We had our first round of sight visits today! We went to Bernhard Schulte Management (BSM), Columbia Shipmanagement, and Medochemie. BSM, which is pictured in the featured image, is a leader in ship management, ship ownership, and shipping materials. Today, we were able to visit their training center, which was founded in 1983 and hosts cohorts of trainees hoping to obtain certifications. BSM provides the resources and instruction these prospective seafarers need to break into the industry. Their state-of-the-art facilities allow students to learn practical training in order to eventually become full members of a crew. For instance, there are simulators that allow students to see inside the ship’s engine as well as learn how to steer ships through rough weather. I was especially inspired by BSM’s impressive vertical integration of the various sectors of their business. BSM manages its own travel agency for crew flights, an IT company, MariApps, for navigation, and Sea Chef, a caterer for cruise ships. They also run a travel network (Eurasia Travel Network), port services, maritime advisory, insurance services, fleet maintenance and repair, and venture capital investments.
The next stop was Columbia Shipmanagement. Founded in 1978, the company is a driving force in shipmanagement and has sectors in technology, finance, energy and offshore, commercial, and maritime services. The two primary parts of their business are crew and technical, with their crew including more than 20,000 seafarers. Columbia is based in Limassol but has offices in Monaco, Germany, Greece, Norway, China, and more. Interestingly, they are also active in aviation and own three private jets. Their ultimate vision is to be the leading international provider of ship management and maritime services. Their adoption of their “I Care” philosophy is evident in their work: they care about their clients, their colleagues, and their mission. I was inspired by their commitment to being a client-based company. In fact, many of their new projects result from the demands of their elite clientele. For example, they have been increasingly active in the cybersecurity space based on client demand.
The last company we visited today was Medochemie. When we drove up to their gated office building, I knew we were somewhere special. The pharmaceutical company has 15 manufacturing facilities that have a combined portfolio of over 700 products. Medochemie’s business is split 50/50 between the European Union and abroad. Their supply chain, as we heard from their Director of Supply Chain Management, is strategic, tactical, and operational, with such planning ranging from everyday to five years. These plans consider customer demand, operations, and financial evaluations and go through rounds of executive meetings. I was particularly inspired by their discussion of responsiveness versus efficiency. It is important for Medochemie – and every business – to optimize revenue while still delivering quality products on time. They also must ensure that they treat every customer equally. They cannot strike a deal with one company and leave another paying a premium.
