OW Bunker plans US expansion
MARITIME SERVICE: OW Bunker will launch its first trading operation in Houston, with further plans to expand on the East and then West Coast. The US office will also act as an internal purchasing centre for the whole OW Bunker Group.
With an anticipated commencement date of May 2012, the move will provide the company with a complete global offering for its customers. OW Bunker already has a significant presence in Asia, Europe, South America, Africa and the Middle East, and has delivered sustained expansion and growth over the past five years.
“Expanding into the US is a natural move for OW Bunker as we look to further consolidate our global leadership position. We have a presence in every other major market around the world, and we know that launching operations in the US provides real value to our international customers who want to be able to deal with OW Bunker representatives wherever they are in the world”, says Götz Lehsten, Executive Vice President, OW Bunker.
Hans Staal, recently a manager with OW Bunker Malta, will be the Branch Manager of the new operation. Mr Staal will take responsibility for ensuring that the company's best practices and quality standards are replicated in the US, and that customers receive the full service, end-to-end bunkering solution that OW Bunker is known for.
Customers will also have access to OW Bunker's technical department, which helps ship owners and operators overcome the potential operational issues in relation to current and impending changes to sulphur regulations when switching from heavy to low sulphur fuels; a timely offering given the impending introduction of the North American ECA in mid 2012.
Kilde: OW Bunker
