Belships eyes China 'with awe'

For the past 25 years, Asia has played a vital role in the growth strategy of Belships, a bulk ship operator and management company based in the Norwegian capital Oslo.

After establishing its Asian operations in Singapore in 1983, Belships has been transferring more functions to its newer Shanghai subsidiary SNC Management, a joint venture that provides Chinese crew for ships.

With language barriers diminishing, the potential for Chinese crew has increased and operations have grown.

"Originally, our Shanghai office was set up to source crew. We had very good experiences there, so gradually developed it into a full-fledged management company with only local Chinese staff. At the beginning of this year we began to manage five ships and crew 13 ships there," said Managing Director Sverre J rgen Tidemand.

"The Chinese are moving beyond a source of manpower and becoming more important for us as clients. As we move up the value chain, we are tapping into their increasing competence in technical and maritime management services," Tidemand added.

Belships has placed contracts for five new ships at the Yangzhou Dayang shipyard due for delivery between 2009 and 2011.

"It is the first time that we have ships on order in China. Before they were in Japan and before that Europe. It is exciting for us to experiment with that area in China as well," he said.

Belships also has a subsidiary in Tianjin, home to bulk carriers in China, where it has three ships fully manned by Chinese crew. It also plans to expand into other Asian countries such as Vietnam.

Amid those ambitious plans, Belships says it remains committed to its main objective - maintaining high customer satisfaction and quality standards.

"It's very easy to lose focus when you sit up here in the North and stare at the world. You have to recognize that this is not where things happen. We look with awe at the potential in China and I'm looking forward to many years of doing business and cooperation with our friends there. The focus now is China. And that will take my lifetime," said Tidemann.

www.belships.com

(China Daily 04/14/2008 page29)