An eye on the future of wind turbine transportation

Transcription

1 34 An eye on the future of wind turbine transportation Gulf Stream Marine commands attention for its innovations and flexibility. Now more than ever, both help the company maintain its position as a leader in the specialized field of wind turbine transportation. Company CEO Jan Rietdijk explains

2 35 PES: PES first caught up with Gulf Stream Marine last year. What is new with the company? Jan Rietdijk: The principles of our business are the same offer quality customer service, flexibility and a commitment to innovation. What has changed over time is the amount of business we do in the handling of wind turbine components. Although the total amount of wind business is down in the Gulf Coast region as a result of the economic recession, it is still a very large part of our business at three of the seven terminals that we operate in this geographic area. PES: What do you mean by a commitment to innovation? JR: We never stop asking how we can improve our business operations. Our work in the wind industry provides a perfect example. We engineered custom equipment and performance operations to make us uniquely qualified to handle this type of cargo. We began with a vision centred on a fundamental question: How can we handle this type of cargo more effectively and efficiently than anyone in the industry? The answer was in customizing our trucks and equipment, providing specialized training to our staff, and working with customers on their storage needs. A tower section can be more than 60ft long and weight more than 60 tons. We now know exactly how to handle this cargo. PES: Houston is your headquarters. Tell us about the other cities in which you do business JR: We do business in seven coastal locations. We manage cargo from all over the world from industrialized Northern Mexico to South America, the Far East and Europe. We do work in the wind business at most of our operations, but to varying degrees. At Corpus Christi and Freeport, the wind business accounts for almost 90 per cent of our volume. In Houston, our business is a mixture of wind, general and project cargo, containers and steel. We handle mainly steel in Brownsville, but the Port of Brownsville and Gulf Stream Marine are well poised to handle wind components as the need arises. PES: The company sounds like a trendsetter. What other innovations set it apart? JR: This is a very progressive company. Having our own fabrication shop allows us to design and manufacture equipment and lifting gear to facilitate the handling of our customers cargo. Owning our equipment allows us to maintain it with our own staff, customize it as needed and have ready access to the resources we need to do the job. That not only makes us immeasurably more effective, but also more efficient. We save the company and customers time and money. I ve often said that in the stevedoring industry, today s competitive advantage is

3 36 tomorrow s competitive necessity. I want us to stay on the cutting edge. PES: Explain why flexibility is so important. JR: I believe we are the largest non-union stevedoring company on the Gulf Coast. We have unparalleled flexibility and support from our employees. That puts us in a position to offer our stevedoring services 24 hours a day, seven days a week. We believe that customers moving large shipments don t need the cost or inconvenience of downtime relating to scheduling concerns, late arrivals or inclement weather. Our business model is dictated, in large part, by the needs of our customers. We are flexible and responsive. In my 20 years with Gulf Stream Marine as an owner and CEO, I ve found that few things are more important to a customer in this industry. PES: You have said that loading and unloading cargo is only part of the job. Can you explain? JR: I describe our approach as hightech, high-touch. Proper dispatching, processing, billing and accounting have become hallmarks of our company. We also utilize the latest in hardware and software technology. We are in the process of designing a software package specifically for the stevedoring and terminal freight-handling industry. This will allow our customers real-time information about their cargo by giving them direct access to our computer system with their own unique password. Another defining characteristic of Gulf Stream Marine is its ability to develop enduring and equitable relationships with its customers. The goal is to serve as an extension of a client s business, providing them with a sense of trust and confidence. This is especially true in the wind business, where the shipments are fragile and represent significant financial investments for all parties involved. PES: You do a lot of work in this industry. In your view, how has the global economic crisis affected the industry? JR: There is a giant ripple effect being felt right now in the stevedoring industry. The recession hit a year or more ago, but the movement of cargo had been pre-arranged far in advance. The crisis seemed to be on the horizon for a long time. What we are seeing now is the effect of the global slowdown having finally reached our industry with both imports and exports slowed down considerably. They key is to work smarter, more efficiently, and to be nimble. The best companies will find a way to adapt. They will emerge from this crisis more fit and performance-oriented. I truly believe that. PES: What do you see for the future of the wind industry? JR: I have heard experts say the US should develop wind generation facilities that produce 20 per cent of our nation s electricity. I saw a report that ventured that by reaching our wind capacity in the US, we could produce 138,000 new jobs in the first year, and more than 3.4 million new jobs over a 10-year period. This type of opportunity provides a spark for the industry and those involved in servicing it through stevedoring operations. The energy conservation plan,

4 37 Stevedoring companies are like cargo shipments no two are the same. Gulf Stream Marine is recognized as a worldwide leader in its field, with more than 750 employees managing port operations in Houston, Freeport, Corpus Christi and Brownsville. Our company specializes in handling a variety of unique cargo shipments, including wind turbine components. We offer flexibility, affordability and a highly-trained non-union staff all hallmarks of Gulf Stream Marine and the partnership it has provided for almost 20 years. Stevedoring & Marine Terminal Operations since 1990 Houston Freeport Corpus Christi Brownsville Manchester Ave., Suite C Houston,Texas ~ Fax

5 38 operations. The energy conservation plan, The Pickens Plan, reports: Wind is a reliable source of electrical energy around the world. In Europe, Denmark receives over 20 per cent of its electricity from wind energy, and in 2008 Germany received over seven per cent of its electricity from the wind. Spain had periods in 2008 when wind energy provided over 40 per cent of its electricity. In the US, Minnesota and Iowa both get over seven per cent of their electricity from wind energy. Clearly, the proof is in the numbers: the wind industry holds more promise and potential with each new day. The stevedoring industry will play a critical role in this area. This will happen not only during this present time when the majority of wind components are imported into the US, but also as the US begins to manufacture more in this industry and ultimately becomes a major exporter of wind components. PES: What makes Gulf Stream Marine different? JR: First and foremost, the company has an entrepreneurial spirit. Many of our company leaders are owners of the company. I believe that instills a sense of pride in our management team. We have a customer-driven focus that is unlike any other found in the industry today. For more information, visit: About the company In 1990 Dave Wharton and Jan Rietdijk founded Gulf Stream Marine. A lot has changed since these two men brought their vision of unparalleled customer service to the stevedoring industry. Gulf Stream Marine is now one of the largest privately owned stevedore companies in the Gulf Coast area. In addition, expansion into the Brownsville area established Gulf Stream Marine in this NAFTA port. In its relatively short history, Gulf Stream has become one of the most highly respected stevedore and terminal operators in Texas ports by providing its customers with productive and damage-free handling of all bulk, breakbulk and containerised commodities. The company specializes in the handling of heavy-lift, project, and wind equipment cargoes and is the industry leader in this regard in the region. The company maintains its own handling machinery and equipment and continues to make new acquisitions in order to maintain self-sufficiency. The foremost contributing factors to the company s success are the basic ideals on which it was founded quality customer service and employee participation at all levels. The firm s primary goal is to build enduring and equitable relationships with its customers and their products. To illustrate the extent to which the founders believed in active employee participation, Gulf Stream Marine is now owned wholly by its executive officers and senior management. Mission Gulf Stream Marine, Inc. will always endeavor to establish the highest standards of service for Stevedoring and Marine Terminal Operators. It is the company s goal to build enduring and equitable relationships with its customers, vendors and employees within a safe and ethical working environment. More importantly, Gulf Stream Marine understands the foundation is the customer protecting customers cargo and securing their interests is why the company is in this business in the first place.