July 20 - Welcome to the Friday Flyer, bringing you a round-up of news from the heavy lift and project forwarding sector which has caught the eyes of the editorial team over the last week.
Staff at HLPFI are in the saddle this week as we sport false sideburns and raise our flags for the cyclist who is within three days of becoming the first Briton to win the Tour de France - Bradley Wiggins has mastered the two-wheel challenge of cycling around France faster than anyone else and we applaud his gentlemanly conduct in slowing when the race was sabotaged earlier this week. It has been 108 years since the first Tour de France was staged so a victory by Bradley would be about time.
Peace broke out last weekend when, after many weeks of increasingly acerbic announcements from both sides, it was announced that Fairstar Heavy Transport - www.fairstar.com - will indeed be taken over by Dockwisefollowing their agreement on the recommended acquisition by Dockwise - www.dockwise.com - of the remaining shares in Fairstar. The two reached an agreement that statements by both companies said satisfies Fairstar concerns towards all Fairstar stakeholders. Managers say the combination of Dockwise and Fairstar creates a global champion in the transport and oil and gas service provider market.
The deal saw Fairstar ceo Philip Adkins step down on July 16, and HLPFI is left to wonder whether this is the last that the heavy lift shipping sector has heard from someone who has previously described himself as a self-confessed shipping outsider, who had minefield to navigate when he took over at the helm of the company. HLPFI certainly hopes that we have not heard the last from the straight-talking Adkins and assumes he can be heard laughing all the way to the bank!
Business stories this week included worsening industrial relations in Brazil with a four day strike by border agents, while at the same time the International Chamber of Shipping (ICS) - www.marisec.org - is urging the EU to continue allowing vessel-sharing consortia after the expiry of guidelines for shipping lines in 2013 on how to share total volume and freight rate data. In the US, the Department for Homeland Security (DHS) has extended a two year blanket exemption to foreign ports because 100ontainer scanning would be too costly and cumbersome. ABB -www.abb.com - a leading power and automation technology group, has agreed to acquire Amarcon BV -www.amarcon.com - a Dutch company that develops and markets software solutions for the shipping industry.
Interesting loadings and activity we reported on this week included Geodis Wilson Italia - www.geodiswilson.it - beginning the delivery of four absorber reactors from Italy to the Abu Dhabi Gas Development Company Ltd (AI Husn Gas) Shah Project Site, a new facility 250 km south of Abu Dhabi, UAE, while Consolidated Shipping Services (CSS) - www.cssgroupsite.com - and Peters & May - www.petersandmay.com - handling the shipment of yachts to and from Jebel Ali and SRT (Specialized Rail Transport) - www.srt.cc - moving a 295 tonne transformer from Houston to Gooding in the USA.
In the equipment area, Dubai World Central - Al Maktoum International Airport (DWC) - www.dwc.ae - in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) is developing ingenious solutions to help it to continue with expansion of its out-of-gauge project cargo business, including a newly-fabricated 40 ft (12.2 m) dolly developed by the ground support equipment (GSE) team.
Twenty senior executives of the Indonesia's Directorate General for Maritime Transport packed their bags and spent eight weeks learning international port management at German port company bremenports - www.bremenports.de - At the invitation of the German Society for International Cooperation (GIZ) - www.giz.de - the course participants covered topics from port planning to marketing as well as port financing to environmental issues.
It was 'hello' this week for John Harris as the new managing director of Braemar Technical Services (Adjusting) -www.braemarsteege.com - in Singapore.
And, finally, it was a swinging success for the second Baltic Air Charter Association (BACA) Golf Day -www.baca.org.uk - as the group teed off at one of the premier golf courses in the UK, the Waterfall Course in Mannings Heath, Sussex. Despite heavy rain battering the UK in the run up to the event, the course remained in exemplary condition, with Phil Thompsett, managing director of Classic Aviation Services -www.classicaviation.aero - scooping first place in the individual tournament.
Work is now complete on issue 27 of HLPFI with copies due to be hitting the desks of readers by the end of this month. Our attention now truns to issue 28 which will include features on Germany, Japan, Australia, USA, capital equipment industrial plant and machinery, rigging and heavy duty prime movers.
Now is a good time to contribute editorial or advertise in the magazine. If you are interested or might like to sponsor the Friday Flyer, contact Ian Matheson on +44 (0) 1689 857631 or ian@heavyliftpfi.com
