SPECIAL FEATURE
A Fast Terminals crane
E FAST SHIPPING CONNECTING DROGHEDA TO THE WORLD Fast Shipping (Ireland) Ltd is bucking the recession by expanding its range of services. Managing director Simon Mulvany explains more about the Drogheda-based company.
stablished in 1994 by local man Simon Mulvany to offer clients better control of their goods once they arrived in Ireland on the Polish Liner service, Fast Shipping (Ireland) Ltd has since expanded to offer an extensive range of shipping services. As well as providing a regular direct scheduled service between Ireland and Poland, Fast Shipping – which is the Irish arm of the Antwerp, Belgium-headquartered Fast Group – specialises in international forwarding and logistics, project cargo and domestic inland haulage. In addition, the company offers a comprehensive ships agency in the Port of Drogheda and a hazardous waste consulting service. Earlier this year, Fast Terminals – which is also operated by Simon – secured a stevedoring licence in Drogheda Port which will bring his total number of employees to almost 20 over the next five years. “Business is good,” Simon is happy to report. “2012 has been one of our best years to date. We haven’t really been affected by the recession because the export trade is so strong. While freight forwarding is our core business, we offer a wide range of services which have been enhanced by our securing of a stevedoring licence last February.” A new company, Fast Terminals is the fourth stevedoring company operating in Drogheda Port and is a joint venture between the Fast Group and Drogheda Port Company. The Fast Group is 100 per cent owned by the Scheers family with several family members having strategic positions in the companies of the group. With offices in Belgium, Ireland, UK, South Korea and Poland, the group operates six vessels on intra-European trade dealing as ship owner, liner agent, ship agent, stevedore/warehousing, charterer, haulier, freight forwarders and ship managers. The new stevedoring company will employ 12 people over the next
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