Today, we visited the Limassol port and went through a series of lectures about the companies that were involved there. We started with the Cyprus Ports Authority (CPA), that is responsible for the development, management, and operation of all Cyprus ports. They act primarily to regulate the three concessionaires beneath them, which are their own private companies that handle different pieces of the overall channel member. Overall, they work in the distribution part of the channel, being an intermediary for thousands of companies all over the globe with their cargo ships as a means of transportation. It was really interesting. After that, we visited DP World, one of their concessionaires. DP World had more of a logistics focus, handling the new passenger terminal, oil and gas area, and their cargo area. Additionally, they practice Corporate Social Responsibility, which is incredibly important for any part of the supply chain today.
In the same lecture room we were then introduced to a representative from P&O. Their services are much more physical, relating more to pilotage, berth planning, towing, and more. They use both their human capital of 62 employees and physical capital of 3 tugboats and 2 pilot boats to help provide consumers with the smooth port services they need. They were said to be in charge of the “maritime services” at the port. After that, we went over to a huge warehouse to visit the third and final concessionary, Eurogate. Rather than using their machinery for services related to ship-moving, they primary used capital like cranes to take the crates on and off of the boats. This means that they are one of the most direct and important factors of distribution at the port, and essential to the overall work that makes this channel member valuable. Also, they stated that they are 89% imports and only 11% exports, so it seems that in many ways they provide for internal consumers rather than external.