SWAN Shipping Corporation is a prominent player in the Philippines – providing first-class ship and technical management, plus newbuild supervision. With almost 30 years in the business, and a flourishing fleet, the operator is getting ready to welcome new growth. President Bong Salas explained more, in an exclusive interview with Inside Marine. Report by Imogen Ward.
Despite its small size, SWAN Shipping Corporation has successfully maintained a strong global presence since it began operating in 1995.
“Our fleet operates worldwide,” said President Bong Salas. “In terms of trade breakdown, we have ten vessels trading in the region of Southeast Asia (including one Philippine domestic); six in West Africa (with occasional calls at European, Caribbean and US ports); one in Australia/South Pacific; two in the Mediterranean; and two in South Asia/Middle East. We are running a truly global operation.”
Time and time again, SWAN has proven its position as a market leader, becoming the first Filipino ship management company to receive a document of compliance from ABS (before it became a mandatory requirement).
“We are now 100 per cent Filipino owned, and as one of the first companies to hold
that status within the petroleum sector, we have been recognised internationally as a leading ship manager within this expertise,” continued Mr Salas.
This prestigious status has placed SWAN in high regard with major energy conglomerate Shell, who the company has maintained approved contracts with for many years.
Supportive services
Currently, SWAN manages a fleet of 21 LPG carriers, which range from 3,500CBM to 15,000CBM (the 15,000CBM gas carriers
are the largest Type 2PG gas carriers ever built). These LPG carriers are commercially operated, mostly by gas traders, including one of the biggest operators in Europe. 17 of these carriers belong to Japanese shipowners; three to a Greece-based client; and one to a Filipino client. The fleet has an average age of seven years, with the newest vessel just a few months old.
“Collectively, the management at SWAN has over 100 years of experience in ship management,” explained Mr Salas. “It is our main area of business and offers our shipowners full technical management
services from crewing and maintenance to drydocking.”
SWAN provides a comprehensive planned maintenance system as part of its technical management service and arranges the supply of stores, spare parts and lubricating oils. The company also provides an in-depth inventory system and arranges servicing and safety inspections on lifesaving equipment.
“Most importantly, we arrange oil major inspection, which is a standard requirement in the petroleum industry,” Mr Salas added. “We inspect our ships twice yearly, and we handle all drydocking work as well.”
The company also has a team of engineers dedicated to newbuild supervision and has successfully overseen the construction of eight LPG carriers (six of which joined the SWAN fleet).
“We make sure our team is always abreast of new requirements to maintain customer satisfaction,” explained Mr Salas. “The shipping industry is very dynamic, and regulations often change. We provide con -
tinuous training, keep in touch with industry partners and adopt new technologies to stay ahead of the curve.”
Expansion exploration
Keen to advance its position in the global maritime market, SWAN recently implemented a strategic growth plan focused on its fleet.
“Every ship management company has a desire to grow its fleet, and we are no exception,” commented Mr Salas. “This is our core business, and we are committed to developing it in a way that does not jeopardise the safety of our operations. We plan to add a further two vessels to our fleet before the end of this year. Between the years of 2025 and 2027, we intend to increase this by another five vessels.”
With completion targeted for 2027, the company is well on its way to achieve its ambitious objective. Of course, when new vessels are added to the roster, an increased number of crew members are
needed to provide the quality and safety assurance that SWAN is renowned for.
“Fleet expansion requires an increase in manpower, both offshore and onshore,” added Mr Salas. “To account for this development, we have leased an additional office space. We believe this will be a real benefit for our employees.”
Tried-and-tested training
SWAN has also implemented an internal development programme, which allows it to identify what training each employee needs to perform the job properly.
“Above all, investing in our people and their personal growth is the most important thing we can do,” Mr Salas explained. “We always ensure the necessary training is provided, so that each crew member can perform their daily duties. Not just that, but we really like to see them advance in the company as well.
“This has been a huge success, because each worker is encouraged and motivated,
knowing that management is looking after their future and helping them progress to the next level.”
The company also assists its manning agent, a sister company, in running its cadetship programme, which key people in the office have benefited from. This has been in place for many years and is something that SWAN is incredibly proud of.
“From General Manager Captain Luis Laurente to our Marine and Technical managers, they are all a product of our cadet programme,” said Mr Salas. “Right now, our group has around 353 cadets (209 onboard / 144 on vacation) on the programme. Fifteen of those cadets are currently assigned to SWAN, while the rest will go to other principals in order to help sustain manning needs of the industry.”
Important investments
In line with its commitment to its people, HSSE has always been a number one priority for SWAN, and the company is continuously
looking for areas in which it can improve. The company recently hired a third-party auditor to carry out an inspection on its safety management system.
“In March, we flew in an industry expert from Singapore to carry out an audit of our company,” Mr Salas explained. “We really wanted to identify the gaps in our existing safety management system. Of course, we work with it every day, so there is always a risk in becoming blind to the imperfections, and we don’t want that to happen.
“The expert brought a fresh set of eyes to the process and, using gap analysis and comparative investigation, he was able to highlight areas that could be adjusted to improve our system.”
As it travels this path of positive improvement, SWAN intends to continue growing to position itself on the cutting-edge of the industry.
“Our ultimate objective is to be recognised as one of the biggest management companies in the world, whilst providing an efficient, cost-effective and environmentally friendly shipping operation,” Mr Salas said, in conclusion. “We are incredibly proud of all that we have achieved over our almost 30year history, and we can’t wait to see what the future brings.” n
