A key market player since 1996, Blue Fleet Group offers chartering, operations, sale and purchase, plus more services within the shipping industry. With two offices, one in Athens, Greece, and the other in Beirut, Lebanon, the company is prepared to serve clients internationally.
Chartering Manager Cherif Khoury discussed Blue Fleet Group’s new investments, in conversation with Antonia Cole.
Blue Fleet Group has made a lot of progress over the past year, Chartering Manager
Cherif Khoury said: “Since we last spoke to Inside Marine, we’ve sold three Supramax vessels, bought another two and are in the process of buying a third. Our only original ship remaining is the Super Saka, which we bought two and a half years ago.
“The plan has now been set to own ten ships by 2030, and maybe going into tankers as well – as part of those ten ships.”
The company began with Mr Khoury’s grandfather in 1961, who established one of Lebanon’s first shipping companies. As Blue Fleet Group passed through generations, it grew in Lebanon and expanded into Greece,
chartering and managing vessels. In 2022, the company made the decision to re-enter as ship owners. Blue Fleet Group bought four Supramaxes and two Handysizes and traded them on the market, establishing itself within the sale and purchase sector.
Blue Fleet Group has now established a holding company, Blue Fleet Holding S.A., which will own all the ships belonging to the Group. Sale and purchase, as well as operations, post-fixing, crewing and technical departments are the focuses of the Greek office, with 15 employees. Chartering services are dealt with separately by the seven employees at the Lebanese office.In total, Blue Fleet Group manages six Supramax vessels, three of which the company
owns, and 25 Handysizes. The fleet’s deadweight ranges from 10,000 to 58,000 tonnes and carries more than 4,500,000 tonnes of cargo annually on international routes. With the exclusive control of over 30 vessels, the company occupies a significant position within the market and has built up many longstanding relationships
Head in the game
For over 30 years, Blue Fleet Group has been gaining experience in the sale and purchase of vessels. Focusing on Handysize, Handymax and Supramax vessels, the company has finalised a minimum of five deals a year. With a wealth of experience and connections across the industry, Blue Fleet Group is well-equipped to assist clients in satisfying individual tonnage requirements.
In addition to this, the company offers vessel management services through its professional team. Blue Fleet Group’s expertise allows it to anticipate difficulties ahead of a voyage and prepare accordingly, setting preventative measures to be carried out by the skilled crew.
Blue Fleet Group is dedicated to meeting the needs of each vessel, ship owner and charterer. Through efficient and streamlined operations, the company is able to deliver a full service to customers.
From preventing delays to organising cargo documents, Blue Fleet Group guarantees the effective management of vessels throughout voyages.
“We have built close relationships with many large traders,” commented Mr Khoury. “This is due to our efficiency and initiative. Louis Dreyfus is a company that we work with a lot, transporting wheat from Ukraine to Algeria. It’s about 30,000 tonnes of wheat and we make sure to have the ships secured for them within the allotted time frame, either
ships from owners we work with, or ships from the market.”
The company has also built strong relationships with sugar and rice traders internationally. For the past seven years, Blue Fleet Group has been working with a Lebanese rice trader, transporting approximately one million tonnes of rice a year. Through detailed preparations and advanced industry knowledge, the company is able to provide effective management services for a broad range of vessels and clients.
Finally, Blue Fleet Group offers chartering services and regularly takes contracts of affreightment in lots of 100,000 to 500,000 tonnes over an approximate three-month period, as well as long-term contracts of up to 1.5 million tonnes a year. As a member of the Baltic Exchange of London, the company is heavily involved within the ship broking sector and holds great knowledge about the industry. This, combined with Blue Fleet Group’s adaptability and high standards of quality, allows the company to ensure a reliable and effective service.
On the ball
“ There are so many ways in which we can impact a ship,” explained Mr Khoury. “We are owners, operators, managers and brokers. This allows us to gain knowledge and experience in every sector of shipping, meaning we can offer a more comprehensive understanding and service to our clients.”
To further improve services, Blue Fleet Group has undergone some major investments. The company bought two ships, two
months apart, expanding its fleet and capabilities. The Super Arteta, named after Mikel Arteta, and the Super Rice, after Declan Rice, both pay tribute to the family’s dedication to the Arsenal Football Club, based in London.
T he company is also in the process of investing in a third Supramax ship, with the Arsenal-themed name still to be decided.
These new ships will allow Blue Fleet Group t o engage in more opportunities and expand as a business, however, the integration of new ships requires a large financial and time investment.
Blue Fleet Group’s experience in buying vessels means that it is prepared to effectively introduce the new ships, Mr Khoury
added: “Becoming ship owners requires a lot of hard work and skilled organisation. Our knowledge, experienced team and past projects have prepared us for these investments into the company’s future.”
Scoring goals
As Blue Fleet Group continues to grow and expand, it plans to maintain longstanding relationships across the industry. The company uses one insurance broker for all ships and has an excellent, mutually beneficial relationship.
In terms of bunkering, Blue Fleet Group only works with a maximum of four companies. Being selective in the companies it works with allows Blue Fleet Group to set realistic expectations and operate reliably. This will help to ensure the success of the company’s new vessels.
As well as these investments, Blue Fleet Group has been researching environmental sustainability. Reducing the harmful emissions of ships is a factor that the company is very interested in. Blue Fleet Group’s two new ships both have scrubbers, which remove particulate matter and harmful substances from exhaust gas streams.
Additionally, the company is looking into innovative fin technology to improve the effectiveness of propellors, reducing fuel consumption. Blue Fleet Group has also
been discussing adding a silicone coating to ships. This makes the ship move faster and prevents cross contamination between environments as marine life cannot attach to the hull.
“The future of the company is looking bright,” commented Mr Khoury, in conclusion. “I am very proud to be a part of such a hardworking team and to be supported by such amazing partners. It’s good to know that I’m part of a company that puts doing the right thing first, not only in terms of sustainability, but with our people and crews too. We get calls thanking us for how well we treat our crews, and that’s really rewarding.
“Our crew members are the ones making sure the ships are well maintaine d and running smoothly. We are proud to say they do all this with great passion. Without them, business would be harder than ever.” n
