UMEX

EMPOWERING ROMANIA’S PORT OPERATIONS

UMEX

Empowering Romania’s Port Operations Cristian Taranu, Managing Director at UMEX, discusses his company’s position at the helm of Romania’s port operation Writer: Sean Galea-Pace | Project Manager: Thomas Arnold

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volution. Today, it’s everywhere.

For UMEX, a major player of Romania’s Constanta port community, the company has evolved from a port operator specialised in handling project cargo into a versatile and dynamic entity, capable

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of handling successfully any type of unitised and bulk cargo.

The firm asserts the increased competitiveness of its customers through efficient and modern services of handling and storage of the operated goods.

Founded in 1978, UMEX was dimensioned and equipped using a terminal that includes heavy duty cranes, concrete open storage platforms, covered flat warehouses and specific equipment for project cargo handling. As the world cycles and markets continue to change, Romania’s exports of such industrial equipment decreases, leaving UMEX to adapt in order to survive. This is done by diversifying the services and operated cargoes, which has meant that today UMEX is capable of operating any type of dry and break bulk cargoes.

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UMEX Cristian Taranu is the Managing Director at UMEX. He is an experienced industry leader with a demonstrated history of working in the maritime industry and has been with the organisation since June 2018.

“In the past three years, we have focused our actions to organise a structure oriented to superior quality of services, respecting our every customer’s particular needs,” explains Taranu. “Our 350 workers are permanent employees, specialised, skilled and well trained; we can state that we have crafted a motivated and dynamic collective, respecting the working protocols, the safety procedures, the environment protection.”

In 2011, the majority stake of UMEX was acquired by an Agricultural Developer strongly present in the Romanian market, naturally, bulk

cereals and fertilizers have become a key part of its activity range, which is among one of the most important port operators within the segment.

For Taranu, he is clear about what sets his organisation apart from competitors and he believes that one of UMEX’s main advantages is its ability to be versatile and handle different cargo types, while performing different services to meet the company’s client’s entire logistics demands within the port. “This way, we have avoided to be restricted and interconnected to limited cargo flows, that may vary significantly and affect drastically our activity.”

Another advantage is the quality of service which is linked to the pricing policy. “A major focus of UMEX management is oriented towards the service performance, and such actions are meant to consolidate

THE FUTURE UMEX FERTILIZER TERMINAL UMEX is constantly investing in modern technology and facilities because it aims to increase the competitiveness of its customers through increasing the standards of port operations. A vital investment of UMEX is the construction of a multifunctional warehouse for handling or storage of bulk fertilizers with a total storage of around 66,000 tonnes, divided into 10 equal compartments, two symmetrical rows of five compartments per row.

The warehouse is set to be made of reinforced concrete and will have a completely automated filling system at the upper part, with an unloading capacity from vessels of 1,200 tons/hour (2x600 tons/hour), consisting of two reversible belt conveyors with trippers, as well as an emptying system at the bottom. Each of the 10 compartments of the warehouse will have five-by-five metre access doors.

For the delivery of the cargo stored in the warehouse there will be three circuits respectively: - The transfer of bulk cargo to ship loading bin on berth 44 to be loaded on the ship or barge with a crane equipped with grab.

- Loading of bulk cargo on the truck or train.

Elica ELICA Sweep Chain Conveyor UNCOMPROMISING GRAIN REMOVAL ELICA is a leading European producer of grain, seed and food handling and processing equipment.

Also, it is the first manufacturer of sweep chain conveyors in Europe.

What differentiates the sweep chain conveyor from the sweep auger is that there is practically no grain left in the silo after the equipment cycle is finished. The process of emptying a silo does not require any additional manpower to shovel the grain towards the centre as it is with conventional equipment like the sweep augers.

ELICA has developed its automation, which shows the actual position of the conveyor in real-time. It helps the operators to supervise the process of emptying the bin directly from the control room. Most importantly, this proprietary software also controls the movement and the speed of both chain’s and tractor’s motors.

Staging different scenarios, the automation engineers successfully built up an algorithm to automatically stop, restart or change the direction from forward to backwards if the equipment gets stuck or the pile collapsed over it.

All features of this solution now are a result of more than 10 years of research and development in that field.

ELICA’s team has more than 30 years of experience in the field of food production, seed preparation and grain processing. The company’s mission is to provide customised solutions for their clients and support them through the process - from setting up the requirements, designing the project, installing, and training to finding the right markets and solutions for managing the business.

- Transfers of bulk cargo to cargo bagging facilities in bigbags.

The total cost of the investment is around €18 million and is set to be completed at the end of this year. www.elica-elevator.com

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UMEX

Amspec Amspec is the fastest growing independent Testing, Inspection and Certification provider, headquartered in Cranbury, NJ, USA has serviced the Petroleum, Chemical, Gas, Bitumen & Agricultural industries since 1986.

We have expanded to over 170 locations throughout the Continental United States, Canada, Caribbean, Europe, Asia, Africa, Middle East, Central & South America and Australia to provide the highest level of service, wherever you, the customer require it.

With more than 35 years of experience in the industry, we have the best tools to assist your business 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

the quality protocols,” he explains.

“The training of our operational and administrative staff is essential, as is the constant modernisation of the port handling equipment and storage facilities.”

One of the biggest challenges is maintaining the balance between the service quality and the pricing policy, which is influenced not only by the internal costs, but also by the volatility of the cargo flows.

“This volatility creates a competitive environment in our port activity, but that doesn’t necessarily lead to progress,” says Taranu. “Under these circumstances, our ability to balance these elements can also be considered as a strong feature of UMEX.” UMEX possesses a diversified network of suppliers, stretching across all aspects of its activity.

The company works with local and international suppliers, leading companies in their fields, capable to 6 | EME Outlook issue 41

integrate their expertise in UMEX’s specialised environment.

“From the providers of equipment, tools, materials needed to secure our operations to builders that are shaping our vision, from maintenance specialists to survey companies that complete our services range, we seek in our partners the same values as the ones that guide our actions,” explains Taranu. “And since the supply chain performance translates into our performance, into our service quality which we value so, we are not only using some suppliers, but we are forming strong partnerships with these companies.”

UMEX operates different cargo types with different operational and storage demands. “We are in the process of equipping one of our warehouses in order to propped accommodate (intake, storage and outtake) one specific bulk cargo – soda ash for import,” says Taranu.

“This is a new activity in our port,

Cimbria Cimbria is a global brand of AGCO and one of the world’s leaders in industrial processing, handling and storage of grain, seed and food, as well as animal feed, foodstuffs and other bulk products.

Cimbria works side-by-side with their customers to turn their vision into reality and beyond.

We maintain a deep connection throughout the entire process of design, engineering, manufacture, installation and service of individual machines, customized systems and complete turnkey installations.

Cimbria is a solution provider and manufacturer of custom-built products for agricultural and industrial processing within conveying, drying, processing, optical sorting and storage solutions, reflecting our customer-focus and industry expertise.

www.cimbria.com

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UMEX

THE FUTURE UMEX GRAIN TERMINAL UMEX’s priority is to scale the competitiveness of its customers through increasing the standards of port operations that it constantly invests in modern technology and facilities.

One of the most vital UMEX investments in the Port of Constanta is the construction of a specialised silo for the storage of bulk grains, which will improve the quality of the processes specific to the handling and storage of grains. The project is under development and is thought to be completed by the end of 2021.

The new capacity of 80,000 tonnes will consist in the construction of eight bins in the berth 38, which, together with the existing warehouse, will be able to store up to around 100,000 tonnes of bulk grain simultaneously.

The new terminal is flexible and facilitates the discharging of grain arriving in the port by any means of transport simultaneously through four independent transport lines to any of the eight storage bins. In tandem, from any bin, the cargo can be transferred at a rate of 1,500 tonnes per hour to the ship-loader that will be places on berth 38.

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because as markets change, some cargo flow dies, while others are born.

We have seized, together with our client that proposed the cargo to us, this opportunity, forming a strong partnership which is the foundation of this particular investment.

“Another warehouse will be authorised this year in order to store Ammonium Nitrate. This particular fertilizer is classified for physicochemical hazards and specified as dangerous in the IMDG Code. In order to be allowed to store it, an exclusively dedicated warehouse must be prepared and authorised as per the regulations in order. Following the fertilizers market tendency, in the past years the presence in our port is growing. After consulting our major clients in this segment, we are confident to have started this year the procedures for the warehouse authorisation, procedures that will take up to six months, as we estimate now.”

CEMPS For heavy and complex applications in the port of Constanta, with short execution time, Hyster forklifts are capable of excellent performance, ensuring the continuity of the logistics flow.

CEMPS is one of the few players in its domain, in Romania, that can offer a full range of equipment from 1 ton to 52 tons: • Electric, GPL and Diesel trucks; • Warehouse equipment: pallet trucks, pallet stackers, reach trucks, VNA; • Empty / full container handling equipment; • Equipment for special applications; • Specific attachments for various activities.

www.cemps.ro

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CEMPS S.A. Bd. Preciziei, Nr.3, Sector 6, 062202 Bucuresti T (+4) 021 - 493 40 80 F (+4) 021 - 350 22 52 E office@cemps.ro www.cemps.ro

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UMEX

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UMEX works hard to create a positive, energetic work environment for its employees, which is based on recognising and rewarding performance

In terms of talent management, Taranu understands the importance of building a diversified and specialised business line that is based on personnel capability and performance.

“We’re involved in a highly specialised industry, to create a foundation of employees that delivers the high performance aimed is not an easy task,” he says. “Especially considering that our region suffers from lack of workforce in the specialised segments: operators of equipment, equipment maintenance specialists.

“That is why we are involved in several programmes that support the professional education system, allowing the future specialists to form a practice knowledge of port working environment. And of course, within our organisation, we are supporting the evolution of each employee,

providing schooling and training opportunities.”

In order to deliver the best level of service to its customers, UMEX works hard to create a positive, energetic work environment for its employees, which is based on recognising and rewarding performance. “We have generated consistent and objective methods for evaluating the employee’s performance, in order to determine the strengths, weaknesses and potential managerial gaps in the organisation. This way we’re able to determine the performance levels for each employee and act accordingly.”

With the future in mind, Taranu is clear about his plans for the coming years.

“The goals in hand are the usual ones, which we aim for every year: to secure the existing cargo flows,

to attract new flows, increasing the cargo volumes handled through our terminal and expanding the turnover.

“All our actions are directed in this respect, and the quality of service is the main tool to benefit from. Referring to specific targets, we will finalise the ongoing modernisations and adaptation works for the soda warehouse, we intend to obtain the authorisation for the AN storage warehouse, we’ll advance with the construction works for the fertilizers warehouse.”

Tel: +4024 1512 493 umex@umex.ro www.umex.ro

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UMEX Constanta Port, berth 44 Tel: +4024 1512 493 umex@umex.ro www.umex.ro

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