Inside Marine asks the experts about their personal experience in the industry

minds inside marine

Question: In light of current global events, how is your company ensuring that its long-term relationships with suppliers remain as strong as possible?

We maintain deep ties with many vendors. We do occasionally go out for quotes but we’ve worked with many of “ “ them for many years. They’ve been very cooperative with us especially in terms of pricing and scheduling.

Marcia Blount, President, Blount Boats

The aim is to keep communications open, be honest and transparent to ensure the supply chain “ remains strong, and that deadlines and budgets remain on track for “ customers. It is challenging and we don’t know what to expect as prices are now starting to spiral.

Alexis Philandrianos, Sales and Strategy Director, Couach Shipyard

Through open communication. They know that they can pick up the phone and get me any time they need me. Every business experi“ ences good and bad times but we maintain the same level of communication regardless. We answer the call no matter whether it’s good times or bad. Communication is therefore so “ important. Any one of my vendors, I can pick up the phone and I know that they’ll be there for me. We share with them our longterm visibility on orders, materials as well as our plans, new products “

and investments in order to grow.

“Being transparent is the only way to have real partnerships and to underpin a business’ success.

Fabio Planamente, CEO, Cantiere del Pardo

Our relationships are very long-term and respectful in both directions, between vendor and customer. It’s part of our company “ culture and philosophy and always has been. It’s perhaps even more so, during these “ turbulent times, that we must respect those relationships. That goes to the ports and the agents we work with, as well.

Bill Christ, Executive Vice President and COO, Eastern Car Liner Americas

We maintain open, direct and transparent relations with clients, never seeking to take advantage “

of them during difficult times. If we have availability at the ship-

“yard, we are always flexible to their demands and accommodate them as much as we can.

Özgün Oruç, Repairs Division, Marketing Manager, Hat-San Shipyard We consider them to be part of our family. We do what we can to ensure that their finances are “

healthy so that they can render great services to us; we really try to look after them. We also prefer not to request credit facilities from them or pass any financial burdens

“to them. We prefer that they’re happy so that they can provide great services and products to us.

Cristian Eversbusch, Director, Maritimex

As with any relationship, the key is consistency and reliability. This is what we’re doing to maintain our long-term relationships; be “ consistent and reliable. That’s what keeps rela“ tionships intact and strong throughout this difficult global atmosphere. You need people who you can count on and who can count on you. Lydia Doussopoulos, General Manager, Seamar Management

“All we can do is to continue building high-quality vessels on time, on budget and being as open as possible in communications with both suppliers and clients. “

Toby Mumford, Business Development Manager, Wight Shipyard Co

We need to work together with all possible players in the shipping industry and in general. “

I believe our people in the OL Group are key players in this difficult global game and are already

“leaders providing solutions, cooperation, and excellent services to customers and suppliers.

Captain Eberhard Koch, owner, OL Shipping Group

Our scale has allowed us to develop long-term “ agreements that are good for our vendors and for ourselves. We recently signed a global agreement with CAT for the maintenance of the CAT engines in our fleet. The contract standardises the way we can work in each country and it makes the contract measurable across the board, despite different agents and vendors being involved. We believe it will have positive results. “ We’ve taken the same standardisation with the shipyards we work with, to ensure that we have good new-build relationships with them. We know that change is the only thing you can count on. So we work closely with our stakeholders to ensure close relationships “ and open lines of communication at all times. “ A successful supply chain requires cooperation throughout all the links in the chain, and that’s our main goal.

Dr Noel Hacegaba, Deputy Executive Director, Port of Long Beach

We like to create partnerships that will endure hardships, and we do this through maintaining regular “ contact with our suppliers. We have in-person meetings when we can as well, which is really the key for us because it builds trust. I firmly “ believe that if you can’t trust the man’s handshake, then you can’t trust his signature.

Michael Richards, Bulk & Breakbulk Manager, Port of Portland

We place a lot of emphasis on making timely payments to our vendors, it proactively solves a lot of problems and ensures that “ trust is maintained. We ensure that whatever “ we’ve promised or committed to, especially in terms of payment, we act on time. We never renege on promised payments.

Satish Kumar, Managing Director, Dockendale Ship Management We ensure that they’re not suppliers, but partners in building our projects. Partnerships are very “

important for us and so we try to keep those relationships very close. It means that you have to share

“things, and I’m not afraid to do so. The only thing that multiplies by division is knowledge.

Jeroen Mulder, Managing Director, Newthex

Our suppliers are the result of long-term relationships, they’re companies we’ve known for many years. We will continue the relation“ “ ships by always being upfront with each other, having an open dialogue and solving problems together.

Nick Miller, Vice President, Miller’s Launch

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