helping businesses by providing lower-cost air capacity to access global markets,” he explains.

“In 2021, EIA became the first Canadian airport with scheduled drone cargo delivery. EIA is at the forefront of modernizing logistics by integrating innovations in drones and other emerging technologies in our cargo hub to strengthen global supply chains.”

In recent times, EIA has achieved a few significant milestones. Growth is important for Keehn and EIA but he believes that this will not come at the cost of increased emissions.

“Before COVID-19 and for the past 20 years, we have created an energy management program to reduce emissions.

For example, we cut the energy intensity of the air terminal building by 50%, while doubling the size of the building. We have co-generation units on site that reduce our emissions by 20%. We are also incorporating

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EDMONTON INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT

other sustainable initiatives, such as nature-based solutions, hydrogen, and hemp. We have been doing this for a long time and are leading the way to green airport operations globally,” Keehn strongly emphasises.

Ultimately, Keehn believes that EIA represents a community and that everyone can play their part as he finally states, “The old cliché is true it takes a village to raise a child!

EIA is not simply a regional transportation utility; rather, it also serves as a key economic driver. Our ecosystem fosters innovation and the opportunity for local companies to expand and access new markets as well as attract private investment partners who share the same core values and promote clean growth for a prosperous future.”

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AVIATION | 55

FLUGHAFEN FRIEDRICHSHAFEN GMBH

BODENSEE AIRPORT’S HISTORY GOES BACK TO THE EARLIEST DAYS OF AVIATION, BUT IT IS ALSO A MODEL OF THE INDUSTRY’S FUTURE.

FLIGHT TO THE FUTURE PROJECT MANAGED BY: RASH UDDIN

56 | AVIATION

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FLUGHAFEN FRIEDRICHSHAFEN GMBH

Friedrichshafen is an area rich with history for the aviation industry. Bodensee Airport, a small international airport and the southernmost airport in Germany, is the second oldest airport in the country, situated on the banks of Lake Constance. This is where the first Zeppelins were designed, created and launched. It is also the home to the headquarters of one of the biggest automotive suppliers in the world.

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W

e have got a lot of history here and it is home to lots of companies linked with aviation.

The region is one of five aviation clusters in Germany.

The industry is well known here in aviation history,” says ClausDieter Wehr, CEO of Flughafen Friedrichshafen GmbH. “We have always been a small airport, but prior to the Covid-19 pandemic we had a good traffic pattern, which is necessary for the many globally acting companies in this region.”

While Flughafen Friedrichshafen is not the biggest airport, its agility and efficiency mean it can punch above its weight.

“Being small means being quick! Our passengers don’t have to queue for a long time during the processes of checkin and security control,” Wehr points out. “We have short waits, a train station directly in front of the terminal building, access to public transportation and we are easily reachable by car. As a small airport, we have flights to Frankfurt several times a day,

AVIATION | 57

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FLUGHAFEN FRIEDRICHSHAFEN GMBH

giving us access to a worldwide hub. Before the pandemic we had a daily connection to Istanbul, giving us connections to two hubs.”

Of course, the pandemic has had a significant impact here as it has across the aviation industry, but recovery is ongoing.

“Turkish airlines have not been back since the start of the Covid crisis, but we’re in good contact with them and they have an organisation here locally. They are linked to the region and are active directly here. Lufthansa resumed operation to their Frankfurt hub already last year and secures overseas connections with one transfer by several flights per day,” Wehr says. “There are different traffic patterns, with touristic flights going out to all the warm water destinations. We have a special traffic scheme in winter, especially for the UK. We are an entry point for ski tourists going to the outback region in Austria, mainly the Arlberg region.

Not only do we serve the German part of our region but also Austria, Liechtenstein and the eastern part of Switzerland.”

Claus-Dieter Wehr, CEO of Flughafen Friedrichshafen GmbH.

TAKING OFF AGAIN

Flughafen Friedrichshafen’s first challenge post-pandemic is to recover the traffic levels it lost due to Covid-19.

“This is very important for the future of the airport and the region,” Wehr insists. “We are in daily contact with our clients, the airlines, and tour operators.

We’re being trustworthy and transparent with our clients, rebuilding our connections with Lufthansa to Frankfurt.

We’re using our contacts in the travel management of the corporations to identify their needs when they occur, and then linking them via the airport to our airlines and tour operators.”

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Flughafen Friedrichshafen uses its direct contact with travel offices in the region to promote its traffic offering, this year hoping to be successful in stabilising at two daily flights to Frankfurt.

“Before Covid, we were at four flights a day. So, we’re looking to increase that hopefully to three in the summer period,” Wehr

says. “We want to regain the whole touristic pattern we had prior to the pandemic, with daily flights to Palma de Mallorca in the summer season, and four weekly flights to Heraklion and Rhodes each. Just to mention some examples of leisure destinations. We’re gaining new destinations- it’s now all dependent on the bookings!”

AVIATION | 59

FLUGHAFEN FRIEDRICHSHAFEN GMBH

As well as ensuring the footfall the airport needs, Wehr is also looking at the airport’s performance overall.

“We must secure our financial performance, operations-wise.

Before the pandemic, we had black figures in our operational results, so this is very important to the region,” he says.

SUSTAINABLE FLIGHT

But as Wehr points out, this is about more than ensuring a healthy balance sheet. The airport needs room to invest to prepare for the next major challenge affecting the aviation sector.

“If you’re burning money in the operational side of the business it means you lack money for all other necessary activities in the future, such as the measures we’d like to implement with regard to climate change,” Wehr explains.

60 | AVIATION

Flughafen Friedrichshafen has already taken steps to address this challenge, but it is only the beginning.

“Before the pandemic we had implemented changes to our apron illumination, switching to LED bulbs. We as well exchanged all the illumination on the runways and taxiways to LED, saving a lot of energy,” Wehr recounts.

“Right now, we are changing areas in the airport where the lighting systems see the most use, such as security control, to LEDs. We have started to invest in electricdriven tractors for baggage transportation. Right now, we have five of them in operation, but we are increasing the number to eight.”

The airport is focusing on implementing measures to make its vehicles more environmentally friendly while

also looking into installing a solar panel system at its parking lots, although that’s still in the planning and assessment phase.

“We’re targeting the energy consumption of our buildings,” Wehr tells us. “Our target is to be climate neutral by 2045.”

“WE’RE TARGETING THE ENERGY CONSUMPTION OF OUR BUILDINGS, OUR TARGET IS TO BE CLIMATE NEUTRAL BY 2045.”

THE COURSE AHEAD

While Wehr clearly has great plans, he also acknowledges that we are in unpredictable times right now.

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FLUGHAFEN FRIEDRICHSHAFEN GMBH

“From my point of view, the future depends on how demand develops.

We’re good at creating the necessary offering, the question is how these offers are used here in the region,” he says. “It’s difficult to judge how people will act or react in discussions on climate change, and how negative for the climate the aviation business is. What we see is demand is there, and people are willing to travel because they could not travel during the pandemic. The question is how this will stabilise in 2023, 2024, and 2025.”

Flughafen Friedrichshafen is doing what it can in terms of climate activities, but as an

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airport, it can only perform part of what needs to be an industrywide effort.

“We can’t influence what aircraft are used, for instance.

Customers should accept the industry is working on improving the climate footprint, but this will not be a quick win, just because of the technical challenges the industry is facing,” Wehr tells us.

“We can’t force airlines to invest in electrical aircraft, but we’re following what’s going on in terms of technical innovations, and we’re in contact with the air taxi innovators like Lilium and Volocopter and innovative ideas coming up to offer climate neutral flights.”

Whatever the future for Flughafen Friedrichshafen looks like Wehr knows there is one thing he can depend on.

“The most important aspect of the company is its people. Without a good staff it’s impossible to provide good services to clients and passengers,” he tells us.

“We’re a small team here at the airport, which is astonishing from my point of view. We have been through difficult times the last two years, but we still have all hands on deck. We were going through already challenging times before the pandemic, so I personally think this crisis has shown how stable we are, and the level of challenges we can handle.”

AVIATION | 61

CMC NETWORKS

AS AFRICA’S FIRST AI-DRIVEN TELECOM PROVIDER, CMC NETWORKS IS MAKING WAVES ACROSS THE INDUSTRY.

ONE STEP AT A TIME PROJECT MANAGED BY: JOHN HOLLIMAN

We’ve looked at CMC Networks before. The global telecommunications carrier has a 30-year track record operating the largest pan-African network, serving 51 of the continent’s 54 countries while also extending its reach to the Middle East and Western Asia. The company’s C-RAN™ Rapid Adaptive Network has helped it to secure a unique position in the market. The key to C-RAN™, powered

by Juniper 128 Technology, is that it not only automates and drives the company’s internal digital transformation but also creates a platform for customers to deploy and service chain their SDx capabilities across Africa and beyond.

W

hen we last talked with CMC the company had a lot planned, including a brand-new feature further enhancing the CMC C-RAN™ solution - called STEP (Services and Topology Exchange Protocol). This gamechanger, in its roll-out phase at the time, used artificial intelligence capabilities to learn network topology and the services attached to the network. STEP would then use this data to work out the optimal path for connecting users, departments or branches to those services.

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Since our last interview, the world has seen eventful times, including the continuing global pandemic, but for CMC it has also been an exciting period, as CEO Marisa Trisolino explains when we speak to her.

“It has been a year packed with energy, ideas, momentum, and key milestones. We weathered the global pandemic and despite facing this challenge and juggling the consequences of working remotely and virtually for close to two years, we as a company are more united and stronger than ever,” Trisolino tells us. “The pandemic

made us re-adjust and prioritise and drive key deliverables, and at the same time playing a juggling act in ensuring our staff lead a balanced lifestyle – as challenging as it is today.”

A SAT-NAV FOR DATA

Trisolino is justifiably proud of what CMC Networks has accomplished over the last year, with two key achievements standing out from the crowd.

The first is that CMC has continued to drive innovation even further than before, working closely with Juniper 128T to position CMC Networks as the first AI-driven Telecom provider in Africa while building on its work with C-RAN and STEP. “We have now taken it a ‘step’ further, in that we leveraged the intelligence of Juniper’s Session Smart™ Routers – this new feature further enhances the C-RAN solution - it ups our game in our service delivery world by standardising on Juniper Networks’ STEP across our footprint in Africa in The Middle East,” Trisolino explains.

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CMC NETWORKS

Marisa Trisolino, CEO, CMC Networks.

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COMMUNICATION & TECHNOLOGY | 63

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“To break it down in laymen’s terms – let me compare STEP to [Google’s satellite navigation software] Waze. It provides a similar function to Waze in the real-world traffic management use case. Just like Waze would have visibility and indicate the least congested routes when it comes to auto traffic, STEP can automatically select paths based on least congestion, shortest path, cost-effectiveness, and availability.”

“THE PANDEMIC MADE US RE-ADJUST AND PRIORITISE AND DRIVE KEY DELIVERABLES, AND AT THE SAME TIME PLAYING A JUGGLING ACT IN ENSURING OUR STAFF LEAD A BALANCED LIFESTYLE.” This is a game-changer in the SDN (Software-Defined Networking world. It gives CMC’s customers the best SDWAN experience – high performing, and secure. Juniper has recently integrated their Session Smart Routers into their WAN assurance cloud platform called MIST. MIST offers powerful AI-driven capabilities such as service level expectations (SLEs), predictive and granular insights, baseline anomaly detection and troubleshooting automation.

STEP and MIST work hand in hand to deliver the ultimate user experience and service assurance an SD-WAN can deliver.

“It’s pretty much second to none in Africa and the Middle East,” Trisolino tells us.

While CMC’s technical achievements are impressive, talking to Trisolino it is also clear how proud she is of CMC’s

COMMUNICATION & TECHNOLOGY | 65

CMC NETWORKS

“AT THE END OF THE DAY, IT’S THE DEDICATION & RELENTLESS DRIVE FROM INDIVIDUALS AT CMC NETWORKS THAT ARE THE HEARTBEAT OF THE COMPANY.”

66 | COMMUNICATION & TECHNOLOGY

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CMC NETWORKS

other biggest achievement of the last year – achieving Level 1 B-BBEE status for the second year in a row.

“This is ongoing commitment aligns our operational plans to our transformation objectives, plus this status offer tangible benefits to CMC’s Customers,” she tells us. “It is a clear demonstration of our ongoing commitment to a meaningful transformation in South Africa, the growth of the economy and playing our part in tackling youth unemployment and skills development to uplift local communities.”

“IT IS A CLEAR DEMONSTRATION OF OUR ONGOING COMMITMENT TO A MEANINGFUL TRANSFORMATION IN SOUTH AFRICA, THE GROWTH OF THE ECONOMY AND PLAYING OUR PART IN TACKLING YOUTH UNEMPLOYMENT AND SKILLS DEVELOPMENT TO UPLIFT LOCAL COMMUNITIES.”

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THE HEARTBEAT OF A COMPANY

These achievements have been realised while taking the company through the pandemic and ensuring it maintains a key focus on its customers. In difficult circumstances, CMC has been making sure its services are implemented flawlessly, with the highest security, and as little interruption as possible from the global supply chain shortages. What’s more, CMC has done this while ensuring the morale among its workforce stays high.

“At the end of the day, it’s the dedication and relentless drive from individuals at CMC Networks that are the heartbeat of the company,” Trisolino insists.

CMC has managed this by pressing for increased communication and flexibility among its staff. Communicating on focus areas, sharing numbers, bringing in teams to share their concerns, achievements, and personal goals helped everyone weigh up the day and understand that they are in these unprecedented times as a team.

“Importantly we ensured all our business units spread across the globe are technically well equipped, with easy access to all our systems,” Trisolino recounts. “Then as a teambuilding effort, back In April 2021 the company embarked on a 365-Day Virtual CMC Networks Africa Challenge, where we as

a company aim to run, walk, cycle, and move our way across Africa and the Middle East from April 2021 to March 2022. This allows employees of all fitness levels to log their activity, be it navigating the rocky trails on their mountain bikes or enjoying a walk.”

When we speak to Trisolino, CMC Networks is 302 Days into its 365-Day Virtual CMC Networks Africa Challenge, which is 80% complete and still going strong.

“This initiative has certainly helped drive the team with a fun common purpose,” Trisolino points out.

It is a common purpose and drive that will see CMC build on what it has achieved already to reach new heights.

“We will continue to make significant investments in providing our customers with the most advanced networking platform on the African continent,” Trisolino tells us. “It is in our DNA to ensure we stay ahead of the curve. Our focus is currently on Security. This is the highest priority currently for our customers. We are ensuring we secure the Edge supported by policy-based software, and defined perimeter solutions.

Our customers need to know their network is in the safest and most reliable hands – a CMC Network that spans across 51 countries in Africa and 12 countries in the Middle East.”

COMMUNICATION & TECHNOLOGY | 67

Photo credit: Norske Shell/KDI.

KONGSBERG DIGITAL

KONGSBERG DIGITAL IS PROVIDING VITAL DIGITALISATION SERVICES TO THE MARITIME SECTOR, BUT ARGUES BUSINESSES SHOULD NOT RELY ONLY ON TECHNOLOGY.

DIGITALISING

THE SUPPLY CHAIN PROJECT MANAGED BY: TIM GARWOOD

Kongsberg Digital was spun-off from the well-known Kongsberg Group in 2016. Originally part of Kongsberg Maritime, the initiative was made its own company with the goal of providing focussed investment into the digital sector and the technology and software development processes that relate to it.

68 | COMMUNICATION & TECHNOLOGY

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KONGSBERG DIGITAL

Norske Shell joined forces with Kongsberg Digital for development of the Nyhamna Dynamic Digital Twin for the Nyhamna Gas Plant, Norway.

H

istory has shown that doing this as a department of a larger company is difficult because you have a different set of priorities,” says Andreas Jagtøyen, Executive Vice President - Digital Ocean for the company. “You need a different sort of partners, and you rely more on those partners than if you were in a volume game producing standardised products.

We were lucky to have the correct starting point. We got financing from the group level as a strategic initiative but have the components of our own existing business, which

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is crucial for a digital solution going into an industry vertical like maritime and energy.”

Kongsberg Digital’s objectives are to develop a leading service across the sectors it works in, including maritime, energy (including renewables), chemical, and downstream assets for the oil and gas industry. But it is a very different beast from your typical start-up.

“What we’re aiming for is not the same as a start-up company would aim for,” Jagtøyen says.

“A start-up would typically develop an expert system utilising data to address a small part of a broader workflow.

But there are more than 500

COMMUNICATION & TECHNOLOGY | 69

different applications targeting the maritime market, and the asset owners are not able to use a larger number of these to manage the daily operation of their assets.

Jagtøyen sees Kongsberg Digital’s role as “masking complexity”, making it easier for an operator to make decisions that cross silos internally.

“A shipping company can’t have 100 experts on different topics,” Jagtøyen insists. “They need someone to mask the complexity and integrate many decisions into the workflow.

What we are doing is automating and simplifying workflows across operators.”

Operators at a control centre onshore monitoring heavy assets like LNG carriers or large refineries cannot bother about all the small details. They

need to see the big picture on their screens to make impactful decisions.

“The systems we create need to mask the underlying complexity and aggregate decisions on a need-to-know basis, creating situational awareness of the whole picture for a generic operator, within O&G sometimes referred to as petronauts,” Jagtøyen tells us.

Photo credit: Owen Foley.

KONGSBERG DIGITAL

A DIGITAL TWIN

The work surfaces Jagtøyen describes are referred to as “digital twins”, although Jagtøyen prefers the term “integrated work surfaces”.

Either way, the goal is to build a connection between real-world automation and sensors, and the synthetic data, simulators or physical models used to train them.

HÖEGH AUTOLINERS Höegh Autoliners is a leading global provider of RoRo (Roll On Roll Off) transportation services delivering cars, high and heavy and breakbulk cargoes across the world. We operate around 40 RoRo vessels in global trade systems and make about 3000 port calls each year.

Operating some of the greenest and largest Pure Car and Truck Carriers (PCTC) vessels in the world, our purpose is to develop innovative solutions for greener and more sustainable deep sea transportation. Working with partners we are unlocking the digital potential of our vessels to improve the fleet’s efficiency.

Höegh Autoliners is proud of its long-standing relationship with Kongsberg Digital. Implementing highly specialised systems on our vessels facilitate an onboard digitalisation journey. This allows us to monitor onboard assets and check the running conditions of the engines from shore anywhere in the world, supporting the crew on board in decision-making and optimising the operations of the vessels.

Andreas Enger CEO of Höegh Autoliners adds, “The long-standing collaboration with Kongsberg Digital has accelerated the digitalisation of our vessel’s operations and is an important step in improving our operational efficiency.”

We are on a path to zero and are actively working to reduce our carbon footprint and support decarbonising our customers’ supply chain.

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70 | COMMUNICATION & TECHNOLOGY

We are taking significant steps to digitalise our operations to reduce fuel consumption, optimise vessel performance and improve operational efficiency.

To us digitalisation is an integral part of the future of the maritime industry.

Höegh Autoliners has its head office in Oslo, Norway and employs around 375 people in its 16 offices worldwide and 1300 seafarers. www.hoeghautoliners.com

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KONGSBERG DIGITAL

Photo credit: KDI/Adobe Stock.

The Höegh Autoliners Horizon class vessels are equipped with Vessel Insight.

“Both these worlds, synthetic and real-time, need to come together in the work surface. We can use very accurate physical models and simulators to give estimations of physical values and look for discrepancies that trigger alarms and events,” Jagtøyen says. “We’re using simulators to train algorithms and detect difficulties happening in the system before they happen. You can’t use a real-time system of a ship or production facility to train your algorithms when operating far outside the normal envelope, it’s potentially dangerous for the assets. But you can train algorithms on synthetic data to recognize dangerous patterns and potential hazards appearing in the real-time data.”

Kongsberg Digital is developing smart work surfaces and gathering data from assets, using analytics based on synthetic and real-time data.

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COMMUNICATION & TECHNOLOGY | 71

Photo credit: KDI/Adobe Stock.

KONGSBERG DIGITAL

“One company cannot do this alone, so we are depending on working together with our customers and partner businesses such as Shell and Höegh Autoliners,” Jagtøyen tells us.

Perhaps the most interesting example of Kongsberg Digital’s work in action is its recent work on digitalising the supramax bulk carrier, RT Leo. The project is being carried out with forward-leaning Singaporean transhipment company, Rocktree. What makes Rocktree interesting is that it doesn’t use traditional bulkers for cargo transportation, instead serving as a terminal operator, converting its bulker into a logistic storage terminal.

72 | COMMUNICATION & TECHNOLOGY

Photo credit: KDI

Vessel Insight provides instant and easy access to fleet overview, vessel specific dashboards and data analysis tools.

“It negates the need to build silos or storage facilities onshore because there’s limited space onshore in Singapore, so they moved the facility to the carrier,” Jagtøyen says. “They have a different perspective than many ship owners. It is really interesting because as a logistics company they are depending on efficient protocols, with ships coming in and deploying cargo. They need to have high thoroughfare because nobody wants to spend more time in port- you don’t get paid for that.”

It is a unique environment to work in. Rocktree does not need the same crew on board their vessel because it is not sailing, meaning more work can be done remotely with campaign-based maintenance.

Kongsberg Digital’s technology and platform gives ships using the terminal access to grid data, creating more transparency between stakeholders.

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However, for Jagtøyen this is about far more than simply selling some software and components.

“This is not a question of installing a product and then calling it a day. This is a partnership to help the client develop and create use-cases,” Jagtøyen insists.” There are so many opportunities when we actually start with infrastructure as we have here. We’re going from dashboards that just compile data to event-based decision making.”

Photo credit: KDI

KONGSBERG DIGITAL

THE KNOWLEDGE BRIDGE

These solutions aren’t possible without deep domain knowledge, drawn simultaneously from technology and industry.

“We need to talk with all of our stakeholders, from OEM producers onward. That knowledge is very important in the verticals we’re working in, but equally, we need resources within digital software development and IT, such as how to build cloud platforms for instance,” explains Jagtøyen. “We don’t just have IT knowledge, we have subject matter experts that speak our customers’ language, bridging the two worlds.”

Speaking of two worlds, it is perhaps surprising to see someone like Jagtøyen, who offers digital and automation solutions is so keen to advocate for the human element in these processes.

“THIS IS NOT A QUESTION OF INSTALLING A PRODUCT AND THEN CALLING IT A DAY. THIS IS A PARTNERSHIP TO HELP THE CLIENT DEVELOP AND CREATE USE-CASES.” BUSINESSFOCUSMAGAZINE.COM

“We’re really happy to see people are coming back into the loop again- there was a focus on technology, but technology doesn’t make sustainable decisions,” Jagtøyen tells us. “Technology has to enable people and make them aware of the impact of their decisions. We have a lot of understanding of that bridge between technology and people. Understanding those complexities, that’s our strong point. We need to show people how their decisions impact total sustainability.”

As Jagtøyen warms to the subject, it is clearly one he is passionate about.

“People we meet in the industry think of digitalisation as technology, but it’s also important we enlighten people a bit about the importance of building competency in operators to make sustainable decisions,” Jagtøyen tells us.

“It’s not about the technology alone. Digital will not be buying a platform and infrastructure and then you’re home free. You need to develop it and develop

a culture within your company to change ways of working.”

This feeds into another subject Jagtøyen cares about, sustainability.

“Shipping is already quite sustainable when you talk about CO2 emissions per tonmile of cargo, but a large ship still consumes tens of tons of fuel a day,” Jagtøyen points out.

“That produces tens of tons of CO2, so shipping has a large issue here and we need to work with stakeholders to incentivise everyone to contribute to reduced fuel consumption.”

It is not an issue that can be fixed with a one-size-fits-all approach.

“Shipping is many industries, it’s not one industry. There’s a big difference in the maturity of digital solutions and a lot of difference in how stakeholders incentivise each other to reduce costs and fuel consumption,” Jagtøyen says. “We need to elevate sustainability across all the stakeholders. Shipowners need to be incentivised by charters who need to be incentivised by cargo owners.”

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PIONEER SAFETY GROUP

PIONEER SAFETY GROUP IS MADE UP OF LEADING BRANDS IN THE SAFETY ENGINEERING AND SWITCHGEAR MARKETS, BUT IT IS ALSO A PROUDLY RECOGNISED BRAND IN ITS OWN RIGHT.

SAFE AND SOUND

PROJECT MANAGED BY: DEAN BROWN 74 | CONGLOMERATE

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PIONEER SAFETY GROUP

The Pioneer Safety Group is a group of companies focused on safety engineering and switchgear.

“We started with Pyroban, then added additional companies that complemented our offering,” says Brian Quarendon, the Group CEO. “We acquired Baldwin & Francis because it was in the mining market, but the transport and industrial switchgear markets are gaining traction. We’ve seen the switchgear market grow and we’re currently building that part of the business.”

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S

witchgears have always been a key part of Pioneer Safety Group’s offering, although its original focus was safety engineering.

Now, however, the company is adapting to the needs of the market as it always has.

Owned by private equity group, Longacre, since it was founded in October 2017 the company has been growing organically and through acquisition to become the six-company group it is today.

Across all six firms, the Group offers bespoke explosive

protection products and switchgear solutions to industrial markets. But perhaps unusually, despite operating as a single group Pioneer Safety Group has not changed the branding of the companies it has acquired.

“It’s because of the brands of the companies. They are all leaders in their own right,” Quarendon explains. “Pyroban offers world-leading materials handling equipment.

‘Pyroban’ is to materials handling what ‘hoover’ is to vacuum cleaners.

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PIONEER SAFETY GROUP

Baldwin & Francis has a hundred years of experience in mining and switchgear.

Allenwest has another hundred years in mining and tunnel engineering.

The common theme across all of these brands is safety and switchgear, but they trade under their brands as part of the Group. It means that when customers come to us, we can offer them the brand they prefer.”

GROWING WITH EXPECTATIONS

The Pioneer Safety Group is a trusted brand name made up of trusted brand names, but as its customers grow, the Group needs to grow alongside them.

“Our biggest challenge is meeting the growth expectations of our customers.

We’re growing far faster than we ever thought we would do, and servicing our customers properly while doing that,” Quarendon says.

Facing that challenge, Pioneer Safety Group has only one option.

“We are trying to recruit!”

Quarendon tells us. “We are carrying out the recruitment in a staged manner because the whole company breaks down into quite small entities. We are focussing on serving our core customers and the enquiries are flooding in, but you need to resource that work with the business development team.

At this moment in time, people with the necessary skills in the industry are challenging to find.”

Fortunately, the staff of companies the Group has acquired are more than happy to continue on their journey.

“Of the core staff that we acquired with our companies, nobody has left since we acquired them,” Quarendon points out. “They like the ethos of the company.”

At the same time, the Group’s reputation, and the collection of brand names under its umbrella, make it an appealing place for prospective employees.

“We have been using LinkedIn and people have been applying to us. They hear we’re an up-andcoming team and would like to join us,” Quarendon says. “They are attracted by the brands to start with. People know those brands in the industries as leaders in their market sectors. We are winning business and people working in adjacent industries can see we’re winning business and want to be part of that.”

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76 | CONGLOMERATE

As well as being a respected brand, new recruits are keen to buy into the company’s vision of being the UK’s leading industrial safety and switchgear business.

“Within each of the sectors we serve, we have an interpretation of what the vision is and where we’re trying to take it,” Quarendon says.

All of those companies are tied together by a common culture, which Quarendon himself leads.

“I personally give a state of the nation address to all the companies on an annual basis.

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PIONEER SAFETY GROUP

I let them know how we performed last year and what we’re planning for the next three years, so everyone has heard it from me,” Quarendon tells us.

“They all feel part of that bigger team.” Pioneer Safety Group, appropriately, cares deeply about the safety of that team and has been careful to guide them through the pandemic crisis.

“We have kept the company operational throughout the entire Covid period, fulfilling customer requirements and with nobody catching Covid within the workplace,” Quarendon tells us. “It’s not rocket science. You put in simple processes and guidelines.

People coming in or getting up from their desks wear masks.

We have screens around desks and separate out the production areas. People with symptoms were paid to stay at home. We followed government guidelines and made sure everyone felt comfortable.”

Where some employers have found staff reluctant to return to the office after a year of working from home, from very early on Pioneer Safety Group had the opposite challenge.

“When the first lockdown started, we gave people the option to work from home, but people were saying they wanted to come in and work,” Quarendon points out.

SEEKING PARTNERSHIPS

Pioneer Safety Group’s story is one of growth, both organically and through acquisition, and that story is set to continue.

“The organic growth this year will increase our turnover by 20% but we’re also acquiring other companies,” Quarendon says. “Where we need additional technologies, we buy those

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in and get the right people on board to develop them. We’re actively pursuing companies that want to join our group.”

Choosing the right companies is no easy task, but there are plenty who are keen to work with the Group. “Really it is about where they are going to add value to our group,” Quarendon reflects. “Moving forward you can see gaps in our technologies and where the industry is going. We find companies that will fill those gaps for us. We have got a lot of products, and we are focusing on bringing that portfolio together in a more coordinated way. Other companies want to buy into that vision. We are asking where the future gaps will be so that we can target them.”

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AL LAITH

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AL LAITH

AL LAITH HAS A PROUD HISTORY BEHIND IT, BUT THE FIRM IS PREPARING ITSELF TO ENTER A BOLD NEW ERA.

A TRANSFORMING BUSINESS PROJECT MANAGED BY: DAVID TAVERNOR

With its portfolio of design, engineering, project management and technical temporary infrastructure projects around the Middle East, Al Laith has been recognised as the leading one-stop provider of temporary infrastructure solutions in the region.

I

ts reputation saw it bought up by investment firm CG Tech in 2016.

“We invest in businesses that have a good team, a broad spread of clients and where we think we can add an innovative touch and bring a strong culture to them,” says Jason English, CEO of Al Laith & Chief Ecosystem Officer CG Tech.

These are qualities that were readily on display in Al Laith.

“It comes down to having delivered for 27 years in a difficult region or it wouldn’t be in business,” English says.

“Building the business over 27 years has been the work of the incredible group of people who have worked here over the

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long term. They understand our clients, the industry, and the way our business operates and works.”

Al Laith is behind some magnificent projects in the region. It built the temporary infrastructure for numerous large scale, high-profile projects in 2021, including the UAE 50th National Day, Rugby 7s Stadium, the Shindagha Bridge, a new wastewater treatment plant, all the concert venues for Expo 2020, Formula E, Riyadh Seasons and MDL Beast (Sound Storm).

The company’s other unique selling point is that it is the only provider in its sector serving as a sale and rentals company as well as an EPC (Engineering, Project Management and Construction) company.

Jason English, CEO of Al Laith & Chief Ecosystem Officer of CG Tech.

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AL LAITH

“The combination of our EPC services backed up by a full suite of rental equipment and infrastructure allows us the flexibility to have a wider offering for clients, which ultimately makes their lives a lot simpler,” English tells us. “We can provide a lot of temporary infrastructure and logistics that would normally need to be hired from other companies, creating a single point of contact and efficient delivery. We also have an internal technology arm that does R&D. They’re generating innovation, building software solutions we have deployed in the form of Internet of Things (IoT) and digital transformation within the business. We are using that technology to help us render virtual immersive experiences for our products that we use to showcase our products and project builds.”

CHANGING TIMES

In delivering these services, like every other company in the sector, Al Laith has faced unprecedented challenges over the last two years.

“Construction and events are the areas where we work and I can’t think of two industries more disrupted by Covid,” English admits. “So, we have spent that time focusing on how to not go out of business.

Nobody knew how long the pandemic would go on for, so we set ourselves key challenges.

The first was to sustain the business while doing as little damage to the employee base as possible. We wanted no mass retrenchments, no getting rid of people. We focused on how to reduce salaries as little as possible while protecting local communities from the repercussions as much as possible. At the same time, we tried to emerge stronger by continuing to invest in new

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products, new technologies, training and everything in between.”

The effects of the pandemic, combined with the company’s being bought by CG Tech, have meant Al Laith has been undergoing a period of change.

“With the results of Covid, many businesses have undergone restructuring.

Because of our name, we are seen as a scaffolding company, but we’re much more than that. So, we are changing that narrative on a 27-year history,” says English. “Restructuring has been a big challenge; getting people aligned with our vision takes time. We’re making progress and when we come out of that process, we will be an even stronger business.”

Of course, change can be a challenging process for companies with a long history.

“There is an issue of legacy.

It can be hard to get people to change their ways when they’ve been doing something

the same way for a long time,” English points out. “When somebody new, like myself, comes along who wants to change the narrative of the business it can be somewhat overwhelming, and many decisions are questioned. But this is normal, and I have been through transformations before, so it’s simply a process we have to push through” However, these changes are also essential, as the last two years have demonstrated.

“In the modern world we have to innovate, be more efficient, more productive,” English insists. “Historically the business operated on a very cost-tight model. When you focus solely on costs you forget about creating depth in your team structures, investing in new capital equipment and you lose the ability to innovate.

Coming out of the pandemic work has been tough, but we’ve swum upriver against many odds.”

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AL LAITH

Part of that change has been bringing new blood into the company.

“We’ve recruited a lot more people. A mix of younger, forward-thinking people with no history as well as experienced and talented individuals. The ‘newbies’ can shake up the pot and bring new ways of doing things to support the changes we want to make within the business, which is driven around innovating, building depth and capacity, and implementing better systems and procedures,” says English.

It also means reshaping the company’s whole identity. One of the ways Al Laith will emerge stronger is by refreshing its brand. Al Laith was a 25-yearold brand when COVID hit and yet launched a massive rebranding campaign, with a fresh logo and fresh look.

“We wanted the team to feel energised during a time when the world was confused and dull.

There’s been a huge focus on the rollout of our new brand across Al Laith both physically and digitally.

We are building our e-commerce platform and social media channels,” English says. “We’re reviving the website, brochures, and clothing. Everybody and everything is branded. This ensures we all represent a brand we believe in.”

SUPPORTING COMMUNITIES

It is important to English that Al Laith succeeds, not just for its own sake but also for the sake of the communities it invests in and supports.

“In the Middle East, we think we can make the biggest impact in supporting education. Outside the Middle East we also focus on education and initiatives of national or international importance, such as tackling rhino poaching which is a global issue,” English says. “One initiative I’m passionate about is

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funding kids in the Middle East whose parents lost their jobs through Covid. We’ve funded four kids of determination who are at a special needs school. We fund their school fees so that they can have an opportunity in life to succeed. We have also funded the South African Robotics team since their inception who have gone on to compete in world championships as well as young school athletes, the WWF, and we have supported kids with eye testing and procurement of glasses.”

The Springbots were not school graduates with money behind them from their parents, but kids from disadvantaged backgrounds in rural areas.

“We assembled the team, got them coaches, sent our innovation teams from London to South Africa to train them,” English recalls. “We want South African kids to see they can participate in this revolution of robotics. It’s a story of inspiration and hope for Africa.”

Hope is a watchword, and with its new brand and restructuring, Al Laith will play an important role in CG Tech’s overall strategy.

“Al Laith will remain Middle East focused and expand regionally.

We already have a presence in Saudi Arabia and Oman and want to increase our footprint into oil and gas and Qatar,” English explains. “We have played a pivotal role in transforming the UAE over the past 27 years and now we want to further that story by helping to transform the Middle East over the next 20 years. It’s an exciting time for our team that is on this journey with us, and we have made big steps in the right direction, but we still have a long way to go. We have reset the clock on our 27 years as we come out of Covid, and now we are back at Day One of a new era.”

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HELIOREC

HELIOREC SPECIALISES IN FLOATING SOLAR POWER PLATFORMS. FOUNDER AND CEO POLINA VASILENKO DISCUSSES THE BENEFITS OF THIS TECHNOLOGY, AS WELL AS HER EFFORTS TO ENCOURAGE MORE WOMEN INTO STEM CAREERS.

A BRIGHT IDEA

PROJECT MANAGED BY: LIAM PYWELL

There is an old saying, “Necessity is the mother of invention.” Often a great innovation arrives when a problem needs to be solved. In the case of HelioRec, it answers a valid question that some organisations face- how can a company use solar power when the space and land for solar panels are not available? HelioRec was established by founder and CEO Polina Vasilenko in 2019. The company specialises in floating solar power plants and has recently completed a project at the Port of Oostende on the Belgian coast, as well as projects based around the EU.

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HELIOREC

The floating panels are wind and wave-resistant.

The patented “hydrolock” feature provides extra stability without the need to include more ballast, thus cutting costs for materials such as metal or concrete.

The power plants also use machine learning to predict energy generation for more efficiency and O&M optimisation. On top of this, the floating system is formed from recycled plastic, furthering its sustainability credentials.

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A COLLABORATIVE PROJECT

When establishing the company Vasilenko sought to put together a team, including some of the people she met while travelling extensively abroad. “I have travelled to over 68 countries. It is good as I have met new people, but it can be difficult with the team not in one place. Fortunately, Zoom calls and other technology have made this easier but overall it is a mixed bag” she states.

Vasilenko believes that a mix of energy sources is the key to long-term sustainability. “For sustainability we need to combine the different forms of energy we have available, preferably from clean sources of power.

ENERGY & UTILITIES | 85

CHEMITEK ChemiTek® is a Portuguese company dedicated to innovative and customized solutions for industrial maintenance, meeting specific cleaning and maintenance needs. Our portfolio is very diversified, with innovative solutions for industrial sectors such as “Solar Efficiency”, “Vehicle Wash”, “Glass Cleaning & Protection”, “Spill Control Remediation” and “Heavy Cleaning and Degreasing”, and “Hands & Surface Disinfection”.

In an industry dominated by global giants, research and development are critical for our competitiveness. A fully equipped laboratory allows us to quickly verify the results of new formulas and do the quality control of the products being manufactured. All in-house quality control is made under the ISO 9001:2015 standard certified by TÜV Sud. At ChemiTek®, clients and the environment are at the focus of every product we develop. We want to become the most customercentric, innovative, and sustainable chemical company in the world, by committing to develop products that are biodegradable and environmentally friendly.

Our flagship product is Solar Wash Protect (SWP), an innovative and biodegradable solution developed for the cleaning and protection of photovoltaic solar panels, which improves cleaning efficiency and the profitability of solar resources. It is a unique product on the market, fully tested by the international laboratory TÜV Sud and approved by 12 of the 15 largest PV panel manufacturers in the world, as it reduces water consumption by 50%, cuts cleaning time, and increases energy production by up to 5% without damaging the solar panel.

It is also our innovative solutions productions such as Industrial Glass Protect (IGP) - a hydrophobic biodegradable solution that repels water, shampoo, stains, and all kinds of dirt from glass and non-porous surfaces (like tower racks, faucets, etc.), making it cleaner, and thus reducing cleaning time by up to 90% and water consumption by 50% -, Spill Control Pro – a biodegradable solution to clean oil residues, fuels, and other spills, thus preventing potential accidents – Car Wash Protect – a biodegradable innovative solution for deep cleansing of your vehicle, wax effect and UV protection – and Sani Protect – a powerful alcohol-free solution for disinfection of hands and all surfaces, tested and approved by dermatologists with a pleasant fragrance, among other solutions.

www.chemitek.pt

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Greenpipe’s Divisible Cable Protection Pipes • Provide protection for various cables both above and below ground and in subsea environments.

• Safe and sustainable installation. Tiltable in each pipe joint.

• Quick and easy installation without tools.

• Commonly used at railway, subsea, windfarm, electricity distribution, etc.

+46 470-120 10 | greenpipegroup.com If there is no space, our floating solar panels allow people to take advantage of solar power” she explains. While the technology has clear benefits, it can also be difficult to pitch when it comes to seeking investment.

“We started the company in 2019 and in 2020 some projects had to be postponed for a year due to COVID-19. There is also the issue that developing hardware takes time, which can be difficult when it comes to seeking investors. It takes longer to scale up hardware, so this can worry investors and customers want to reduce risk where possible” Vasilenko says.

However, she is also confident that as there are more advances in floating solar panel technology, the more attractive the company will be to potential investors.

“WE PRODUCE SIMPLE, POWERFUL FLOATING SOLAR POWER PLANTS.” ENERGY & UTILITIES | 87

HELIOREC

“As the technology becomes more developed, these challenges will disappear. We have recently completed some research and development activities, so this will make it easier when it comes to fundraising. We have also had meetings with some fundraising accelerators so this should help” Vasilenko further explains.

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HELIOREC

GETTING THE MESSAGE

Initially, HelioRec benefited from people wanting to come on board, mainly driven by the environmental message of the company and the desire to further encourage a more sustainable alternative to fossil fuels. Vasilenko is encouraged by the passion people have shown, but this is not her sole consideration when looking at potential employees.

“When we first started, we did not have a lot of money. People came on board as volunteers.

A lot of people were inspired by the message of helping the environment and wanted to make a difference.

Over time though, people did not want to do the work to make that happen.” she firmly emphasises.

Vasilenko believes that by focusing on the task ahead in addition to the underlying environmental cause, there is a lot of potential for HelioRec as a company to move forward. To achieve this, people who want to join the business must also be focused on getting results.

“Believing in the mission is not enough for new employees.

The most important thing is doing the actual work which is most valuable for technology development. Once we start getting some results then the technology will develop faster,” she says.

Another important message that Vasilenko wants to highlight is encouraging more women into the world of STEM, an area where traditionally women may have felt uncomfortable and could benefit from people working to make this area of work more inclusive. “I am involved with Women in Tech, a French NGO. It is about encouraging women and making sure they are not scared to go into STEM work.

Part of my role includes using my network to help women find work

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and collaborating with them to see how we can provide further support” she details.

Among other things, Women in Tech provides mentoring schemes, advocacy and a talent hub, with a stated aim to empower five million women to embrace the technology sector by 2030. The organisation has chapters around the world.

“BELIEVING IN THE MISSION IS NOT ENOUGH FOR NEW EMPLOYEES. THE MOST IMPORTANT THING IS DOING THE ACTUAL WORK WHICH IS MOST VALUABLE FOR TECHNOLOGY DEVELOPMENT. ONCE WE START GETTING SOME RESULTS THEN THE TECHNOLOGY WILL DEVELOP FASTER.”

Vasilenko has herself been recognised by Women in Tech, so she has reciprocated by supporting the organisation. “As a previous Women in Tech award winner, I feel it is important for me to communicate with the CEO and help with their activities where possible” she states.

A BRIGHTER FUTURE

After the initial delays caused

by COVID-19, more progress is being made by HelioRec as they work on more projects while considering further expansion, “We are looking to install more projects, around 10-50 kilowatts in size. We are also looking for more investors. In addition to this, we are looking at entering the US market” Vasilenko details.

As more countries look to achieve carbon emission targets and businesses consider ways to become more energy-efficient, HelioRec provides an additional solution for people who are looking to get the benefit of solar power while addressing the practical issues.

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NOSTROMO ENERGY

NOSTROMO ENERGY MAKES A STRONG CASE FOR THE ROLE COLD ENERGY STORAGE WILL HAVE IN THE JOURNEY TO NET-ZERO.

WATER IS FOREVER PROJECT MANAGED BY: LIAM PYWELL

Nostromo is an energy storage company solving one of the biggest gaps today in the world of energy storage, which is commercial buildings.

Nobody will argue with the important and growing role of renewable energy. However, before it can fulfil its potential there are major challenges for the sector to overcome.

W

e cannot integrate more renewable energy without storage, because renewable energy sources are intermittent or unstable,” argues Yoram Ashery, CEO of Nostromo Energy. “We need storage on a massive scale.”

The storage itself brings challenges too, however. If you store energy on the supply side, it demands more infrastructure to transmit it to where it can be used. If it is stored on the demand side, there are safety concerns around most forms of battery, meaning it can’t be kept in urban or populated areas, at least not at a meaningful scale.

“Safety means batteries can be used primarily outside the urban environment, on the supply side. The infrastructure required to deliver stored energy to the consumer is costly and sometimes not even possible,” Ashery says.

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“The second limitation is recycling. It is challenging and costly to recycle batteries, not only at an economic level but an environmental one. How do you dispose of that much lithium?”

But the need for energy storage in commercial properties is great.

“Commercial buildings account for half of all energy consumption but there is insignificant storage for them,” Ashery says. “The trouble is that storage technology has limitations- one of which is safety. Buildings cannot install lithium batteries on a relevant scale, so that’s not an option.”

Nostromo’s solution is not a catch-all, but it occupies an essential and growing market niche- “cold energy”. Commercial air conditioning accounts for between 30 and 70% of a commercial building’s energy consumption, a substantial part of the growing energy demand.

“We can take electricity when it’s cheap and clean, such as when there’s a surplus of renewable energy or free capacity on the grid,” Ashery explains. “We then use it to create cold energy, store it and discharge it when there’s high demand, reducing the energy consumption of the building during peak time by half. We have a large storage capacity, and it requires no additional grid infrastructure, so we aren’t depending on power transmission and distribution. In essence, we’ve turned buildings into large, safe and sustainable batteries.”

It is a solution to a problem a growing number of businesses are facing.

“Today most corporations, whether they own or are a major tenant of a building if they care about carbon footprints, global warming, emissions, they should consider solutions like this,” Ashery says. “We’re not the only way to reduce your footprint but storage is critical not just to reduce your footprint but to integrate more renewables into the grid as a whole. Integration of renewable depends on storage.”

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NOSTROMO ENERGY

Yoram Ashery, CEO, Nostromo Energy.

NOSTROMO ENERGY

BUILDING BLOCKS

Our Experience.

Your Advantage.

Sustainable Growth, Every Step of the Way

www.freepoint.com

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As well as being an elegant solution to the issue of energy storage, it is also one that is startlingly easy to put into practice.

“Our technology is designed to make its implementation practically painless. It doesn’t require real estate, it can be installed into almost any space in the building, like Lego blocks,” Ashery tells us. “Our ice bricks can be laid out in different configurations, along the wall, or in a basement. There are so many ways to place them that it really can be done without taking any usable space from the building.”

It does good for the environment, society and saves customers’ costs. The technology can potentially reduce 20% of the energy demand on a grid in peak hours. But to achieve that, it needs greater reach.

“It’s really about scale. We’re reaching out to larger numbers and everything from the supply chain to the installation is a logistical challenge if you want to do more than a handful of systems,” says Ashery. “We want to roll out in the thousands.

Working at that scale is a challenge on finances, processes and components.”

There are many markets with potential growth.

“Our focus right now is on the US market, although we’re an Israeli company,” Ashery points out. “This is not just because of the size of the market, which is important for new products and technologies, but also the economics, the way the power rates are structured there, which are more favourable to energy storage.”

For the owner of a Nostromo storage device to profit from it there need to be certain conditions in place, such as a difference in the price of energy at peak and off-peak hours.

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NOSTROMO ENERGY

“There is also the sophistication of the market and demand for services that the grid or utility company purchases from consumers,” Ashery tells us.

“The utility firm will pay the consumer to lower consumption in peak hours, and that’s another source of revenue.

Energy storage can lower demand on the grid without changing your operations.

These conditions exist in the US and that’s why we’re there, but we are planning to expand globally in other warm regions.”

The other criterion is climateanywhere sub-tropical or tropical where air-conditioning is the biggest electricity consumer.

“Already today during peak hours air conditioning can be half the demand on the grid in places like California,” Ashery says.

“If it isn’t, that demand is growing, as is the case in markets like India and other parts of Southeast Asia, where penetration is lower.”

According to the UN International Energy Agency of the OECD, the demand for energy for space cooling is going to triple in the next two decades, so supplying that is a major challenge for the energy market. It’s the fastest-growing demand for power behind possibly electric vehicles. As well as finding the right markets, there are three components to Nostromo’s efforts to achieve that scalefinance, organisation, and sales channels.

“Not just company financing, but project or system financing.

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When you install a system like this it can be $1-2 million and typically customers in energy want to pay out of the savings they make, not pay the total upfront,” Ashery says.

“This is a common business model and there needs to be a mechanism to finance those systems at scale.”

The second factor is the logistics of manufacturing and installation.

Nostromo manufactures components in Israel, China, and Mexico, and assembles them in the US near its target markets.

“The third factor is the sales channels, how to reach these customers,” Ashery says.

“Marketing activities, media, but also through the partners like air conditioning professionals who sell, install or maintain the systems.”

Nostromo’s vision is to have an important role in the energy storage sector.

It is eyeing markets as diverse as the Old South, parts of central USA, southern Europe, Asia, Latin America, the Middle East, anywhere with a warm climate, and unfortunately, global warming means its market is expanding too.

In all these areas we can a major contribution to reducing emissions and decarbonising the power grid,” Ashery says.

Lithium batteries form an important part of the total solution, but there are challenges around safety, waste, and supply.

“These batteries use rare earth metals, the extraction process is environmentally costly and if we want enough lithium for electric vehicles we won’t have enough for batteries in the power system,” Ashery points out.

“The beauty of our technology is that water is forever. Water can freeze and unfreeze forever. So, there is not just the safety advantage. If you want technology that can last longterm that’s a place where what we are doing is unique.”

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SUBTERRA RENEWABLES

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SUBTERRA RENEWABLES

PRESIDENT MATTHEW TOKARIK DISCUSSES HOW SUBTERRA RENEWABLES CAN REDUCE EMISSIONS WITH THEIR GEOTHERMAL HEATING AND COOLING SYSTEMS, AS WELL AS THE POTENTIAL LONG-TERM BENEFITS FOR DEVELOPERS AND HOMEOWNERS.

WHY HEATING IS A HOT TOPIC PROJECT MANAGED BY: HAYDEN TURNER

Subterra Renewables specialises in geothermal heating and cooling systems for multi-residential and commercial buildings. These systems exchange heat with the earth below the building to create a thermal storage battery. “We offer end to end design and installation, as well as an ‘Energy as a Service’ utility program where we invest in the renewable energy asset to remove the barrier of initial capital investment” President Matthew Tokarik explains.

Matthew Tokarik, President, Subterra Renewables.

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T

here is an emerging climate emergency directly related to the burning of fossil fuels.

We aim to remove combustion in buildings and replace it with geothermal heating and cooling which creates a drastic reduction in greenhouse gas emissions “he states.

COUNTING THE COST

In recent times, rising energy costs have been a concern, both for homeowners and developers involved in the construction industry. In Canada, local regulations and a national carbon tax have propelled the need for more energy-efficient heating and cooling methods in pursuit of Canada’s carbon reduction targets set by the Paris Agreement. “Geothermal heating and cooling can provide massive energy savings; it is four times more efficient than heating with fossil fuels. At the moment, carbon pollution is taxed at $50 per ton in Canada and that is set to go up by $15 per year until it reaches $170 in 2030. Other countries around the world are bringing in similar rules and legislation. Removing heating by fossil fuels in a building will cut the carbon tax

cost as well as hedge against the rising cost of natural gas” Tokarik says.

Tokarik is also keen to stress the long term importance for early-adopting developers. “By adopting geothermal heating and cooling, developers are also futureproofing their building. Geothermal systems are to the construction industry what electric vehicles are to the transportation sector; the future of heating and cooling systems and the leading technology in future carbon emission reductions. There are also benefits in terms of space savings which becomes very important when considering the trends of future immigration and population in our growing urban centres. The mechanical equipment required on the roof is minimized so there is space for other amenities.” Tokarik emphasises.

MASS ADOPTION

One challenge that Tokarik feels that Subterra Renewables needs to address is market awareness and education, “Our biggest challenge is to get people comfortable with the technology and construction process. These

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SUBTERRA RENEWABLES

systems have been around for decades, so they are nothing new, but the market has still not hit the point of mass adoption, and many builders still favour cheap and conventional fossil-fuel based designs” he explains.

Subterra addresses their clients’ hesitancy through education and consultation. “We want to show people what the technology looks and feels like.

This means talking to clients’ designers and consultants, taking clients to existing buildings and construction sites, and showing them drawings,” Tokarik states.

Thankfully Tokarik is seeing a shift in the market that could open up more opportunities. “In Canada, there is a political drive to build green. For example in Toronto, 50 to 60 per cent of carbon emissions are attributed

Good people make all the difference.

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to the building sector, primarily from space heating. Planners and policy makers are smart and know this has to be addressed if they want to hit their net-zero goals by 2050” he says.

Tokarik has an idea of how netzero targets could be achieved.

“A combination of rewards and enforcement will help the industry to adopt change. At the moment, some developers are rooted in the past, where anything new is seen as scary or risky, and at the moment the stick seems to be more effective than the carrot” Tokarik explains.

COMPANY CULTURE

When it comes to hiring Tokarik feels that it is important for the team to embrace Subterra Renewable’s culture.

“We pride ourselves on how we communicate with the client.

Clients will often compliment us on our transparent, open

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SUBTERRA RENEWABLES

communication and this is a quality we look for when hiring,” Tokarik states.

“Another important virtue is autonomy. Whether someone is drilling, installing or working on financial analysis, we want them to take ownership and own the work they do on a day-to-day basis” Tokarik continues.

Tokarik himself had a cultural shift when joining Subterra Renewables. “Before Subterra, I was an engineering consultant working in the building energy industry. I would make a report or recommendation to encourage sustainable practices and owners would say ‘We appreciate the effort but we do not have the money to implement it’” Tokarik recalls “but now I am able to 252 Parliament St, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.

Designed by Studio JCI for Core Development Group.

Photo: Studio JCI

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make a direct impact on green infrastructure investment” he adds.

The company culture also extends to Subterra Renewables’ involvement in the local community. “We recently made a large donation to a local women’s shelter and held a massive toy drive so that the children staying there had toys over Christmas. We give back to the industry through our involvement in the local trade colleges and education boards.

We are also part of the Ontario Geothermal Association, whose role is to educate the market and encourage best practices” Tokarik outlines.

Tokarik believes that now is the perfect time for clients to embrace an increasing desire for sustainability. “In terms of the future, we are looking at a high growth trajectory. We started working in southwest Ontario but we aim to grow rapidly, expanding throughout North America. We feel the market is shifting and there is more social, political, and consumer drive for sustainability.”

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LITHON

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR GERT GROBLER TALKS ABOUT HOW LITHON HAS DEVELOPED FROM A SPECIALIST ENGINEERING FIRM TO A MULTI-DISCIPLINARY ORGANISATION DESIGNED TO BRIDGE THE GAP BETWEEN THE TECHNICAL AND FINANCIAL WORLDS.

BRIDGING THE GAP PROJECT MANAGED BY: HAYDEN TURNER Based in Namibia, Lithon is a company that has its roots in the engineering and build environment but over time grew into a multi-disciplinary engineering firm specialising in sectors such as urban development, energy, water, mining, aviation, industrial, systems, telecommunications. Executive Director Gert Grobler explains “In Africa, the barrier for entry into the engineering industry has traditionally been quite low. Our work was often government tender driven but as this work became harder to get, we took a strategic decision to diversify and formed Lithon Holdings. Today the company is a diverse, multi-disciplined organisation with specialized firms in different disciplines such as engineering consulting, training, urban development, investment and financing and business consulting.

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robler sees his role mainly as chief financial officer. I work mainly as the Chief Financial Officer, ensuring that the finance is put in place for projects, leveraging balance sheets and ensuring our subsidiaries are profitable. As an actuarial professional, I have always enjoyed the data science inherent in finance and double as the ‘financial model-building’ expert. In addition, I act as interim MD for projects/businesses while we are involved in either commissioning or restructuring” He also feels that this versatility is reflected in how Lithon has evolved “We are specialists that have evolved into investments.

If our company was a person, it would be someone with a lot of experience able to tap into the engineering, legal and financial aspects of projects.”

As well as being effective in terms of the company’s business operations, Grobler sees Lithon’s methods as a way of addressing concerns regarding the financial aspects of projects “Essentially, we aim to bridge the gap between

the technical and financial aspects of the business. I come from the corporate and investment world and one of the issues corporate investors have had is that they are not always aware of the skillset the engineering faculty has in identifying, packaging and implementing bankable projects (or project preparation), while the engineering faculty, on the other hand, may not have had the skills to negotiate & implement financing (securing project preparation funding) and that is something that we can address.”

Grobler also sees something of a misconception when it comes to African engineering projects, something that Lithon is working on “In Africa capital is not the issue, it is more the need to turn around perception. There is a lack of trust and we need to turn the conversation around. People may talk about a capital gap or a funding gap but a major obstacle is how governments have squandered funding in the past.

We want to create trust so that we can create the infrastructure projects that we need.”

LITHON

Gert Grobler, Executive Director, Lithon.

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EMPLOYEES COME FIRST

In the section of Lithon’s website concerning working for the company it uses the phrase “Employees come first.”

Grobler believes that retaining employees is about more than just monetary remuneration “Everyone is different- some are more driven by salaries, others want more flexibility. We do our best to understand the different personalities involved in our workforce, using methods such as psychometric tests.”

He also believes that with the modern workforce it is important to be aware of their mental health and well-being, so you need to adapt to each individual’s needs “Wellness is something that we have been looking at, recognising that flexibility is important and that more money is not always the appropriate reward. It is also fair that people change over time and what was important to them a few years ago may not be important now. Our approach is not so traditional and we do our best to ensure our incentives are tailor-made and it’s not one size fits all.”

CULTURE SHOCK

are not prepared for that. When it comes to owners of SMEs, they often realise they can’t do everything themselves when it’s too late.”

In recent times, companies in Namibia had to deal with the systemic shock as they had to adapt during the COVID-19 downturn. This proved to be something of a revelation for Grobler, highlighting potential structural and governance issues in especially SME’s “Often in these situations, the companies need to see facts in black and white, which is difficult to do when you are emotionally biased.

I think everyone misjudged the systemic risk inherent in the Namibian economy and we thought the SME sector would be more resilient during COVID-19 but because of how their operational, financial and governance deficiencies they had no cash reserves and when the first domino started falling, this had a ripple effect throughout the SME sector. Therefore, we are looking at Solvency and Basil practices typically used in the financial and banking industries (which proved extremely resilient in the COVID-19 downturn),

required by regulation, and how we can implement these practices in the SME sector to ensure resilience when coming up against challenges such as COVID-19.”

In addition to addressing these issues, the company is also using its Lithon Foundation as a way of supporting community projects including helping to establish a dementia care centre in Namibia, mentorship and youth outreach programs.

THE FUTURE IS GROWTH

Grobler outlines how Lithon’s plans are mainly focused on growth in Africa, with an emphasis on infrastructure projects that will increase jobs and have a positive long-term impact. “Our strategic plan is mainly focused on Africawe have offices in Botswana and Ghana and we are also targeting Tanzania. With each of our projects, we look at how it will add value to communities, support economic growth and address social needs. In some cases, we have said no to projects if we do not believe they will make a difference.”

One of the services that Lithon offers is business consultancy.

A common theme experienced especially in Namibia has been business owners, after establishing their businesses, struggle to adapt as their companies grow beyond their expertise and control “Companies don’t know what they don’t know. For example, an owner might build a company from the ground up but over time you might need to look at marketing, legal, financial, balance sheet restructuring, or other issues not necessarily needed while the company is growing organically, and they

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LITHON

There is also a drive to reduce dependence on outside investment “We are also looking at capital sourcing, trying to find ways to be less reliant on outside investment. There is also a major project we are working on in Namibia which we cannot further comment on yet.”

Ultimately, this is all part of Lithon’s ambitions- As Grobler notes, the emphasis will always be on how they can make a positive difference. “The need to make money is important but equally we are looking to make a positive impact. We are a company of diverse cultures, but being one family, unified under our common purpose and value system with godly leaders and a dedicated staff with servant’s hearts. We aim to continue making an impact with our projects as well as changes in policy and legislation. If we go to bed and we have changed one person’s life for the better, then we can go to bed happy.”

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HARLECH FOODSERVICE

THE FOODSERVICE INDUSTRY HAS HAD A ROUGH RIDE FOR THE LAST COUPLE OF YEARS, BUT HARLECH FOODSERVICE IS ADAPTING WELL TO THE TIMES.

GRUB’S UP

PROJECT MANAGED BY: CHRIS CONWAY

For 50 years Harlech Foodservice has been a typical regional foodservice company serving Northwest Wales.

It’s a medium-sized, privately-owned company with a nimbler approach to decision making.

W

e sit down with the three owners of the business once a month for a board meeting and it is quick and easy decision making,” says David Cattrall, Managing Director of the company. “We don’t have to talk to 30 or 40 people to make a decision.”

The company has a history of growth and stead performance, although in recent years Cattrall notes the owners have been considering a change in approach.

“We’ve had a lovely growth spurt from around 2010 to the pandemic, from a turnover of £12 million to £32 million,” he tells us. “But we recently hit a bit of plateau and the owners approached us saying they’d like to go further. We now serve North Wales, South Wales and the West Midlands. We primarily served the hospitality sector, but we have now branched out to the public sector, including schools and the NHS. We are diversifying the business.”

Across every sector Harlech is active in, there is one common factor. Service.

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“We compete well on price, but service is our background, our history and where we’re investing for the future,” Cattrall insists. “While most of the foodservice sector has been reducing service and bringing forward order cut off points, we’ve looked at the market and said how can we do this better?

Customers can order up to 10 pm for delivery the next day. Foodservice is an unpredictable sector, so we offer the opportunity for the chef to order at the end of service, knowing they’ll be replenished tomorrow.”

It has made Harlech a valuable partner during a tumultuous period for the foodservice sector as a whole.

“We offer up to sixday-a-week delivery to the majority of our business and we’re extending that to seven days this year for our busier customers that need weekend

delivery,” Cattrall says. “We are relationship and service-led, with a friendly team. Customers know our drivers. We keep drivers on the same routes to build a rapport.”

SUPPORTING TALENT

Harlech Foodservice’s role as a valued partner has been more in need than ever during what has been an unprecedented period for the foodservice industry.

David Cattrall, Managing Director of Harlech Foodservice.

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HARLECH FOODSERVICE

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YOUNG’S FOODSERVICE – THE SEAFOOD EXPERTS As specialists in seafood for over 200 years, Young’s Foodservice is committed to supporting catering professionals and aims to create nutritious, cost effective and versatile solutions that can be prepared quickly and conveniently.

VERSATILE SOLUTIONS From non-fried products and oily fish solutions to gluten free alternatives and MSC certified choices, the Young’s Foodservice range can be used to create endless meal choices. Protein, Omega 3, vitamins, minerals, low in saturated fat etc., etc., there are lots of things that seafood can add to our diet. The UK government advice is to eat two portions of seafood a week, one of which should be oily, so eat a range of fish to leverage all that this valuable source of protein can deliver. Using our frozen seafood means that caterers can offer a wider variety of recipes without comprising on quality, and the Young’s Foodservice portfolio is the best way to make the most of fish on menus. We have a raft of recipes to help to inspire caterers.

FISH FOR LIFE Young’s Foodservice shares a passion in helping caterers deliver delicious seafood to all and we’re dedicated to doing this in a responsible manner that protects our industry and the environment. Young’s Fish for Life programme ensures that responsible sourcing is at the heart of everything we do so that our customers can confidently deliver the best quality on their menus. Put simply, we believe in doing the right thing for our people, planet and partners, now and for generations to come. www.youngsfoodservice.co.uk

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Our goal is to create meat substitutes that are hugely popular with vegetarians and vegans but equally enjoyed by meat lovers. We have developed an incredible range of products that come as close as possible to animal meat in terms of taste, texture, and bite.

Stocked in over 10,000 restaurants around the globe from the UK and Europe to Asia and the Middle East. Trusted by chefs, Moving Mountains® products are used in restaurants around the world due to our reputation in great taste.

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Moving Mountains® offers sustainable alternatives to your usual meat products, the result, delicious burgers that are better for the planet and your health. Our burgers use 70% less water and produce 92% less greenhouse gas emissions than its meat counterpart. The Moving Mountains Burger is high in protein, contains zero cholesterol, has no hormones or antibiotics, and is completely non-GMO. We are committed to our core mission, Moving Mountains to improve human health, improve food sustainability, and reduce intensive factory farming.

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REAL HAND COOKED CRISPS

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At REAL Hand Cooked Crisps, we are proud to be a family-owned and British-made brand. We have been supplying award-winning, premium crisps to the hospitality sector for over 20 years.

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Our crisps are a cut above ordinary crisps and customers are prepared to pay up to 30% more for premium snacks.3 REAL Hand Cooked Crisps are exclusive to the hospitality sector, meaning outlets can charge a little extra for something not available in the shops.

Drawing attention to your snack offering is key to increasing sales, with up to an 80%4 increase in sales generated from making your snacks more visible. REAL offers a range of FREE POS – order yours from realcrisps.com/POS REAL Hand Cooked Crisps has so much to offer your business and your customers…

REAL CRISPS • REAL OPPORTUNITY • REAL PROFIT 1. Mintel, 2021 2. Norstat, Consumer Usage, 6,137 GB representative consumers of crisps and/or snacks in the last 6 months of which 1,132 in Licensed (e.g. pub or bar), March 2019 3. CGA Strategy Research, 2016/2017 4. HIM! Foodservice, 2016 www.realcrisps.com

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HARLECH FOODSERVICE

“Obviously there are the macro issues such as the pandemic, and hyper-inflation, but I think one of the less talked about challenges is staffing,” Cattrall tells us. “Our biggest concern around staffing isn’t for ourselves, it’s our customers.

We operate in a seasonal market. To some degree in most sectors if you raise your wages, you will keep hold of people, but with many of our clients, it is all about the school holidays and a bit of mid-season work. They can’t offer year-round jobs.

We have been using foreign employment for a number of years, but they have left the arena, they are not in the UK. So how our customers cope with that reduction in the labour force is the big challenge.”

While Harlech has managed to navigate the challenges around Covid and lockdown, the initial impact of the pandemic took a heavy toll.

“We had to write off half a million pounds of stock. To put that in perspective we make around a million a year,” Cattrall recalls. “When that first lockdown happened, we’d filled our freezers and warehouses ready for the season. That went on a long time, you can’t sell to catering establishments with stock out of date and no local population to serve. The second lockdown that went through to May 2021 hit us hard again because it went on for a long time. The stock we thought we’d sell started going out of date, and our reserves had already been strained the first time around.”

Since then, Harlech has worked hard to recover, achieving 17% sales growth and diversifying into the public sector. The company has been winning school contracts during the pandemic as well as the NHS Wales contract.

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HARLECH FOODSERVICE

“WE CAN BE A LOT NIMBLER THAN SOME OF THE BIG SUPPLIERS, A LOT MORE PERSONAL.” A NEW STRUCTURE

“We’re fortunate, and we have a longer-term plan to de-risk the business. The public sector is superb because it balances out the season and that has helped us through the second lockdown,” Cattrall points out.

“We completely restructured at the start of the pandemic. My background is in corporate and being a small family business

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Harlech hadn’t come across a restructuring like that before.

So, we sat down and chatted about what’s next and how management needed to be structured to cope with growth and invest in our people.”

The restructuring was a huge success, and Cattrall is proud that Harlech now boasts an extremely strong team, fit for its future ambitions.

“We strengthened the management, bringing in strong managers from outside of the business to take us to higher volumes,” Cattrall tells us. “On the shop floor, we’ve done a couple of things. I believe in paying fairly, so we increased the night shift pay even though we were coming out of the pandemic. They had a 15% pay rise. We made efficiency improvements and invested those savings into our people.”

Of course, one of the aftershocks of the pandemic and Brexit has been the shortage of drivers, but this was a challenge Harlech was ready to address.

“The driver situation came out of the blue for most of the industry. When it happened, being small and nimble meant we were able to make a fast decision, offering an annual retention bonus and increasing the pay,” Cattrall says. “We went from momentarily having drivers looking to other options, to almost instantly calming down because they saw how we responded to market decisions.”

Harlech has also changed how it manages Health and Safety, training all its management and staff at appropriate levels for risk assessment.

“We’ve done a lot of work training, developing and performance managing staff

through the winter so that they’re stronger and fitter for the future,” Cattrall says.

It is a future Cattrall has a palpable enthusiasm for. “I love it!” he declares when asked about Harlech’s future prospects.

“In terms of our traditional hospitality business, we’re concentrating on our heartland first and foremost.

The second thing we’re trying to do is grow into Northwest England, and we’ve been working in great partnership with businesses like Hickory Restaurants,” Cattrall tells us.

“We’ve worked with Robinson’s Brewery, servicing their pubs and we’re working hard and developing with them. We’re in conversation with other people as well.”

The public sector is also an area rife with opportunities for the foodservice firm.

“We are growing into the public sector going through tenders for NHS Wales and hoping to win more,” Cattrall says. “We can be a lot nimbler than some of the big suppliers, a lot more personal.”

That agility is valuable at a time when supply chains are unpredictable, to say the least.

“The supply chain at the minute is chaos, but we understand that if pizza is on the menu for school dinner this week you can’t just not give pizza,” Cattrall acknowledges. “You have to have an alternative because the school needs a meal for the kids today. So, we work closely with them.”

Since the pandemic, the foodservice sector has seen some dramatic turns of events, but right now Harlech Foodservices is looking at a record-breaking year.

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ECOLOG INTERNATIONAL

ECOLOG INTERNATIONAL ASSISTS ITS CLIENTS IN THE MOBILISATION OF RESOURCES TO IMPLEMENT PROGRAMMES IN CHALLENGING CIRCUMSTANCES TO ENSURE SMOOTH, SAFE & EFFICIENT OPERATIONS.

MEETING THE CHALLENGE PROJECT MANAGED BY: DAVID TAVERNOR

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ECOLOG INTERNATIONAL

Ecolog International has grown from a single service provider to the global entity it is today. Beginning its operation in 1998 in the Balkans supporting German troops during the Kosovo conflict, its founder, Nazif Destani, set up the basis for a professional organisation that would provide services that were soon to expand beyond his native region.

W

ith an entrepreneurial mindset and excellent local knowledge, he excelled in providing the troops with logistics services in the broader sense, including transportation, construction, personnel and others, to make their day-to-day lives easier.

As a result of Nazif’s fast, agile and fully customer-oriented service, in the early 2000s, the company was asked to support the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) NATO-led mission in Afghanistan. Major commercial contracts were secured in 2003, with DynCorp and Fluor added to the client listing for Middle East operations. Just a decade later, the company expanded with extensive operations in Africa with contracts awarded in Mozambique, Mali and the Central African Republic.

With excellent top-quality services, Ecolog has become a member of the UN Global Compact and is TRACE certified.

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These initiatives are the most recognised in the industry as setting the standards for commercial transparency.

ALL FOR THE CUSTOMER

Today Ecolog International operates in over 40 countries at more than 150 locations providing services to some of the biggest global organisations. To date, the company has managed over 1,000 international projects, some located in the most remote places on the planet.

Ecolog International’s offering includes logistics, catering, storage, construction, industrial services and facility management, disinfection and cleaning, laundry, energy supply and waste management, all of which are widely used by oil and gas and mining operations as well as government and defence contractors, humanitarian and non-governmental organizations (NGO), including the United Nations.

“Our core business may be summarised as the provision of support services to manage crises, in other words, we are managing crisis logistics,” says Christoph Schafer, VP Business Development Europe.

He explains that all Ecolog’s activities relate to supporting its clients in mitigating crisis consequences, in making life as normal as possible in some of the most difficult situations, be it in a conflict-ridden remote area or a safer region hit by an unexpected challenge. This can be anywhere in the world, with Ecolog’s fearless people ready to serve customers as and when required.

“There is a combination of several factors that make Ecolog unique,” says Mr Schafer. “Providing services in extremely harsh environments, be it laundry and transport or food supply in Mali or Somalia, means that our customers heavily depend on us. This makes us go the extra mile and beyond. We cannot fail, as our customers’ wellbeing would be challenged. What we do is not only mission-critical but mission- and life-critical.”

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ECOLOG INTERNATIONAL

SUSTAINABLE MODEL

“Full customer orientation under any conditions is a key differentiator, coupled with our agility and speed of response.

A good example is the recent evacuation of people from Afghanistan.

When these people arrived in Europe, they needed a lot of support. We were asked to provide food for 10,000 Afghans within 24 hours of receiving the notice to do that. And we did. With our experience, flexibility and dynamics, we are able to provide the services the client needs in an emergency.”

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“PROVIDING SERVICES IN EXTREMELY HARSH ENVIRONMENTS, BE IT LAUNDRY AND TRANSPORT OR FOOD SUPPLY IN MALI OR SOMALIA, MEANS THAT OUR CUSTOMERS HEAVILY DEPEND ON US.” Mr Schafer emphasises that Ecolog is not only fast and reliable but also innovative “In the past, sustainability and environmental issues were not an issue in crisis management when getting food and safety for people was key. Now, this is changing.”

Since 2019 Ecolog has been developing a sustainable model where the impact of its operations on the environment is considered as one of the priorities. Aspects like minimising fossil fuel consumption, using solar energy, and minimising waste

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ECOLOG INTERNATIONAL

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ECOLOG INTERNATIONAL

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ECOLOG INTERNATIONAL

are becoming critically important for projects with thousands of people working in a desert for example, and Ecolog together with its industrial partners has introduced innovative solutions heavily focused on environmental protection.

Amongst these is ‘water as a service’, a specific innovative approach to used-water recycling and regeneration into drinking water, leveraging advanced technology, engineering and project execution.

“WE CANNOT FAIL, AS OUR CUSTOMERS’ WELLBEING WOULD BE CHALLENGED. WHAT WE DO IS NOT ONLY MISSIONCRITICAL BUT MISSIONAND LIFE-CRITICAL.” BUSINESSFOCUSMAGAZINE.COM

A sustainable approach is also applied when Ecolog designs and builds major infrastructure such as roads, plants for electricity generation and hazmat treatment, as well as when building complete mini-cities from design and construction to commissioning and decommissioning if and when the project moves further on. A minimum carbon footprint and maximum environmental protection are at the core of these activities.

CONTINUED GROWTH

Mr Schafer points out that Ecolog will always be present where it is needed most, following the geographical and social developments around the world. Most recently, the company’s agility has been demonstrated in its response to the Covid-19 crisis.

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Its Eco-Care solution provides a comprehensive set of services and products to a variety of stakeholders worldwide, ranging from Governments and the public sector to multinational organizations and the wider business community.

These solutions have been developed specifically to contain, decelerate and efficiently address pandemics such as Covid-19. Today, Ecolog is one of the largest test centre providers in western Europe.

“We are living in a world with two major crises looming – another pandemic and climate change. We are determined

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to develop more solutions, including digital support, suited to combating these challenges,” says Mr Schafer. “While we started our business providing support services in a man-made crisis, we can today support authorities, governments, NGOs as well as the public in any challenging environment.”

“Following the development of the markets, we conceptualised the challenges that arose with it and developed solutions that include cyber security &

digital, infrastructure project development, the Eco-City and retail.”

“Through our global expansion, we have built solid partnerships with commercial organizations, as well as with governmental, non-governmental & intergovernmental organisations, having become a reliable, trusted and valued partner. Together with our team, we look forward to contributing to continued growth across the globe,” he affirms in conclusion.

TOGETHER WITH OUR TEAM, WE LOOK FORWARD TO CONTRIBUTING TO CONTINUED GROWTH ACROSS THE GLOBE.” BUSINESSFOCUSMAGAZINE.COM

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INTRAVACC

WE ARE LIVING THROUGH A GOLDEN AGE IN VACCINE DEVELOPMENT, AND INTRAVACC IS AT THE CUTTING EDGE OF IT.

LEADING THE VACCINE SECTOR PROJECT MANAGED BY: ANDRZEJ SZANDOR Dutch, Bilthoven-based Intravacc is one of the leading contract development manufacturers in the pharmaceutical sector, operating under a hybrid business model where 80% of its revenue comes from contracted development and manufacturing projects for vaccines, and 20% comes from Intravacc’s own pipeline of candidate vaccines.

one clinical studies,” explains Dr Jan Groen, Intravacc’s CEO. “Our work is not limited to vaccination against infectious diseases. We have a background in infectious disease but have also developed immune therapy vaccines. We are currently engaged in trials for a bladder cancer treatment, for instance.”

ntravacc is really riding the waves, they have a nose for vaccine opportunities. It’s a organisation that is energetic with a long track record in the industry, however, in some ways it is still a relatively new company, having only existed as a public-private partnership since January 2021.

Already, however, Intravacc has cut itself a competitive niche in the market.

“The unique selling point of Intravacc is it’s a one-stopshop, driven by the mentality of vaccine innovation. We can provide services from proofof-concept all the way to pilot production up to 200 litres. That is sufficient to support phase

Intravacc can develop vaccines for such a wide range of purposes thanks to the exclusive proprietary platforms it is able to develop them on.

“We have four platforms,” Groen says. “One is cell-based technology, which is the traditional platform for vaccines, but can also be used for vector vaccines for oncology applications.”

Intravacc has developed viral vaccines using the Vero cell line since 1987. These cells were isolated and immortalised from the kidney of an African Green Monkey and are the most widely used and reliable cell line in viral vaccine production for quality, yield, and safety.

I

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A PLATFORM FOR SUCCESS

“Then we have outer membrane vesicles, which are naturally produced by bacteria,” explains Groen.

“When multiplying the bacteria release these vesicles which are highly energetic, and we use them as the basis of our vaccines, combining them with specific proteins.”

Intravacc has three types of OMV vaccines for different target diseases and antigen selection.

The most straightforward, homologous OMVs, are produced with OMVs derived directly from the target Gram-negative bacterium. If the pathogen is a high containment bacterium, or the bacterium is difficult to cultivate, Intravacc can express antigens through its OMV platform, heterologous OMVs. Finally, there are Click-OMVs, which are used if the expression of the antigen is not possible in the bacterium.

OMVs do not replicate, have a proven safety track record and give a good immune response while being stable and giving a good yield.

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Dr Jan Groen, Intravacc’s CEO.

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Upstream processing at Intravacc. Taking a virus culture sample from a bioreactor.

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“Then we have a platform called iBoost which is a bacterial expression platform, using the bacteria to express specific proteins to be used as a vaccine platform,” Groen tells us. iBoost technology is a new addition to Intravacc’s platform portfolio. They are therapeutic vaccines, aimed at boosting the immune system so that it can fight cancer antigens.

“Finally, there’s our Conjugate Platform,” concludes Groen.

These are produced by covalently attaching a bacterial polysaccharide or peptide that cannot induce immunological memory itself, to a protein carrier antigen. The result is a stronger and sustained immunological response.

These vaccines have been extremely successful in preventing disease and death

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from bacterial infections. The technology is fast, cheap, highly effective, and Intravacc has a 20year track record in designing, developing, and characterising conjugate vaccines.

REFOCUSSING

But while Intravacc’s track record is well established, it has also been undergoing a transformation over the last couple of years.

“It’s an ongoing transformation,” says Groen.

“We need to refocus the company from a highly researchorientated group of people to a company that is now focusing on product development within our clients’ time limits, quality standards and budget. That’s not something that happens overnight.”

It means looking at Intravacc’s work from a whole new angle.

“Refocusing is predominantly a mindset,” Groen tells us. “If you were hired years ago as a researcher but now you’re in product development, you need different skills; our scientists are developing from thinking freely about how to develop something new, to working for a customer who comes with the question ‘Can you fulfil what we need?’”

The transformation has been accompanied by an influx of talent.

“We were also in a position to attract good people with a lot of industry experience last year,” Groen points out. “Since we’ve existed as a research institute for quite a long time, we were also able to retain our team of 100 employees who have been with the company for many years & are well-positioned and experienced in the process for vaccines.”

Finding talent is not hard at the moment, but the same pressures that are drawing people into the market, also make it competitive.

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“Since the vaccine market is quite hot now, it’s become an attractive place for people to work but it’s a highly competitive market,” Groen says. “The challenge we are currently facing is access to clients due to the covid pandemic.”

Given that each new contract has a lead time between six and nine months, a company new to the industry must work hard to create visibility. Fortunately, Intravacc has a competitive edge.

“Due to our unique proprietary platform, we can quickly catch up to attract customers,” Groen says. “Intravacc is new as a CDMO, but we were a research institute prior to 2021.

Predominantly we worked on supplying vaccines for lower and middle-income countries, for childhood vaccines for polio and measles, and these have been provided to low incomes countries with agreements with pharma companies in Asia.”

THE VACCINE AGE

Vaccines are quite the ‘zeitgeist’ right now, and with good reason. This brings boons and challenges to the industry.

Vaccines are getting a lot of attention right now, but that attention is primarily focused on Covid, which can make it different for other, equally

important vaccines to get the attention they need.

“We have multiple vaccine development programs up and running. We have one running for Covid-19, but which takes a different approach to the others on the market. It’s not mRNA or DNA based, it is based on our proprietary OMV platform,” Groen explains. “It is also an intranasal vaccine, which is more powerful than an intramuscular administered vaccine. But we also have a program up and running for a vaccine against Hand, Foot and Mouth Disease in Asia.

That’s a huge market, and we’re developing another vaccine for the US government.”

Whatever comes next, Groen sounds optimistic.

“I think there’s a great future in front of us thanks to our product position, our unique proprietary platform, and on top of that, we are seeing the next big wave in the vaccine development marketplace is new proprietary drugs, but they all need to be manufactured,” he says. “That’s expensive if you don’t have a production or upscaling facility as we do.

We can help develop that, offering documentation you can then pass on to a large-scale manufacturing organisation.”

Downstream processing at Intravacc. Microfiltration of Outer Membrane Vesicles.

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NEWPHARMA

NEWPHARMA LIVES UP TO ITS NAME AS AN AUTOMATED, DIGITAL PHARMACIST, BUT FIRST AND FOREMOST IT IS A BUSINESS BUILT AROUND PEOPLE.

HUMAN-CENTRIC AUTOMATION PROJECT MANAGED BY: MAX HUTCHINGS

Newpharma is an online pharmacy and parapharmacy, but in terms of service, it aims to complete as a pharmacy offering a real pharmacy experience, making health and wellbeing easy, simple and affordable for everyone.

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he business relies on three key assets, its own in-house software development for all core applications, a broadly skilled team of pharmacists and an efficient logistics framework for orders processing.

“We always insisted to keep our IT in-house, in the online world today, we need to move fast with tailor-made developments by an IT team who understands the business we’re in and its constraints; so, we keep that in house,” says Pierre De Lit, COO of Newpharma.

Newpharma also boasts a team of 12 certified pharmacists and four assistants who are continuing to learn and train - in fact, pharmacists working in Newpharma only do what they have graduated for and are not encumbered by stock management, accountancy or real estate related tasks typically performed by street pharmacists.

“We propose an extremely large assortment of products, but more importantly, we’re a pharmacy and we provide

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information and advice to a very large audience. Even pharmacists consult our website to see if a product exists.”

This includes automated advice when people buy products or devices that patients require information for. For instance, Newpharma provides customers with detailed instructions to make sure they appropriately use Covid tests.

Newpharma also sets itself apart through the rigorous standards it applies.

“The foureyes principle is key in our order validation process for pharmaceutical products. Every order is checked by two certified pharmacists,” De Lit explains. “Such controls allow us to isolate and notify possible interactions between medicines or between food supplements taking into account previous orders of the patient. Being able to consult the historic orders

from the patient when needed increases the relevancy of the advice we give. With or without medications, 60% of all orders are going through pharmaceutical validation.”

But while human skills and knowledge are foundational to the Newpharma model, they are consistently leveraged by the latest technologies.

Pierre De Lit, COO of Newpharma.

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AUTOMATED SHELVES

Newpharma uses a goods-toman technology, developed by Scallog, and implemented by Smart Technics, the technology partner from the Colruyt Group.

The goods-to-man system works by having the automated pharmaceutical shelves come to the human operator’s station where they can pick and replenish the products as needed.

“Instead of operators walking down aisles, we bring the shelf to them,” De Lit says. “There is a putto-light system that guides staff step-by-step, to tell operators which product to put where, with a mechanism for operators to acknowledge they’ve performed the required task. They are completely guided and when they have performed tasks related to one shelf, it slides away and the next shelf comes along.”

Newpharma’s fleet consists of 20 robots managing a park of 150 shelves, which the company introduced for three key reasons.

“The first is we needed the space,” De Lit points out. “The system is much more compact than a manual system where you need to have access to every shelf. Here you can pack shelves together and the robot takes them out and brings them to the operator.”

The second reason is one of the costs.

“If we want to make health and wellbeing affordable, we need to reduce costs as much as possible on our side,” De Lit points out.

Finally, automation further enforces the quality that Newpharma is recognised for.

“Sorting errors are reduced because operators are guided through the whole system, with checks at every step,” De Lit says. “We also create much less damage on the products themselves. It’s pure

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mathematics- the system allows us to bypass two sorting steps and go directly to the third one, which means fragile products are handled less, reducing potential damage.”

Given how well the system was implemented across Newpharma, it is perhaps surprising that the technology is only being implemented as a pilot scheme.

“What’s exciting about the way we did it is that we’re officially still in pilot mode, but we launched the pilot with about 5% of our real production orders and scaled up rapidly,” De Lit says. “It forced us to deal with problems as soon they appear.

Scallog is part of our production environment, so we improve and hone the whole system and ask why any part of it isn’t working as we go. We’re quite solution orientated, and it’s an amazing learning platform. We correct based on issues we meet on a daily basis.”

HUMAN-CENTRIC

When a business brings in an automated solution, it is not uncommon for staff to become nervous, and De Lit was quick to address these concerns among Newpharma’s staff.

“We were a pretty manual company, and when we presented the automation project, operators had questions. There were fears that we would lay-off people, so we spent a lot of time explaining why we had to introduce the system,” De Lit says. “It’s a simple story, we were growing so fast we needed help to keep up with demand. We needed these enhancements to serve clients. We presented the project and its rationale, showed our people the installation and they quickly became promotors of the system.”

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While nobody was going to be made redundant, a degree of upskilling was still necessary.

“You need operators who are used to working manually to learn how to manage a fully automated system,” De Lit explains. “The first levels of maintenance will be entrusted to our operators too. We initially overstaffed to ensure we trained a sufficient number of people, even when the installation was running on low volumes, the system allows us to make sure people wouldn’t lose the knowledge they’d gained.”

Automation is a path that Newpharma is set to continue to go down, but only as necessary.

“We started automating when we needed the capacity it provided, we didn’t do it the other way around, buying automated capacity then finding the orders to fill it.

We will continue to automate but only to keep the pace,” De Lit says. “The next trend is leveraging Cobots, robots working next to an operator.

There are manual tasks I would like to automate, and the combination of vision systems and grippers allows us to sort parts out of a bulk and sort them out on shelves. This is probably one of the next steps in automation.”

However, Newpharma is also looking beyond automation, to new frontiers. “Providing skin care advice based on an image is an example. We want to reinvent the pharmacy experience as technologies displace the frontier between online and brick-and-mortar channels,” Del Lit says.

“INSTEAD OF OPERATORS WALKING DOWN AISLES, WE BRING THE SHELF TO THEM.”

Always, however, Newpharma’s course forwards will be charted by human needs.

“We’re talking about a lot of automation, but it is also important the business stays human and human-centric,” De Lit tells us. “From my standpoint, the most important part of the project is that people get enthusiastic about automation and want to help get the best out of it to serve our clients better. It’s a human business.”

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STADA

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STADA

BY ACQUIRING AND FORGING PARTNERSHIPS WITH INNOVATIVE FIRMS ACROSS THE PHARMACEUTICAL SECTOR, STADA IS CREATING UNIQUE, VALUE-ADDED MEDICINAL PRODUCTS.

WORLD-BEATING PARTNERSHIPS PROJECT MANAGED BY: DAVID TAVERNOR

STADA is an internationally active pharmaceutical company focusing on three main product areas. The first of these is Consumer Healthcare such as cold remedies, vitamins and mineral supplements, which makes up roughly two-fifths of the business by sales. Then there are Generics, medicines sold through doctor’s prescriptions that are followon versions of drugs whose patents have expired, with the same dosages and active ingredients. The final fifth of STADA’s turnover is Speciality Drugs. These are medicines typically prescribed by a specialist and that have some sort of differentiating factors, such as special distribution or storage.

T

hese are value-added medicines, based on a known active substance but with additions that bring added value to patients such as new formulations, or new uses of known active substances,” explains Aidan Fry, Director of External Communications for the company.

STADAs is active in 120 countries worldwide, with an annual turnover of a little over 3 billion euros. While the company is based in Europe, it has built a significant presence in emerging markets including the Middle East and selected markets in Asia.

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“Some of the deals we do are on a broadly global or panEuropean level. The majority of our business is in emerging markets,” Fry says. “We are not really present in the US and Latin America, but we do local and regional level deals. We have done some speciality deals in the Middle East and North Africa for eye care products and cancer drugs.”

What it brings to those markets is an astoundingly broad portfolio of literally thousands of products that cover everything from biological cancer treatments to mineral supplements. STADA is able

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to offer these while continuing to expand this portfolio thanks to its unique ability to forge valuable, productive partnerships.

“One of our unique selling points is our ability to partner effectively. Last year we did 88 business development deals across the portfolio,” Fry tells us. “In the past year, we struck a deal with one of the world’s biggest pharmaceutical companies to distribute their portfolio in 20 European markets. We have just picked up another award for our business development team, that has been widely recognised across the industry.”

INNOVATION THROUGH COLLABORATION

As to how these partnerships have borne the vast range of innovative products STADA has to offer, Fry says, “It is about bringing in incremental innovation.”

One example of this “incremental innovation” is the work STADA has been doing in the area of Parkinson’s Disease therapies for many years.

“We have a UK subsidiary, Britannia Pharmaceuticals, and over the past year we have acquired another company with a product that is rolling out increasingly in European markets,” Fry explains. “It is a gel product, delivered through a pump mechanism that you wear on the body. The combination of the three active ingredients it uses was known in tablet form but had never been available in intravenous gel, delivered directly to the intestinal tract. The reason that is an advantage is that as patients with Parkinson’s move into the later stages of the disease it becomes increasingly difficult for them to swallow tablets and they need higher doses. So,

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the pill burden becomes quite extreme, patients could find themselves needing a large number of tablets a day.”

STADA’s solution provides a constant pump, Bluetooth enabled so doctors can monitor it and change the dosages to provide tailored therapy.

None of the active ingredients in this solution are absolutely new, but they have never been available in this triple combination.

“It is giving new therapeutic options to patients and their caregivers, doctors, and nurses,” Fry points out.

These products are the result of combined internal, organic development, and STADA’s partnership model. As well as the gel solution, STADA is also behind a new application for an active ingredient in a widely known respiratory disease treatment delivered by inhaler.

“We partnered with a Swedish company called Calliditas who are developing it to treat a rare kidney disease through an oral technology that delivers it to where it is needed in the body,” says Fry. “The company we work with on this rare kidney disease treatment has a drug technology that protects the tablet until it gets to the point of the body where it needs to be delivered.”

Forging the Right Partnerships This strategy of partnering with companies that possess particular technologies and finding new applications for them has become STADA’s trademark, but also there is also in-house innovation.

“For example, we enjoyed some considerable market success with a modified version of a widely used cancer

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drug,” Fry says. “The original effectively came in a vial that had to be constituted at point of use, mixing it with a solvent.

Obviously, a lot of these treatments, because they are designed to kill cells, are toxic within themselves. So, there is a danger to the healthcare professional. We developed a ready-to-use liquid formulation of the drug to avert that.”

The innovation model across the business is based on looking at what consumers need. One of its biggest brands, for instance, is Zoflora disinfectant.

It is an approach that has seen STADA become a growth leader within the industry, and that in turn attract talent.

“We have a track record of typically out-performing the market, and that in itself increasingly attracts talent to the business,” Fry says. “The business development deals we do also give us a certain degree of profile within the industry.

We work very hard on having a unique corporate culture with a

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clear corporate purpose- caring for people’s health as a trusted partner. There are not many companies with that degree of deal-making.”

The key is finding the right companies to make these deals with and seeing what they have to contribute.

“It depends on the particular facet of the business, but what we are looking for is products that are differentiated,” Fry explains. “We want to work with reliable partners, trusted partners, but I think on the consumer side particularly we look for innovative technologies or ideas around products.

Some of the areas we look for include a speciality around the central nervous system to complement our strength in

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Parkinson’s. We also have a wide global network of partners we use for our supply chain, from manufacturing products to supplying raw materials, building these partnerships over time.”

With this track record of strong partnerships and an enviable product portfolio across Consumer, Speciality and Generics, STADA’s strategy stands it in good stead for the future.

“What we look to do is find products to let us continue to outgrow the industry, that is very much our vision,” Fry says.

“Part of how we’re going to do that is by being a go-to partner.

You make sure the deals you do work for both parties, and that snowballs on itself.”

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AMPLER BIKES

AMPLER BIKES IS SETTING OUT TO MAKE URBAN COMMUTING CARBON-FREE.

DEVELOPMENT CYCLE PROJECT MANAGED BY: DEAN BROWN

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AMPLER BIKES

“Ampler is a group of people, and a company that would like to see more people commuting emission-free,” says Ardo Kaurit, CEO of Ampler Bikes. “We believe that with our productslight, purpose-built e-bikes, sustainably built, we can get more people on bikes who aren’t necessarily cyclists and do good for them and the environment.”

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A

mpler Bikes is about improving the overall experience with purposebuilt electric bikes. These vehicles have been designed and built with commuting in mind, which means they have to be reliable.

“You can’t have it fail or even have a flat tire on the way to work,” Kaurit insists.

“They have to be safe because traffic is dangerous. We want it to be for everyone, which means the bikes themselves have to be easy to use. We

are trying to figure out how to make it an effortless ownership experience.”

The bikes they have designed are super lightweight and to look at are virtually indistinguishable from a regular bike.

“The harder you pedal the more the electric motor adds, so it feels like cycling, but you feel a bit stronger, it is less of a burden, you can ride further and they are a little bit faster. It makes cycling more convenient,” Kaurit explains.

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[CONTACT URBAN]

RIDE YOUR CITY conti-bicycletires.com

“AMPLER IS A GROUP OF PEOPLE, AND A COMPANY THAT WOULD LIKE TO SEE MORE PEOPLE COMMUTING EMISSION-FREE.”

DOING IT RIGHT

Talking with Kaurit it becomes obvious he has a clear vision for the company, however, that vision comes at a cost.

“I think a lot of challenges we are facing are to do with ensuring we are doing things our way. We have high expectations of our products and the services we offer, meaning we do a lot of things in-house,” Kaurit tells us. “If we want things done our way, we need to do it ourselves.

We are selling direct-toconsumer, developing our own bikes, selling our own bikes, and providing our own afterservice.”

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Having so many moving parts within the company can make growth a careful balancing act.

“We have a complex system where everything has to grow in balance. Growing fast is always a challenge. You have to have all the pieces right,” Kaurit says. “That is true for our assembly activities.

Scaling hardware products is a bit different than software; you cannot assemble a bike with one part missing. Supply chain challenges have been tough, but so far, we have managed to learn from our mistakes. We enjoy challenges because they make us stronger. It has not been easy, but it has been exciting.”

GUIDING STARS

Ampler Bikes itself is still a fairly small team of 140 people, divided across all of the company’s activities. It is an agile and flexible firm capable of delivering fast changes. Key to its approach is the way Ampler Bikes is structured to give its team the freedom to take the initiative where it counts.

“We have also built the kind of organisational culture that gives people the freedom to make decisions within their scope of expertise, and that enabled us to grow with less pain,” Kaurit says. “It is not a top-down approach with a really specific set of goals and tools. We set the direction, and we gave people the freedom to make the choices.”

The staff share a high awareness of everything happening in the company, as information is shared across a wide group of people. This means everyone knows what they specifically need to achieve.

“It’s been a challenge, it’s a difficult task to do, but I’m happy with how we’ve been able to do it,” Kaurit tells us. “How it works is we set very generic goals. We agree to, for instance, become capable of delivering or serving 15,000 customers in a specific way. This goal becomes the north star for all our teams, who will each figure out what they have to do.”

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AMPLER BIKES

That can mean teams asking themselves how big a team they need to provide excellent service, or whether they need to enter new markets or open new showrooms. This process happens throughout the company, in sales, marketing, product development and assembly. However, while each team can take its own initiative, there is also a great deal of communication.

“There is a bit of alignment in the process and speaking to each other, it’s a crossteam effort to make that goal happen,” Kaurit explains.

THE NEXT GENERATION

Right now, Ampler Bikes’ “North Star” is the launch of a completely new product range.

“We call it the Second Generation, because all the components are basically new,” Kaurit says.

Ampler Bikes has been working on this for several years, taking into account the feedback it has received from the assembly team, from its 15,000 customers around Europe and its own experiences to improve and build even more purpose-built, reliable, sustainable, easy-to-use bikes.

Ardo Kaurit, CEO of Ampler Bikes.

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“It’s a big step for us, and very challenging to replace everything,” Kaurit reflects.

“All the marketing materials are changing, all the assembly processes change. We are excited to have these bikes ready because they show we are listening to our customers.

We are taking advantage of our consumer business model and our connection with our customers.”

Ampler Bikes will be launching even more variety to an even wider audience.

Specifically, the company is targeting people who are not cyclists, introducing them to, in their opinion, the best way of commuting around towns.

“It’s all happening in just four days, the biggest ever product news for Ampler since we launched six years ago, and as an international brand we’ve been working really hard on it,” Kaurit says.

This is not the only huge development that Ampler Bikes has had in the works, however.

“We’ve been assembling our own bikes since the beginning,” Kaurit says. “Not many bike companies in Europe do that, it is not the most efficient way to do it.

It is cheaper to have it assembled somewhere else, but we made the commitment for several reasons.

It has been a learning curve on how to build better bikes, it makes us adaptable to changes and we can make changes faster. Now, as we are growing fast, we have started a new factory project.”

Ampler has been working on building a carbon-neutral bicycle factory, assembling 100,000 units a year. It is a

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unique project in Estonia, where the sustainability mindset is not as mature as in some other markets.

“We want to build a factory that does all we can to reduce all kinds of emissions during the construction and design process and eventual use of the building,” insists Kaurit. “Whatever we can’t reduce we want to offset locally- not by finding some token somewhere but by producing clean electricity on the spot to make sure we achieve carbon neutrality in the most meaningful way possible.”

Throughout all of this, Ampler Bikes has stayed true to its focus on building bikes that are good for everyday commuting.

“It has set us on a path where decisions are easy for us,” Kaurit says. “We say no to anything that is not relevant to that. We want to expand and give more people the possibility of using our products and changing their lives to be more sustainable. It is still exciting. It is about seizing opportunities. I expect to see a lot more Amplers on the road.”

“WE’VE BEEN ASSEMBLING OUR OWN BIKES SINCE THE BEGINNING.” BUSINESSFOCUSMAGAZINE.COM

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LUMEL

CHIEF EXECUTIVE DINESH MUSALEKAR LOOKS AT THE INTERESTING HISTORY OF LUMEL, A MANUFACTURING COMPANY MOST WELL-KNOWN FOR INDUSTRIAL AUTOMATION DEVICES, AND THE COMPANY’S PLANS FOR THE FUTURE.

MAKING IT COUNT PROJECT MANAGED BY: ANDRZEJ SZANDOR

The history of Lumel is a fascinating one. Based in Poland, the company was established during a significant period of history in the 20th century. “The company has been going for 69 years. Originally it was run by the stateowned communist regime, focusing on the manufacture of analogue instrumentation products. Over time the company diversified, going into aluminium die-casting, digital meters, controllers, analysers, sensors, etc” Chief Executive Dinesh Musalekar recounts.

A

s well as changing events, inevitably Lumel also adapted as technology changed over the years. “Later on, Lumel would move from analogue to digital products.

In 2008, after the company established a new manufacturing plant for its aluminium die-casting products, Lumel faced financial difficulties and in 2010 it was privatised. Rishabh Instruments from India with 80 per cent Indianfamily ownership and a further 20 per cent owned by US investors.”

Musalekar recalls.

TURNING IT AROUND

Musalekar came in January 2014 during a crucial and challenging period for Lumel.

“The challenge was to turn the company around, to go from loss to profit and then

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into growth. During this time, I have overseen a change in the company structure with more emphasis on the automotive industry for Lumel Alucast and on the new generation IoT products for Lumel SA electronic business. We have also invested in people and have been exploring new markets” he explains.

“In my early days at Lumel, I had to deal with our financial situation, improving our credit ratings in the market with our suppliers and banks. I was brought in to change Lumel’s brand perception from a struggling company to a thriving company. I had to devise a fiveyear strategy we called “Vision 2020”. Vision 2020 involved systematic changes, building the right teams for both the

Lumel SA - electronics business and the Lumel Alucast diecasting business. In addition to this, we have put in place systematic investment plans, product development plans, market expansion plans both in the territorial and sectoral side” Musalekar acknowledges.

Lumel has faced some challenges in recent times.

“COVID-19 and the disruption of the supply chain of electronics components, particularly microprocessors, and the supply of commodities have hit our industries badly and we are no exception. Our teams have been managing these challenges very well by being resilient, flexible and adaptive to the challenging needs” Musalekar added.

At the time of writing this article, there is a growing concern about gas prices, something that Musalekar is concerned could have a knockon effect for Lumel. “Aluminium die-casting uses a lot of gas, so we are talking to supply companies and appropriate authorities, asking them to intervene. We are based in the Lubuskie region, where

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LUMEL

Dinesh Musalekar, Chief Executive, Lumel.

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We are optimistic and hoping this problem will be resolved and a solution will be reached very soon” he states before adding “As we say in Lumel, ‘No challenge is no fun!’”

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When Musalekar joined Lumel, he wanted to keep the business going but not at the expense of the workforce. “It was very important for us that there were no layoffs, that we grow the company while maintaining our workforce.

Instead of laying people off to gain short term results, we looked at scrapping non-value added processes, renegotiating contracts, spreading risks, adding new streams of revenue and improving our portfolio management” he recalls.

There was also the challenge of an employment shortage, which led to Lumel investing in education.” Around 2017 new

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LUMEL

companies were coming in and picking up manpower. We addressed this by establishing the Lumel School, partnering with local technical schools for apprenticeships, where students could learn part-time at school and part-time at the plant. We also recruited some foreign workers from Ukraine and India to cover some skilled roles. We are also in the process of launching a Master’s program with Zielona Góra University for students from India to study and work in Lumel” he states.

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LUMEL

When it comes to hiring employees, Musalekar is very hands-on, spending at least fifteen minutes talking with potential candidates. “I believe that the quality of our people defines our company. I try to get as many people in the room as possible to see if a candidate fits in with our company culture” he explains.

He is also in no doubt about what the main deal-breaker is when it comes to bringing potential employees on board.

“An important trait for me is honesty- it is important that people admit when they have made mistakes and what they have learned from them” he states.

Another factor that Musalekar looks for is the candidate’s potential. “It is not just about the job they have applied for.

Is there an opportunity for them to do something else in the company? It is also a good opportunity for us to learn as well, to see what the perception of the company is from the outside” he further details.

FROM THE PAST TO THE FUTURE

Lumel is involved in their local community, something that Musalekar believes is very important. “We sponsor several organisations, including a speedway club and local golf course academy. On the education side, we provide the Lumel School and management and leadership training programs for our employees.

When the plant was built, we also provided facilities for our employees, such as a new gym and multi-sport hall. Our company and employees also support families in need during Christmas” he states.

Musalekar also explains how the company is part of a drive to educate people about

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history: “In recent times, we are collaborating with the local museum to educate people on Indian history and culture, as well as restoring World War 2 bunkers at the Germany and Poland border region.”

Lumel is also looking towards the future, with Musalekar offering a clear plan that the company is working toward.

Musalekar gives specific points about how the company will achieve its ambitions “We want to build a truly global companywe have been investing in all our group companies, looking for more synergy and collaboration into areas such as research and development, logistics, sales, and marketing.

We have a global range of products and we are looking to invest in people to make that happen” he states.

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Musalekar then goes on to give Lumel’s plans a specific timeframe. “Our five-year plan is 15 to 20 per cent growth year on year while looking into acquiring one or two small companies which fit strategically with our group during this five-year plan.

The idea is that we do one fiveyear plan at a time, with plans to double turnover during each five-year period” he explains.

Musalekar is confident that Lumel has the collective mindset to achieve its goals, ensuring that Lumel will continue to be a part of the story for years to come. As Musalekar confidently states “Flexible companies will survive. This is something that we look to build in both our production processes and our people. We don’t know what is in store but we will do what we can to be prepared for it.”

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STOREDOT

STOREDOT IS TAKING NOBEL PRIZE-WINNING TECHNOLOGY TO THE NEXT LEVEL, REVOLUTIONISING THE ELECTRIC VEHICLE SECTOR.

CHARGING AHEAD PROJECT MANAGED BY: JAMIE SIVYER

Electric cars are the future, they have to be. But if you have ever let your phone run out of battery and had to wait a couple of hours for it to recharge, you might worry about facing the same scenario with an electric vehicle.

O

ur goal is to have a visible road map to addressing the range anxiety problem,” says Dr Doron Myersdorf, CEO and cofounder of StoreDot. “Range is the number one problem of adopting electric vehicles.”

StoreDot’s vision is that cars can be charged in minutes as opposed to hours so that the experience of a driver charging an electric vehicle will be exactly like the conventional refuelling experience- five minutes in and out from the charging station.

“This will enable the adoption of electric vehicles to accelerate dramatically,” says Myersdorf.

“We are leveraging the great innovation of the 2019 Nobel Prize winner of Professor John B. Goodenough, one of a team of three who won the Nobel prize for the lithium-ion battery. What they were working on is the technology that would enable them to charge the lithium-ions in a slow but secure way, using graphite on the negative side of the battery.”

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StoreDot’s breakthrough is to replace that graphite with silicon. Not only silicon but silicon combined with proprietary organic compounds.

“We synthesise small molecules the same way you would in pharmaceuticals,” Myersdorf says. “These support the battery it’s protecting, replacing the key element that prevents lithium from charging faster.”

A COCKTAIL OF EXPERTISE

The secret to StoreDot’s approach is that it combines expertise from a huge variety of different, cutting edge, disciplines.

“We have artificial intelligence and data science to let us look at the vast number of formulations that could work in the battery, to pinpoint the configurations that work best,” Myersdorf tells us. “As well as being safe and having sufficient, best-in-class energy storage at 300 watthours per kilogram, we’re the only ones able to recharge the battery in five minutes.”

StoreDot is working at the edge of what is possible in physics and chemistry and materials. It is at the forefront of what is known to date, and materials are one of the toughest sectors to drive innovation in.

“We understood that to make a difference and create something unique we had to reinvent the materials,” Myersdorf recalls.

“The challenge is that materials have a very non-linear process of development. Sometimes you hit a wall and have to go back and replicate what we have done again with some other formulation. So, the challenge is to manage this non-linear process on a very complex project is something no other company has faced before.”

This meant assembling a crack team with a unique mix of perspectives and knowledge.

From the outset, StoreDot hired 30 PhDs and another hundred professionals.

“Our researchers come from different disciplines and different faculties, including quantum physics, materials, science, and chemistry,” Myersdorf explains.

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STOREDOT

Dr Doron Myersdorf, CEO and co-founder of StoreDot.

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STOREDOT

“They are each bringing different perspectives on how materials will work in the battery. Each has a different understanding and even terminology. We created cross-functional teams, using agile principles that are typically used in the software sector, but we’re the only ones using them in chemistry.”

Every month each of these experts presents their progress in pushing the performance envelope as part of a constant and ongoing process of benchmarking and measurement. It has led to StoreDot having an unrivalled ability to innovate in the sector.

“WE UNDERSTOOD THAT TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE AND CREATE SOMETHING UNIQUE WE HAD TO REINVENT THE MATERIALS.”

“Our unique selling point is our ability to innovate and the core mechanism of the lithiumion technology, combining the different realms of nanotechnology, organic materials and AI in order to break the boundaries of what is possible in the world of batteries,” Myersdorf says. “This combination is unique and is what enabled us to register over a hundred patents that cover all the molecules, compounds, systems and processes that enable extreme fast charging.”

The people are the vital ingredient in generating that innovation, and assembling a team capable of that is the real trick.

“We focus on the people. Our first values include ‘people first’.

We prioritise people before business, before financials,” Myersdorf insists.

“We’re selective about the expertise and quality of researchers and the rest of the team.”

From the beginning, StoreDot has been close to the talent, with the business starting out of a university and its co-founders being professors and a PhD. “We are doing real pioneering research. There was no real battery company doing research in electric chemistry, so we were operating initially in a vacuum,” Myersdorf says. “Recruiting the first 20 PhDs was easy. We focused on selecting people who had published papers in Nature, been to Vostok or MIT. We wanted experienced people with specific knowledge around batteries, but the knowledge that had not yet found a commercial application.”

THE ROAD AHEAD

Indeed, while StoreDot has some impressive innovations under its belt already, Myersdorf is already enthusiastic about what is to come.

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STOREDOT

“We’re moving down the road to solid-state batteries. That would mean a battery where the electrolyte is solid,” he says. “This is a 2028 product we’re working on, so the path forward is to continue delivery with our joint ventures, one in China, one in Vietnam, one in the US. These manufacturing joint ventures let us scale up in the market for the technology while working hand-in-hand with car OEMs.” StoreDot is positioned to be a leading solution provider for batteries in electric vehicles because it takes performance to a different level. This has a knock-on effect, positioning Israel as a leader in the battery sector, and Israel is already considered a major hub for auto tech.

Myersdorf explains, “StoreDot compliments the capability for auto driving with its battery. We’re working with our R & D centre in California, very quickly becoming a global company with operations in China, the UK, Germany, and Vietnam among others.”

“WE ARE DOING REAL PIONEERING RESEARCH. THERE WAS NO REAL BATTERY COMPANY DOING RESEARCH IN ELECTRIC CHEMISTRY, SO WE WERE OPERATING INITIALLY IN A VACUUM.” 150 | MANUFACTURING

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STOREDOT

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ASANTE GOLD

CHAIRMAN DOUGLAS MACQUARRIE TALKS ABOUT ASANTE GOLD’S OPERATIONS IN GHANA AND HOW THE COMPANY’S OPERATIONS ARE ALSO HELPING TO BENEFIT THE LOCAL COMMUNITY.

A GOLDEN

OPPORTUNITY PROJECT MANAGED BY: CHRIS CONWAY

Asante Gold is a gold exploration and development company that chiefly operates in Ghana, a country that for over a thousand years was referred to as the Gold Coast and is said to be the seventhlargest producer of gold in the world. Asante Gold is looking to benefit from this rich resource, having recently worked on projects including the Bibiani and Kubi gold mines in addition to investing in Roscan Gold Corporation in Mali. Overseeing this project is Asante Gold’s founder and Chairman Douglas MacQuarrie.

A

resident of Canada, MacQuarrie has over 40 years of experience in mineral exploration, 30 of those years based in Ghana. In addition to this, he also works as an independent director for IC Capitalight Corp, the owners of Capitalight Research, whose main focus is subscription based gold and silver commodity research. MacQuarrie has a clear vision of what his role is within the company “My main role is to focus and co-ordinate the board and our team.”

VISION

MacQuarrie has come into this process, aware of the challenges facing Asante Gold when it comes to attracting the necessary investment so that projects can be completed and the best possible results achieved “Our biggest previous challenge has been financing, where we only had our share capital. High gold

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prices have recently allowed us to fund expansion and attract new investors.”

However, MacQuarrie is keen to emphasise that Asante is not coming in to change the culture in Ghana, but to become a part of it, with major Ghanaian representation in the boardroom. “At Asante, we have moved to become an Africa-focused company. We didn’t want to be a typical ex-pat managed company. Now 47% of our shareholders, on a fully diluted basis, are Ghanaian nationals, and all our operations are based there. Most of our recent funding came from Ghana as opposed to traditional capital markets.”

It is also important for him that the people coming into the company share his vision

ASANTE GOLD

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COMPANY PROFILE

As a Mining and Civil Engineering contractor, PW Mining International has the capability to deliver on any scale of mining project. This capability covers all contract mining and civil engineering earthworks and related infrastructure on greenfield mine sites, and also on mine site extensions or developments.

Open Pit Operations

We have a continual history of operations in Africa going back over 40 years.

We have executed prestigious mining sector projects in Ghana, Sierra Leone, Mali, Burkina Faso and Tanzania. We are prepared to examine any mining or civil engineering opportunity in the African mining industry. You are welcome to contact us if you have potential project opportunities, or feel that we might be of service to you.

Mission and Vision

Our mission is to deliver top class value and service to our clients by providing value for money pricing, quality workmanship which is safely executed, and ontime completion of our contracts. We are committed to building solid, integrity based client relationships, through dedicated attention and above average performance. Our vision is to be the best mining and civil engineering company in Africa whom our clients look forward to partnering with on a repeat basis.

We will be known for integrity, excellence, quality, growth, and employee satisfaction.

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PW MINING INTERNATIONAL LTD 10 Abidjan Avenue, East Legon PO Box CT2475 Cantonments Accra

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www.pwmil.com

HARLEQUIN INTERNATIONAL (GH.) LTD Setting the benchmark for ENGINEERING in West Africa

Harlequin International (Ghana) Limited (HIT), a 100% Ghanaian owned company, is a market leader of welding, fabrication and general, mechanical and hydraulic engineering services in Ghana. Harlequin offers quality general and industrial tooling, welding equipment & consumables as well as bulk cargo handling systems and high-pressure hydraulic systems.

We operate in the oil and gas, mining, ports and harbors, power generation and agriculture industries, with in-depth experience and knowledge, and an unwavering commitment to reliability and quality. We have a proven track record covering over 20 successful years providing services in Ghana and the West African sub-region; ensuring that Harlequin remains the market leader in its scope of engineering and hydraulic services. We are known for our excellent service delivery as well as our outstanding quality – we are ISO 9001 certified and ISO 45001, ISO 14001, ISO 3834 compliant.

We have a 50 acre facility. Developed and workable areas cover 15 acres (60 600m2). We have plans for future expansion for the remaining undeveloped 35 acres. Yard and Laydown Area has a total floor space of 30,000 m2, Engineering Workshop has a total floor space of 800m2, Fabrication Workshop - A total floor space of 4800m2, Hydraulic Workshop - A total floor space of 800m2.

WE OFFER THE FOLLOWING SERVICES Construction & Refurbishment of Process Plants Repair, maintenance andoverhaul of electrical motors On- site machining services CNC Machining and Hydraulic Services

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ASANTE GOLD

and understand what drives the company. “Anyone coming into the company has to share our vision. Ghanaian gold production represents the cornerstone of our business and growing the business through good management, acquisitions and exploration will give the best outcome for our company.”

GHANAIAN GOLD PRODUCTION REPRESENTS THE CORNERSTONE OF OUR BUSINESS AND GROWING THE BUSINESS THROUGH GOOD MANAGEMENT, ACQUISITIONS AND EXPLORATION WILL GIVE THE BEST OUTCOME FOR OUR COMPANY.” LOCAL BENEFITS

Asante is keen to pour its first gold at the Bibiani mine around July 2022, with mining activities commencing in late February.

It is estimated that Ghana has the largest available gold endowment in West Africa, with over 130MOz of gold resources.

The Kubi gold mine is also potentially a very valuable resource, given that it is close to the 66 million-ounce Ashanti Obuasi mine and on the major regional shear zone that hosts the Obuasi gold mineralization.

In addition to the economic benefits that will come from mining gold, MacQuarrie also points toward the benefits that these operations can provide in terms of facilities and community projects for the local area around the Bibiani and Kubi mines and how it could benefit local people in the long term. “When we bought the Bibiani mine, we also bought the goodwill that the previous company had earned over the last seven years. Asante continues to support the local football team,

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ASANTE GOLD

ASANTE GOLD

the technical school as well as students studying in Ghana and Canada. Our projects have also helped to maintain the local waterworks, medical centre, and elementary school.”

Reports from Global Mining Review have also suggested that these operations will provide work for more than 850 people, with a specific commitment to securing at least 70 per cent of their mining workforce from the local area. PW Mining, our mining contractor, is also installing a training centre with state-of-the-art equipment so that everyone contracted to work on the operation will have

158 | MINING

the skills necessary to complete the work. A commitment has been made to strive for up to 50% of the heavy equipment operators to be female. MacQuarrie has praised the efforts of the contract mining team, stating “We are impressed by the quality of people, resources, and record of success in the mining business that PW Mining brings to the Bibiani Mine.

Asante looks forward to working with PW, and all our other project partners, to continue to deliver a safe and successful operation.”

The company has received all the necessary permits and approvals to begin their operations

“THE BIBIANI MINE IS HIGH GRADE AND THIS NATURAL ENDOWMENT WITH THE CURRENT HIGH GOLD PRICES WILL GENERATE CONSIDERABLE FREE CASH FLOW AND ALLOW US TO ORGANICALLY EXPLORE AND EXPAND.”

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ASANTE GOLD

in the local area, with 125 units of heavy equipment including drills, excavators, and haulage trucks on site, as MacQuarrie explains, “The Environmental & Mine Operating Permits provide for all aspects of the Bibiani Mine development, including operation and expansion, re-alignment of the National Highway, management of water and tailings, transport and utilization of explosives, mining and processing. With everything in place, we are now working towards the first gold pour in July 2022.”

THE SWEET SPOT

MacQuarrie is confident that once commercial production begins, this, in turn, will pave the way for Asante Gold to further build on these activities and fuel the company’s growth. “The Bibiani mine is high grade and this natural

BUSINESSFOCUSMAGAZINE.COM

endowment with the current high gold prices will generate considerable free cash flow and allow us to organically explore & expand,” MacQuarrie explains.

There is also a change in economic circumstances that seems to favour Asante Gold’s work as well. The company is keen to emphasise the potential of investing in gold with MacQuarrie stating “We believe gold is the world’s only real money and everything else is just a derivative!”

MacQuarrie goes on to explain this further and why investing in gold has a lot of long-term potential “We are extremely bullish on the price of gold. At the moment we are at the sweet spot – with gold in a long-term bull phase. When it all comes together, like now, it represents a golden opportunity to be a shareholder.”

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ABERDEEN HARBOUR

ABERDEEN HARBOUR IS THE OLDEST EXISTING BUSINESS IN GREAT BRITAIN, BUT WITH THIS AMBITIOUS EXPANSION IT IS LIGHTING THE WAY TO THE COUNTRY’S FUTURE.

THE HEART OF ABERDEEN PROJECT MANAGED BY: TREVOR GRETSINGER

ABERDEEN HARBOUR

Business Focus Magazine has interviewed quite a few businesses with long histories in its time, but Aberdeen Harbour is listed in the Guinness Book of Business Records as the oldest existing business in Britain. Its story is intrinsically tied to the story of the city of Aberdeen, and its growth and evolution mirror that of the Granite City.

Since it was established by King David I of Scotland in 1136, the harbour has played a vital role in the commercial life of the city. From there it has become a vital link in the chain of Scotland’s, and even the UK’s economic prosperity, since the discovery of North Sea oil, but that is only the latest industry to pass through the port.

I

t has been home to fishing, shipbuilding, textiles and global stone exports from Aberdeen’s famous quarries.

Today the port contributes £1.5 billion to the Scottish economy and supports as many as 12,000 jobs, so it is a major economic driver – both for the Northeast region, and Scotland as a whole.

Aberdeen has been Europe’s premier port for the oil and gas industry for more than 50 years and has built a wealth

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162 | SHIPPING, PORT & MARINE

of experience in the energy sector. As well as acting as the marine base for international energy operators, the port has an extensive supply chain on its own doorstep.

A NEW CHAPTER

But right now, a new chapter is opening up in the history of the port, as it undergoes the largest marine infrastructure project underway in the UK and the most ambitious development for trade around the North Sea. “The expansion of the port will ensure Aberdeen can support the future of energy production in the UK and will be critical to supporting the country’s energy transition,” explains Bob Sanguinetti, Aberdeen Harbour’s CEO. “Our current port will continue to serve a variety of customers, but the expansion will dramatically increase our capabilities.”

Aberdeen’s South Harbour has been built with larger, wider, and deeper ships in mind, and incorporates considerable heavy-

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ABERDEEN HARBOUR

Bob Sanguinetti, CEO, Aberdeen Harbour.

lift laydown space, making it an ideal port for space-intensive industries such as offshore wind.

The harbour is located within close proximity of current and future offshore wind farm sites, bringing customers closer to their offshore projects.

When it is completed later this year, the combined port in Aberdeen will contribute £2.4 billion GVA to the Scottish economy by 2035 and support as many as 19,000 indirect jobs. But that only marks the beginning of the benefits this project will have for local communities.

“We have a vested, proactive interest in the prosperity of our local communities, and have included several measures as part of the expansion to benefit adults and children

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living and working near to the port,” Sanguinetti explains. “As well as amenity developments – such as improved pedestrian and cycle paths and leisure provisions – we have donated more than £600,000 to local community groups and charities, benefitting as many as 200,000 people. Our Project Visitor Centre has been very popular with the local school, university and community groups, and we look forward to welcoming more members of the local community to this area as the project completes.”

STARTING FROM SCRATCH

It is an enormous and extremely ambitious project, with much of the infrastructure being built from the seabed up, and so it has not come without

its challenges. To add to the challenge, the North Sea is a famously difficult environment to operate in at the best of times.

“It is very rare to construct a large-scale port from scratch, let alone in the North Sea,” Sanguinetti acknowledges. “We have had to incorporate the effects of the weather into the project plan and preparing for this has ensured we keep within our timescales.”

Of course, all the planning in the world could not have prepared the project for the COVID-19 pandemic and the economic aftershocks that have been felt since.

“Like many other infrastructure projects, we have felt the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, such as rising costs

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of materials and supply chain delays,” Sanguinetti tells us.

“However, we have achieved considerable progress on site since the pandemic, and the port is on track to open as scheduled in 2022.”

On completion, the expanded Aberdeen Harbour will form a central pillar of the energy transition in Scotland and beyond, in turn triggering a wealth of opportunities across the Northeast. This will be a particular boon to Aberdeen itself, which is set to become the energy transition capital of

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ABERDEEN HARBOUR

Europe, with its multi-millionpound port expansion at the heart of the development of high potential clean energy sectors such as offshore wind and green hydrogen.

More than that, Sanguinetti hopes the expanded port will serve as an example to other ports across the country.

“We strive to be a leader in energy transition and our efforts will be critical for the use of clean fuel in ports around the UK,” he tells us. “Our joint project with Connected Places Catapult, which has benefitted from more than £400,000 in funding from the Department of Transport as part of the Clean Maritime Demonstrator Competition, will act as a blueprint for the implementation of shore power for UK ports and the wider maritime industry, particularly with small to

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medium-sized vessels, such as Platform Supply Vessels and Offshore Support Vessels, which regularly visit the port.”

The changing energy industry and development of clean fuels will be critical to the port’s success in the future. Fortunately, it benefits from strong relationships with private and public bodies across the whole of the UK, and Sanguinetti looks forward to working with them to ensure the port remains at the heart of the energy transition.

As Sanguinetti says, “With our multi-million-pound infrastructure developments, innovative supply chain and experience, the port in Aberdeen can become Scotland’s green port of the future, creating prosperity for future generations and connecting our customers and port users to what they need, where and when they need it.”

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DUBLIN PORT

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DUBLIN PORT

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Dublin is Ireland’s biggest port by some distance. Most of Ireland’s population is on the east coast of the country, and most of the trade for that population comes through this port. The containers and trailers it processes make up 80% of Ireland’s cargo imports. That is including the four million tons of petroleum that come through the port, which represents an entire third of the total energy consumed in the Irish economy, including coal, gas, and renewables.

R

ight now, the port is undergoing a transformation that will have ramifications for decades to come, and it needs it, as demand is only growing.

“The port is being developed on the basis of a plan that spans 30 years up to 2040. We call it Masterplan 2040, rebuilding

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DUBLIN PORT

a lot of existing infrastructure and adding new infrastructure, but all on the port’s existing footprint,” explains Eamonn O’Reilly, CEO of Dublin Port.

“We can’t expand outwards, so we are bringing the port to its final capacity by 2040.”

The plan involves implementing a number of “Strategic Infrastructure Development Projects”, one of which is nearly halfway through construction, another of which is about to commence, with a third one going into the planning process next year.

DOING THE WORK

Of course, because Dublin Port is in the heart of Dublin itself, it can’t simply purchase surrounding land to expand its capabilities, which means some creativity is required to build capacity.

“We’re trying to transfer all the port-related but non-core activities away from the port so we can redevelop the land for containers and trailers,” O’Reilly tells us. “Dublin Inland Port is 14 km away, and we’re moving a lot of non-core activity to the inland port to free up space. We’re rebuilding a lot of old quay walls built in the 20th century which are not fit for purpose.

So, we’re strengthening them and deepening them.”

To achieve these goals the Port is spending 80 million euros a year on capital projects, but despite the extensive nature of the work, Dublin Port can’t afford to slow down its day-today business.

“The biggest challenge is carrying out all that work in an already busy port that has seen, notwithstanding the crises over the last year, growing volumes of trade,” O’Reilly points out. “We’re trying to do this work within the port while maintaining throughput. Getting

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planning permission, raising finance, we’ve succeeded in that. The real challenge is just doing the work.”

To do that work, an epic, 30-year plan needs to be broken down into smaller, more manageable chunks.

“We’ve got three big projects, and each is built out as multiple smaller projects,” O’Reilly explains. “You displace as small an amount of cargo as possible, finding the balance between how small a project you carry out and the economics of dividing a big project into lots of small projects.”

To complete that work, Dublin Port has a small, but dedicated team.

“THE BIGGEST CHALLENGE IS CARRYING OUT ALL THAT WORK IN AN ALREADY BUSY PORT THAT HAS SEEN, NOTWITHSTANDING THE CRISES OVER THE LAST YEAR, GROWING VOLUMES OF TRADE.”

“There are only 153 of us in the company. It’s a very small workforce and all cargo handling operations are carried out by private sector companies,” O’Reilly tells us.

“So, recruitment has focused on getting the right number of people with the right skills into the organisation.”

A large proportion of that staff is engaged in day-to-day marine operations. Pilot boats, tugs and critical infrastructure maintenance all need to be manned 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

“But aside from those groups of staff it is quite a small organisation,” O’Reilly acknowledges.

The aid that organisation, a great deal of technological infrastructure future-proofing is taking place.

“To reach our capacity targets for 2040, we need an identifiable quantum of infrastructure,” O’Reilly points out.

For that infrastructure to aid the port’s capacity cargo needs to move through the port quickly and efficiently. The waterside

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port already operates 24 hours a day, seven days a week, with ships coming in continuously, getting discharged and loaded around the clock. O’Reilly tells us that goods need to come in and out of the port on the landside 168 hours a week, but at the moment that figure is closer to 60 hours and even within that there are peaks and troughs.

“We need landside operations spread over 168 hours, all day Saturday, Sunday, and every day of the week,” O’Reilly insists. “We will be developing digitalisation solutions to help facilitate that.”

Achieving the right level of throughput requires not just the effective application of technology, but also changes in behaviour.

“We’re having to change supply chain behaviours, shipping lines, hauliers have got to get used to the idea that you can’t leave containers around the port until you need

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them or drop exports off days before they’re sailing and get effectively free warehousing,” O’Reilly points out. “We need terminals to implement booking systems, move imported goods to inland locations at all hours of the week, and much of this is in the context of custom controlled movements because Britain is outside of the common market.”

INVESTING IN COMMUNITY

There is no denying that the way ports work and the roles they play within communities have changed dramatically, and as an urban port Dublin Port’s challenge is not just building capacity within the physical confines of its space, but also maintaining bonds with the community that surrounds it.

“When I look out of my window, I can see houses where people live. Dublin is an estuary port.

It’s built on the river and the city envelops the port. You can’t hope to develop a port if you’re faced

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with a lot of opposition from the citizens in your immediate neighbourhood,” O’Reilly says simply. “In the past, the link between the port and the city has been strained to breaking point. Ports have become more industrialised, there is more capital, but less labour, so that historical connection is weakened and even broken.”

Dublin Port recognises this issue and is working hard to reintegrate the port into the city.

However, O’Reilly is adamant that this needs to take place at a level people can understand and identify with, not simply dry economic figures.

“People aren’t interested in GDP growth or business talk.

People are interested in the heritage of the port and in the cultural relationship with the port,” he tells us. “We’ve commissioned song cycles held in the National Concert Hall in Dublin. We’ve commissioned plays by leading Irish playwrights to packed houses in the Abbey theatre.”

This cultural patronage is combined with building public infrastructure such as cycle paths through the port, and even cultural venues in the middle of the port which have already hosted plays.

“We have had three exciting and innovative pieces of theatre in the Pumphouse already and have a pipeline of exciting projects for the future. We are providing physical infrastructure for leisure, and supporting and commissioning work in the arts & heritage sector”, O’Reilly says.

Building these cultural links is important because Dublin Port is not going anywhere.

“We’re getting busier and busier and busier. We’re reaching full capacity and over the next 18 years we are already hitting a number of pinch points,” O’Reilly says. “It’ll be gradual, and very challenging, to keep the capacity here to cater for the growth we expect. At the same time, 2040 is only 18 years away. Planning for additional capacity outside of Dublin Port needs to get underway.”

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BETWEEN THE PANDEMIC AND GLOBAL SUPPLY CHAIN ISSUES, GHANA’S PORTS ARE SHOWING THE WAY TOWARDS A BRIGHT FUTURE FOR THE COUNTRY AND CONTINENT.

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The last few years have been a difficult period for the whole world and Ghana’s Ports and Harbours has been no exception, but the Ghana Ports & Harbours Authority has benefited from strong precautions and guidance.

W

e’ve been working with preventive protocols and the cooperation of stakeholders within the port community and our country,” says Michael Luguje, Director General for the Authority. “Within the port sector we’ve kept ports open and cargo moving safely. We’ve helped the economy keep going. So, we’ve done quite well on the whole.”

This is a recurring theme in our conversation with Luguje, that his priorities have been people’s safety, and the wellbeing of the economy.

“I think our biggest achievement is that we’ve been able to keep the entire port community safe from any major impact of the pandemic.

We kept the ports open for the Ghanaian economy and those of our neighbouring countries, keeping vessels sailing in and out,” he tells us proudly. “We’ve been very effective despite the pandemic. We’ve been able to facilitate ships’ crew change

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and ships are working with us successfully, keeping everyone safe and keeping the economy well-resourced through cargo inflow and outflow.”

Indeed, despite fears that cargo traffic would not meet its targets for the year, the Ports and Harbours Authority ended last year with its targets met.

“We’ve been able to keep ourselves healthy,” Luguje says.

POST-PANDEMIC PORTS

Aside from the Covid, Ghana Ports & Harbours Authority has faced other challenges, although eventually all of them have their roots in the pandemic.

“Our other challenges are all essentially related to the pandemic,” Luguje observes.

“It has brought in a new world order on how business is done. You have to restrict movement, slow down, follow all the necessary protocols.

The process of clearing vessels has to change and that has come with additional costs. Of

course, there is also the cost of providing additional support to the medical sector, the cost of investing in additional IT infrastructure to support working from home and dealing with more of our business online.”

Connected to the pandemic, countries all over the world have been seeing significant supply chain challenges.

“The supply of cargo containers slumped and all of a sudden, our shippers are having to pay twice or three times the freight cost to bring cargo into Ghana,” Luguje says.

“That became a major concern.

For us as a cargo port, steel prices have hiked. The cost of procuring cargo handling equipment is steep, and all of that together has been a major challenge. But we must continue to invest in the port to stay a step ahead of requirements. We are continuing to expand our ports.”

While Ghana Ports & Harbours Authority has plans to invest in the future of the country’s port infrastructure, it is also working hard to keep things going on a day-to-day basis.

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GHANA PORTS & HARBOURS AUTHORITY

Michael Luguje, Director General, Ghana Ports & Harbours Authority.

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“Thankfully we are surviving on a daily basis adjusting to cope with the new circumstances, and gradually that will subside, and life will return to normal,” Luguje assures us. “We are finding innovation in terms of new ways of working because of the Covid. Being able to do so comes with strategic planning, cutting costs, and reviewing existing works.”

“Even the shipping lines themselves are taking their own decisions on how to cope, offering support where there is need for multi-stakeholder collaborations so we can all prosper,” Luguje says. “We have also had very impressive support from the government of Ghana in this direction.”

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GHANA PORTS & HARBOURS AUTHORITY

THE PLACE TO BE

It is when we start talking about longer-term plans that Luguje becomes most animated. The Authority has big plans to continue to innovate in terms of improving its ways of working and cutting costs.

“We’ve been able to learn and adapt to the Covid impact, providing quality service and continuing to expand our port and improve on infrastructure,” he says. “We can now provide additional capacity in deeper berths for the bigger vessels coming in with various types of cargoes. Construction is a growing sector in Ghana, so, we have an increasing number of cement manufacturing companies building cement plants in Ghana. As a result, plans are advanced to dredge and deepen the new dry bulk cargo berth in Tema Port to 12 metres to accommodate the bigger vessels. We’re

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also recording increasing volumes of sugar, wheat, and steel, whose importers are using bigger vessels to achieve economies of scale.”

Indeed, in Tema Port, the new Container Terminal 3 opened to business in July 2019.

“It is a very modern terminal capable of accommodating the latest generation of container vessels. In the Port of Takoradi, we’ve already opened a new liquid bulk cargo terminal, while a modern dry bulk cargo terminal is under construction. We are also planning to develop a new modern oil and gas services terminal.

It’s an ambitious future,” Luguje says. “We need to make provision for any eventualities, and we’re keeping that knowledge at the forefront of our minds.”

One of the boldest new plans is to meet government requests for a tech-focused commercial port which will be constructed on a green field in the country’s eastern corridor in the town of Keta.

“We’re now preparing to conduct an economic environmental and social impact study that will be completed this year,” says Luguje.

“We also have the dry dock and shipyard which is a strong potential source of income that needs to be properly developed, and we’re looking to that.”

All of this is building on the great achievements the Port Authority has already made.

“Our flagship terminal, Terminal 3 with a 16-metre draught, is well known within the shipping community. We are the leading container hub in West Africa, handling the biggest container ships,” explains Luguje. “Anyone who wants to come into Africa, Ghana is the place to be. We’re positioning ourselves as the gateway for investment into the continent & the ports are well prepared to play our required role.”

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GHANA PORTS & HARBOURS AUTHORITY

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HUTCHISON FCP

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HUTCHISON FCP

HUTCHISON FCP IS THE TRANSHIPMENT HUB FOR THE EASTERN SEABOARD OF THE US, ACHIEVING GLOBALLY RECOGNISED STATUS FOR ITS QUALITY AND SERVICE.

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Hutchison Ports Free Container Port (FCP) is a deep-water container port in the Bahamas, and it serves as the transhipment hub for the entire eastern seaboard of the US and the principal east and west line Haul routes through the region. The port has always benefited from its unique location, positioned at the intersection of the major North America, South America, Far East and European Trade routes. Located on one of the largest islands in the Commonwealth of The Bahamas, Grand Bahama Island, the facility is only 100 miles from the port of Miami, Florida.

T

he port was established in 1997 by Hutchison Ports. Since that it has served a vital role as a hub for containerised transport. The port boasts 16 metres of depth alongside, 750 reefer points, and three berths, as well as 57 hectares of stacking area and the capacity to handle 1.5 million TEUs per year.

With its sophisticated, computerised systems and state-of-the-art security, the terminal can operate 24 hours a day, offering comprehensive support services and leadingedge technology to the largest container vessels in the world.

It is able to do this thanks to the terminal’s dedicated staff, and high-tech real-time communications and portmanagement systems.

The facility is currently undergoing a US$250 million development project known as “Phase V”, which will see the total quay length of the port increased to 1,536 metres, the yard area expanded to 63 hectares, nine post-Panamax cranes and one super-postPanamax quay crane.

AN AWARD-WINNING PORT

Indeed, the FCP’s work was recognised last year at the prestigious Container Port of the Year Award, presented by the Caribbean Shipping Association (CSA).

The award was presented to the FCP’s management and staff during an event organised by the port at its Grand Bahama offices last November when it was handed over by CSA

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President Juan Carlos Croston, General Manager Milaika Capella Ras and Port Awards Committee Chairman Roland Malin-Smith. Container ports is a competitive field, that saw the FCP evaluated over two years, looking at its most recent performance against the prior year.

The award is a great achievement not just for the port, but for the over 800 team members whose commitment to excellence drives its operations around the clock. The award has meant a great deal to the team and marks out the port in a field that has been making strides in efficiency and technological advancement across the board.

The award is of particular import to Freeport Container Port because the organisation takes great pride in being an innovation centre and a global transhipment hub. FCP is not

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just a profit-making enterprise but plays a valuable role in the region, and community.

“We stand firm in our values of UNITY and are proud to continually build on our corporate social responsibility to our team members and local community,” said Freeport Container Port CEO, Alan Dixon. “We are thrilled to be able to hold this title in Grand Bahama, bringing more recognition to our hard-working, dedicated team and the island we call home.”

When the Caribbean Shipping Association hosted its 12th Executive Conference in Grand Bahama in 2013, the Prime Minister of The Bahamas, The Right Honourable Perry Christie, was present at the conference and spoke to the country’s vision of establishing Freeport as

Alan Dixon, CEO, Hutchison FCP.

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HUTCHISON FCP

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a major shipping hub for the region. FCP is proud of the role it has played in that journey, and the award acknowledges the advancements it has made in that continued effort.

FCP has invested approximately US$11 million over the past two years on its state-of-the-art equipment, including hybrid straddle carriers to significantly reduce its carbon footprint and the emission of Greenhouse Gases.

Over the next three years, the port has committed to further invest US$21 million toward cutting-edge energy-efficient equipment to work towards its sustainability goals.

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Of course, container transportation, and the supply chain as a whole has been faced with unprecedented challenges in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, but the pandemic has also provided a unique opportunity to reevaluate how business is carried out. For FCP it has served as a reminder of how resilient and open to change its team is.

“This has enabled us to double down on our personal and professional development and advance our digital transformation program and now have more people than ever working from home,”

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HUTCHISON FCP

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HUTCHISON FCP

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HUTCHISON FCP

Dixon has said. “And so, while it might seem that these changes would be counterintuitive to productivity, we have actually seen an increase in effectiveness and efficiency right across the board.”

Hutchison FCP ended last year in the neighbourhood of 1.6 million TEUs, representing an increase of around 27% over the previous year, making it close to a record year for the port. FCP also recorded a productivity gain of 22% and a 50% improvement in berthing during the same period. Dixon has put these positive gains down to two equally important factors.

“We conducted a top to bottom review of our operational practices. Once the data told us the story, we used that information to create a roadmap, with clear milestones

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along the way, to our desired productivity targets,” Dixon said upon receiving the CSA award.

He added, “We made it a point to have clear communications with our team members. We explained where we were, where we wanted to go and how we wanted to get there.

We invited the team to make the journey with us and they responded enthusiastically.

Our team pulled together, met every milestone and resoundingly delivered on the performance and safety goals. The team at FCP made it all happen, and I applaud the team for their hard work and consistency.”

The port’s performance over the last 12-18 months has placed it in a good position to develop both business units, and as such, Hutchison FCP is actively working toward expansion.

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UNITED EUROPEAN CAR CARRIERS

SINCE WE LAST SPOKE WITH UECC THEY HAVE TRAVERSED SOME STORMY SEAS BUT HAS GRAND PLANS FOR THE FUTURE.

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It’s been just over a year since we last talked with United European Car Carriers (UECC), a leading provider of short sea transportation for the automobile sector. When we’re reintroduced to CEO Glenn Edvardsen it is clear he has lots of news for us.

L

ots of positive things have happened since we last spoke,” Edvardsen says.

“We have been positioning ourselves as an environmentally friendly company with a lot of focus on sustainability moving forward. That’s an important part of our operations, ensuring we are environmentally sustainable.”

UECC has some ambitious goals, but it is pursuing them while ensuring it remains a viable business.

“Obviously, it has to be financially sustainable too, but we’re prepared to go the extra mile for the environmental aspect of our work,” Edvardsen says. “We take a long view, but we believe it makes sense to act as soon as possible.”

This ambition is embodied in the three new vessels UECC has commissioned since our last conversation. These ships will represent the ambitious, technically advanced, fully sustainable outlook that UECC has adopted.

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“We took delivery of the first three months ago,” Edvardsen says. “The second will arrive this month and the final one is due in July. Each of them is a highly sustainable, environmentally friendly vessel using dual-fuel, LNG, and battery hardware solutions. That’s the heart of the company.”

These new, sustainable ships reflect values that can be seen throughout UECC. “Everyone is working to get us to zero emissions,” Edvardsen says. “Many companies have a zero-emissions strategy but wait until the last possible moment to put it into action, but we believe if you have that as a goal you need to start now. Sit and wait is not a good strategy.”

Acting fast comes with its own costs and challenges, and Edvardsen is the first to point out that when it comes to combatting climate change, a flawed but immediately available solution is preferable to an ideal response that may never come.

“We say we can’t wait for perfect to come along, because it can be the enemy of the good,” he points out. “LNG is not a perfect solution, but the fact is it reduces CO2 to 25%, so this is not a small thing.”

A QUESTION OF SUPPLY

Climate change is an issue that UECC is adapting to address, but it is far from the only global challenge the company has faced in recent years. Logistics and the automotive sector both took a hit from the pandemic and UECC’s work cuts across both sectors.

“We reacted relatively quickly, adapted to the change and by doing so we managed well. The biggest challenge of the pandemic was the fact that we have a certain capacity in place to fill,” Edvardsen says.

“When the floor of the market disappeared overnight, we lost all that revenue because many companies, through lack of labour and so forth, disappeared overnight.”

The pandemic has been accompanied by another challenge that has hit the automotive sector across the world, a shortage in

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UNITED EUROPEAN CAR CARRIERS

Glenn Edvardsen, CEO, UECC.

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UNITED EUROPEAN CAR CARRIERS

semiconductor materials that are essential for a vast range of electronicsincluding car components. The car transportation company has had to survive periods where there simply were not any cars to transport.

“We have a contractual portfolio. There are different customers using one ship and between them, they cover the cost of that shipment to get from A to B,” Edvardsen explains.

“But with the semiconductor shortage, there’s nothing there to be shipped because of the lack of parts. Difficulties arise when the customer doesn’t tell us about cancelled shipments until it is one day too late rather than one day before. We need to address that from a financial point of view.”

UECC uses a mixture of its own vessels and chartered ships, meaning that the cancelled shipments placed pressure on the company’s accounts.

“If customers tell us their factory’s closed and they do not have the parts, we still have a vessel charted to take that particular order. Then equally suddenly they will have lots of cars and we have to deliver a vessel,” Edvardsen says.

“We need to have that flow of merchandise going. It started as a challenge, but it soon became a problem because it was not only one or two customers- it was all of them, all experiencing the same problem. We have a definite issue with adjusting capacity only to find that within a week the requirements have changed wildly.”

Despite these challenges, UECC has risen to the occasion, an achievement Edvardsen puts down to his people.

“We’re an incredible organisation here and everyone understands what challenges we need to overcome and pulls in the same direction,” he says. “Everyone’s committed and understands what we need to do. The people in the organisation are a dedicated, loyal, good group of people.

Our biggest achievement is that we’ve kept them going despite the challenges we’ve encountered. That’s really taken us through this. We’ve taken delivery of vessels. We have a course and we have kept to that course. Just keeping going is the cornerstone of the UECC. As we say here, none of us is as good as all of us.”

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 LNG  NH 3

UECCs Car Carriers are equipped with TGE Marines High Pressure and Medium Pressure Fuel Gas Systems.

Mail: sales@tge-marine.com www.tge-marine.com

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LPG / Ethylene Gas Tanker courtesy of Anthony Veder

LNG Tanker (Shuttle Tanker & Bunker Vessels)

LNG Fuel Gas Systems

FSRU Floating Storage Regasification Units

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UNITED EUROPEAN CAR CARRIERS

What comes across most in our conversation with Edvardsen is how excited he is for the next stage of the company’s development, particularly concerning the environment.

“We are already looking at the future. We’ve got three new vessels already, and we’re constantly evaluating new technology and how to improve on where we are now,” he says.

“We have lots of plans in place.

We are looking for the next environmental breakthrough and that is not an easy task these days because there are

lots of possibilities on the table.

It has to be available, scalable and financially sustainable.”

Edvardsen is sceptical of the idea that there is a “silver bullet” solution to the problem.

“It won’t be one single fuel.

It’s going to be more diversified.

Maybe one region will find it makes sense to use one fuel, where another will use another type of fuel,” he reflects. “We need to make a strong point of using these goals to not just meet requirements, but to exceed what’s there. We want to exceed future regulations. We always like to be a little bit ahead.”

“THERE ARE DIFFERENT CUSTOMERS USING ONE SHIP AND BETWEEN THEM, THEY COVER THE COST OF THAT SHIPMENT TO GET FROM A TO B.” BUSINESSFOCUSMAGAZINE.COM

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ZAKHER MARINE INTERNATIONAL INC.

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ZAKHER MARINE INTERNATIONAL INC.

THIS LEADING MARINE SERVICES PROVIDER IS IMBUED WITH A CULTURE OF EXPANSION AND ENTREPRENEURSHIP.

A CULTURE OF GROWTH PROJECT MANAGED BY: ROBERT NAPIER SMITH

Zakher Marine International Inc. has made a name for itself providing services to the Offshore Oil and Gas Industries and Offshore Marine Construction Companies, remaining focused on client satisfaction and retention.

W

Ali El Ali, MD, Zakher Marine International Inc.

e’re an offshore support services provider. We are the leading player in the GCC, operating one of the largest fleets, including the largest fleet of self-elevated self-propelled jack-up barges globally,” says Ali El Ali, Managing Director of the company.

The firm’s story begins in Abu Dhabi in 1984, still home to the company’s head office today. From the beginning, Zakher Marine’s vision was of expanding its business, and it has stayed true to that vision. As recently as 2016 the company launched a brand-new Saudi Branch under the name of Zakher Marine Saudi Company Limited (ZMS). Fulfilling this vision of growth continues to this day.

“Our unique selling point is Operational excellence in combination with top-class assets,” Ali tells us. “We’ve just completed our refinancing, led by Goldman Sachs, to include a war chest to allow us to go into the market for further organic and inorganic acquisitions.”

In this quest for growth, Zakher Marine operates across a range of offshore marine sectors, including top-notch marine chartering services, as well as chartering analysis for the best options in marine transportation. Ali points to the company’s largest fleet of self-propelled jack-up barges in the world, and this fleet of high-quality, top-performing and self-propelling multipurpose jack-up support barges offers efficiency and better operation than its competitors. That’s on top of a full range and integrated subsea services, saving its clients time, cost, and reducing operational risks.

Zakher Marine has achieved remarkable growth over the last decade, building new vessels and barges, expanding its fleet with new vessels and jack-up barges that meet the highest standards and requirements of a plethora of local and international clients.

Today Zakher Marine operates over 50 offshore support vessels and 27 jack-up barges.

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ZAKHER MARINE INTERNATIONAL INC.

A SAFE ENVIRONMENT

The company has built up resources and a proud reputation that has stood it in good stead even in the face of global crises.

“Aside from the obvious Covid-19 pandemic challenges, there were the low prices across the oil and gas markets over the last couple of years, but we’ve withstood those challenges by ensuring we’re operating at optimal cost levels to ensure we’re still making a profit,” Ali points out.

In alignment with the rest of Zakher Marine’s management, Ali is committed to ensuring the company provides safe and healthy working conditions for all its employees and any client personnel based on its vessels.

Zakher’s number one goal is to

sustain safe, environmentally friendly operating practices that comply with national and international codes and regulations, relevant standards, and guidelines, as well as the requirements of its clients.

The company’s mission is driven by the values of safety, security and the health of Zakher Marine’s employees, alongside sound environmental protection and high quality. Succeeding at each of these goals is essential to providing value-added solutions to Zakher’s marine transportation services. The company’s employees work conscientiously and diligently to continuously improve SSHEQ, meeting world-class standards.

In practical terms, this means Zakher Marine is committed to zero harm to people, property

and the environment, and continual improvement and compliance with standards and requirements. Zakher Marine complies with all applicable legal, international, statutory, regulatory and consistent with customer requirements, and identifies hazards by implementing effective risk assessment.

The company carries out regular safety and emergency exercises and promotes open communications and employee participation.

The firm’s “no blame” culture

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ZAKHER MARINE INTERNATIONAL INC.

encourages reporting, while the continued recruitment of wellqualified employees who are trained and developed within their roles ensures the highest quality standards are delivered to meet clients’ needs, requirements and expectations.

A NUMBER ONE PROVIDER

Zakher Marine is able to employ people with the skills and commitment needed to fulfil its vision because its reputation goes before it.

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“WE’VE JUST COMPLETED OUR REFINANCING, LED

BY GOLDMAN SACHS, TO INCLUDE A WAR CHEST TO ALLOW US TO GO INTO THE MARKET FOR FURTHER ORGANIC AND INORGANIC ACQUISITIONS.”

“Just by being the number one provider in the market we can attract talent,” Ali tells us. “People in our industry space want to work for the best brand. We ensure we’re providing the best service. Our HR is comprehensive in providing all the required tools, including succession planning to ensure we are attracting and retaining the top talent in the market.”

With companies that have a strong vision for growth, a big challenge can be preserving the culture that made it a success in the first place. However,

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speaking with Ali it is clear that he believes Zakher Marine’s culture is made for growth.

“On a culture level, we’re a founder-led business with a drive and commitment towards growth, so we ensure there’s a management structure in place to support that growth,” Ali says. “Growth enforces our culture even further. It has further emphasised the support we get from our employees and the pride they have in working for such an organisation.”

“JUST BY BEING THE NUMBER ONE PROVIDER IN THE MARKET WE ARE ABLE TO ATTRACT TALENT.” 198 | SHIPPING, PORT & MARINE

Of course, lots of businesses will speak glowingly of their corporate culture, but fundamentally it can only be judged by what it has achieved.

Zakher Marine has completed a wide array of marine projects, including pipeline rehabilitation, pipeline inspection and monitoring, the installation of Channel market buoys, and last but not least, wreck removal.

Zakher Marine demonstrated their skills in this arena when a jack-up barge capsized during coring operations on a pipeline route survey. All crew were recovered safely but the barge was lost. Since the wreck was now in the route of the pipeline and close to a major oilfield, it needed to be removed. Zakher Marine won the contract to remove the wreck, and over three weeks commenced

with procedures and risk assessments. They recorded the site in every detail and conducted risk assessments on board to determine the safest and most environmentally friendly procedures to remove the wreck.

The whole project was completed within budget and time frame with no incidents, injury or environmental damage.

It was a project that demonstrates the commitment, hard work and expertise of Zakher Marine’s team, and it is set to achieve still more as it grows.

“We will continue on our trajectory to be a global player and leader in our market,” Ali concludes. “We’re currently a true regional powerhouse on track to expanding our presence.”

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Zakher Marine International Premier provider of marine services to the offshore industry.

Zakher Marine International provides services to the Offshore Oil and Gas Industries and Offshore Marine Construction Companies and is clearly focused on client satisfaction and retention. The Company was established in Abu Dhabi in 1984 where the Head Office remains, and operates in the Middle East. In the vision of expanding our business we have launched our Saudi Branch under the name of Zakher Marine Saudi Company Limited (ZMS) in 2016.

In the past ten years, ZMI has achieved remarkable growth, has built new vessels and barges, expanded the fleet with younger vessels, and jack up barges to meet the high standards and requirements of our local and international clients. ZMI currently operate over 50 offshore support vessels and 25 jack-up barges.

The Management of Zakher Marine is committed to providing safe and healthy working conditions for our employees and client personnel based onboard our vessels. We aim to sustain safe, environmentally friendly operating practices that comply with applicable national and international codes and regulations, relevant standards, guidelines, and client requirements.

UAE ZMI Global ICADII, Mussafah Abu Dhabi, UAE

KSA King Salman Ibn Abdu Aziz Rd Al Khubar KSA

T: +9712 5515151 E: info@zmiglobal.com

T: +966 1388 21401 E: info@zmiglobal.com

CHARTERING SUBSEA JACK-UPS www.zmiglobal.com

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