Inglasco International provides the marine industry with exceptional safety and supply packages. Working with reputable marine contractors, the business offers high-quality tailored services around the globe. MD Chris Giljam and Business Development Director Andrea Gerali explained more to Hannah Barnett.
Inglasco International was founded by Chris Giljam in 2020, together with the VIVAR GROUP, with a simple approach to distinguish itself from the large players in the market.
“Those companies are big and slow,” Mr Giljam, MD, said. “Clients with issues are sent from representative to representative. We wanted to offer the same package and global network, but with a different, more personal, approach. They can call us anytime and we will find somebody to assist them.”
The secrets of success
As a one-stop shop for safety and services, Inglasco International is the facilitator between ship management companies and service suppliers. Its network of trusted, hand-selected, local partners allows for global coverage. For a small operation of six employees, the company has an impressive turnover of €4.5 million, a testament to its high demand.
“We ensure that everything runs smoothly,” said Andrea Gerali, Business Development Director. “We take care of problems before they arise. We’re available 24/7, so WhatsApp is our best friend.”
One of Inglasco International’s leading capabilities is understanding what is required and when it is needed. In recognition of the fact that all shipping companies work in different ways, the company offers a suite of tailored services.
“Sometimes, the technical superintendents are making the orders,” Mrs Gerali explained. “In other cases, it’s the purchasers. Some superintendents want to make the order
and forget about it. Others need to know exactly what is happening the whole way through. We are tailored because we examine exactly what the customer needs and respond accordingly.
“We see it as customer care, not selling services. Services are mandatory, we don’t need to sell them. What we do sell is peace of mind.”
A balancing act
Alongside working with clients, the other key to Inglasco International’s success is ensuring local partners feel valued. This has the added bonus of developing loyalty between the two parties – particularly beneficial when things go wrong.
“They will go the extra mile for us,” Mrs Gerali explained. “We’ve been working with most of our local partners for many years, because Chris and I were in the same line of work before this business was founded. It’s not just about ‘do what we say, because the customer is always right.’ We try to strike a balance between keeping customers and
partners happy. Ultimately, if we don’t have our local partners, we don’t have a business.”
The company has a policy of trying to avoid flying in contractors to do a job.Not only are locally-based partners less logistically complicated when it comes to solving last-minute problems, but focusing on quality of service, rather than price, is key to Inglasco International’s company philosophy.
“Most of our local partners are our friends too,” said Mr Giljam. “Most of our clients are friends also. It’s the personal touch; not every client is a good fit for us, because of the way we work, while some companies only look at the lowest price. Our team is a mixture of experience with youth and enthusiasm. I’m not young anymore but I’m still enthusiastic. Combining this team with the global network of skilled local partners is how we deliver world class service.”
Future focused
As part of the Vivar Group, Inglasco International exists in a sweet spot whereby the company can offer tailored services and
act quickly but also has access to the same resources as the big companies. “A complete legal or compliance department is only a phone call away, but we only use it when we need to,” Mr Giljam explained. “For the day-to-day, we can be the boutique shop we want to be. It’s the best of both worlds.”
This year, Inglasco International has already signed two new large fleet agreements and is due to sign more. The ultimate goal is to turn the €4.5 million turnover into €10 million in the next three or four years. Finding the right people to support this growth remains an ongoing challenge.
“Nowadays, people want fast and easy money,” said Mrs Gerali. “Fast and easy money is not possible when it comes
to shipping. Plus, it’s a very stressful job, because it’s 24/7 and 90 per cent of things happen last minute. We’ve been really lucky with the people we’ve found this far, but growing further, while maintaining the quality of service is always a challenge, but we will manage.”
Mr Giljam shared his philosophy for crafting a successful business: “Our first and second objectives are making the client and local partners happy,” he explained. “The third objective is to make money. If the first two are achieved, and the third one is not, then it’s fine, because we will have a repeat order at some point, so the money will come. More important is that we make sure that we hit objectives one and two.” n
