FREEPORT, Grand Bahama – The country’s maritime industry got a boost in the right direction Thursday with the decision by Svitzer to open its Regional Training Centre in Freeport, Grand Bahama.
Since 1833, Svitzer has provided safety and support at sea. With a reported 4,000 plus employees, a fleet of more than 400 vessels and operating all over the world, the company is said to be a global market leader in towage and emergency response. The firm is head-quartered in Copenhagen, Denmark and it is part of the A.P.Moller-Maersk Group.
The Training Centre, located at Logwood Road, features one of the most complete navigation simulator in the region, with stations for assisted ship and two harbour tugs. The simulator has been developed by FORCE Technology of Denmark, and deployed by Svitzer in close cooperation with the Freeport Harbour Company and Mediterranean Shipping Company. According to a spokesman for the company, the Training Centre and its simulator represent another step in Svitzer’s commitment to enhancing safety and drive operational excellence in harbours and terminals in the region.
Education, Science and Technology Minister,Jerome Fitzgerald; Grand Bahama Minister, Dr. Michael Darville and Hope Strachan, Minister of State in the Ministry of Transport and Aviation were all in attendance for the official opening and applauded Svitzer for their efforts. Dr. Darville noted that the investment means that Grand Bahama will now be home to the latest navigation simulator stations used to train marine pilots and tugboat captains from around the world by exposing them to real-life situations, in a safe maritime environment.
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***“I am pleased that Svitzer has made the decision to establish this training facility on Grand Bahama, which will be advantageous for our growing maritime sector and local residents,” he stated. The Minister for Grand Bahama also stressed that with the proposed expansion of the College of The Bahamas maritime programmes outlined by the Minister of Education, that he is certain that COB will develop a close working relationship with the internationally accredited regional training centre, thus creating additional training opportunities for students enrolled in the maritime programme at the College of The Bahamas Northern Campus.
“I am a firm believer that if we equip our young people with the necessary skills and certifications to meet the present and future demands in the various sectors of our economy, we will see a continual decrease in our unemployment statistics,” he added. Continuing, he said that as Minister for Grand Bahama, “I am excited about the role Grand Bahama is playing in the growth of the country’s maritime sector and once again, demonstrating that our strategic location, our state of the art infrastructure and our world class harbour has positioned us to become the leader in the region not only for growth and development but training as well.
“Over the years Grand Bahama Island established a first class reputation as a major maritime and transshipment centre, and is considered home to a group of highly skilled Bahamian captains who have great boat handling abilities. “In fact, our maritime industry encompasses a wide range of sectors which combined, contribute an estimated 14 to 18 per cent of the gross domestic product of our country and employ a large number of young Bahamian professionals. “Nevertheless, the launch of this Regional Training Centre will add another important dimension to our maritime industry,” he stated.
State Minister Strachan noted that with the ship repair facility (Grand Bahama Shipyard) and the Freeport Harbour, Grand Bahama has the makings of a maritime hub unequalled in the region. “It is therefore a natural fit that Svitzer would choose Freeport to anchor its training institute. This will serve not only burgeoning young Bahamians but the entire region,” she stated.
She said the Ministry of Transport and Aviation is committed to fostering a culture of safety, and they recognise that training is one of the most critical components to achieve that goal. “Training is also a critical element in the growth and development of the maritime sector here in the Commonwealth of The Bahamas. We are fully committed and have incorporated training into all operations within the transport sector.
“Technological advances like the simulator offered creates the next best opportunity for training second only to being on board or in the midst of the real life crisis or situation,” she said. The State Minister for Transport and Aviation further stated that trainee’s exposure to international standards of operation and best practices is the best way to ensure productivity and
efficiency in the maritime industry, and more importantly it ensures safe environments.
“The opening of this operation is mutually beneficial to the maritime industry in the Commonwealth of The Bahamas and to Svitzer as this operation and all who train here enhances and increases safety at sea for all people involved in the maritime industry,” she said. Ms Strachan had also pointed out that The Bahamas is an archipelago nation stretching across some 100 thousand square miles of water.
“We are naturally positioned to enhance and develop the maritime sector as a new and significant plank in our economic model. With this in mid we are soon to begin public consultation on a draft maritime policy which seeks to provide a framework for the sustainable exploitation of our ocean resource in energy, fisheries, science and technology, shipping and tourism,” she stated.
She also pointed out that the country has and will continue to make significant strides in the maritime industry to secure its place on the global stage, which has led to significant thrusts in maritime training through the Maritime Cadet Programme.
Education Minister Fitzgerald said he and the Government of The Bahamas support private/public partnership and is fully supportive of the Ministry for Grand Bahama and the people of Grand Bahama and looks forward to working with the various companies and agencies to further develop the country.
REMARKS BY MARINUS LORWA, Chief Operating Officer, Svitzer Americas
Distinguished
guests, it makes me very happy and proud to stand here today for the
official opening of Svitzer Regional Training Centre in Freeport, Grand
Bahama.
I
see many familiar faces around and some of you might not know that in
2006 I worked in Bahamas as Technical Manager. At that time the name of
the company was still Freepoint Tug & Towing Services and it was a
joint venture with South Riding Point Holdings. At that time we had five
tugs.
In
fact the company had been incorporated in 1996 and during the years it
underwent several changes of structure and ownership until 2006 when
Svitzer acquired 50% ownership and 2012, when we acquired the interest
of Statoil South Riding Point, becoming 100% owner. As a matter of fact,
I would like to acknowledge Ellison Charles Rolle, now Operations
Manager for Freeport Harbour, who is here and who has been the first
General Manager of this company.
At
Svitzer, we pride ourselves in our ability to develop local
organizations and team-up with other stakeholders for the continuous
improvement of our employees and of the local maritime industry. Our
history in Bahamas is no exception.
Since
2007, our Bahamas organization has truly undergone substantial and
positive development. From 5 tugs of lesser bullard pull capacity, we
now have in our fleet six tugs. From a group of crewmember of goodwill
but limited experience in international standards, we now have a group
of fifty professionals that are very familiar with the safety and
operational standards of a modern towage operation, working for the most
respected brand in the industry, part of the largest shipping group in
the world, the A.P. Moller-Maersk Group.
What
makes me truly proud and happy for its significance is that now
actually it is a group of very skilled Bahamian professionals that will
provide training to other colleagues in the region using the tools
provided by the Simulator.
Our
colleagues Captain Sterling Albury, Captain Mark Roberts and Captain
Robert Cartwright, together with our partners from Freeport Harbour
Company will be in fact in position to train tug captains and pilots not
only from Grand Bahama, but also from Svitzer’s entire regional
organization. Not only that, thanks to the convenient location of
Freeport, we expect that a number of other interested parties from the
region will take advantage of this simulator facility to train their
captains and pilots. Because of the presence of the simulator, at
Svitzer Americas we have decided to locate in Freeport our Regional
Training Centre, further expanding the scope of the training and
therefore making Freeport the focal point of training initiatives at the
regional level.
We
expect that the simulator will greatly benefit operations at Freeport
Harbour by allowing continuous training of pilots and captains in many
possible conditions of operations. Similarly, we expect to offer
training to other parties in the US, Latin-America and the Caribbean.
Capitalizing on Svitzer’s extensive experience in towage and on the
power of the simulator we hope to turn this facility in the preferred
location for towage training in the Americas.
This
regional training centre with its simulator represent a substantial
investment made Svitzer, but I have no doubt that it will pay tremendous
dividends in improving the safety profile and the operational
effectiveness of our local operation. Locating the facility in Freeport
was a vote of confidence in the maturity of our Bahamas organization,
the importance of Grand Bahama Island and the entire maritime sector of
The Bahamas. For experience in Bahamas and with our local colleagues, I
can comfortably say that this confidence was well placed and I look
forward to working with you for the improvement of our ports, our
communities and the entire Bahamas maritime sector. Thank you.
REMARKS by EMANUELE GARIBOLDI, Head of Commercial Department, Svitzer Americas
Good morning.
Protocol
having been established, I wish to thank Tracey and all of my
colleagues at Svitzer Bahamas for their efforts in organizing this
event. A special thank you is extended to Manuel Ruiz, general manager
of MSC Bahamas, who is the owner of this facility and has greatly
accommodated our needs with setting up this centre and ceremony.
I
have been privileged to work with my colleagues at Svitzer Bahamas for
almost two years as General Manager and I am extremely proud of what we
have accomplished together. The decision of Svitzer Americas to position
the Training Centre for the entire region in Freeport, Bahamas is
witness to the growth of our Bahamas organization and the confidence
that Svitzer has of us and the Bahamas in general.
Better
speakers than I will highlight the importance of the maritime industry
as avenue of career development, personal and economic growth for the
people of The Bahamas. In that sense, I am happy to acknowledge the
presence of Clayton Curtis and his Maritime Cadets, as well as Arthur
Jones, member of the council for maritime studies at the College of The
Bahamas. Many stakeholders have put much effort into making The Bahamas a
centre of maritime excellence, and in this regard, I would like to
acknowledge also the presence of Chandler Sands from Campbell Shipping,
truly a leading company in Bahamas. I think that with this Training
facility we are laying another important foundation to the cornerstone
of the Bahamian maritime cluster and I am pleased to see that so many
stakeholders from Government and local industry are here to prove that
it is a team effort and we are all partnering in moving the industry
forward. My remarks will be brief and I would like to reflect on the
significance of the maritime industry and of our ports for Grand Bahama
Island and for The Bahamas.
Freeport Harbour, BORCO and South
Riding Point are some of the most important conduits of business for the
Island of Grand Bahama and for the Bahamas in general. The presence of
Freeport Container Port, Grand Bahama Shipyard, BORCO and Statoil, as
well as, the fact that Grand Bahama is a preferred port of call for
cruise ships and Florida ferries make our ports some of the most
important, if not THE most important, catalyst of income and welfare for
the entire community.
What we have here today are the people
that day and night ensure that all ships entering Freeport Harbour and
South Riding Point can do so safely.
This includes every
container ship berthing at the container port, every ship going into
dry-dock, every tanker calling at South Riding Point, every cruise ship
needing assistance. Together with the pilots of Freeport Harbour and
Statoil, here represented by Charles Rolle and Makarios Rolle, our tug
crews are the people that keep the harbour safe, that keep the economy
running, that ensure the safe flow of goods and people that keep our
communities alive.
And it is not fancy equipment or sophisticated
tugs that do the job: it is our people, our OWN people that keep the
entire process safe and running EVERY day and EVERY night.
In one
of the busiest harbours in the hemisphere, in the most important
container port of the eastern seaboard, it is OUR OWN people that keep
everybody safe. And “our people” is not a generic expression, they are
not coming from international locations with fancy names, they are from
Freeport, from Nassau, from Long Island, from Holmes Rock, from Eight
Mile Rock, from Lucaya, they have names and they are Sterling, Mark,
Rashaad, Mike, Romeo, Devon, Simeon, Kenroy, Leroy, just to name those
present today.
Night and day, in calm and in storm, with rain and
with sun, in peace and in emergency, they do their job professionally
and safely and keep the lifeblood of the island running.
Ladies
and gentleman, If you have ever been in a small tugboat approaching a
big 300-meter ships at night, with rain and wind, then you will
appreciate how we do not need to look too far to find courage and
dedication, it’s here with these men. These are our most precious
resources, our people, and I can surely say that I would sail with them
into any sea and that I am proud to be their colleague.
Now, at
Svitzer we like to say that we do a job safely or we do not do it at
all. If this training facility, if this simulator can contribute to our
colleagues performing their job better or just a bitmore safely, if
joint training of our captains and the harbour pilots can benefit the
operation in Freeport Harbour, at Statoil and in the country, then I
think we, at Svitzer, have contributed to the growth and success of the
maritime industry in this nation.
Thank you very much.
