Wilhelmsen Ship Management (WSM) moved its corporate head office to Kuala Lumpur in 2009 and there is no looking back.
WSM President, Carl Schou says that if there was ever any doubt about the wisdom of the move from Oslo, Norway to KL, Malaysia it disappeared like the morning dew.
WSM sees Malaysia as its doorway to the shipping industry in Asia. WSM established its operation here in 1993 as International Manning Services (IMS), and two years later as Barber International Ltd, expanding from Hong Kong for the more favourable commercial climate and the good availability of well-qualified manpower in Malaysia. The operation has grown steadily since then. This is partially thanks to the company’s system of higher ship management quality standards. For example, WSM is one of the very few that is approved by the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, also known as the Public Company Accounting Reform and Investor Protection Act. WSM is a process oriented company and ISO 9001:2000 and ISO 14001 compliant.
With its traditional strengths in technical ship management and crewing services, the company began developing specialised ship management services, such as dry docking services and lay up management services. Mr Schou says this soon proved to be the correct strategy. When the economic downturn came, customers could buy separate service modules instead of one large package deal. It gave them a dimension of flexibility that was not previously available.
In the wake of the economic downturn and poor market conditions, some clients have fallen away, while new clients have been added. “We are very proud of being able to continue to offer first class services and even expand. This motivates us to redouble our efforts. There is no doubt that the move to KL and our service strategy were correct. Our operation in Kuala Lumpur is a firm expression of our commitment and interest in Malaysia and indeed the whole of Asia,” says Mr Schou.
Barber changed its name to Wilhelmsen Ship Management in 2007 and co-located with other Wilhelmsen business operations at 1-Sentral in KL Sentral. From here, they can share central business functions such as finance, vessel accounting, global health, safety, environment and quality and crew management. Mr Schou and his colleagues are confident this move will create better synergies internally as well as customers throughout Asia, where the largest growth is expected and also where most of the company’s seafaring personnel are recruited.
The Malaysian oil and gas industry in Malaysia is booming and has become a key part of WSM’s expansion plans for the future. “Serving this large market may require expertise from all over the world,” says Mr Schou. “But when the challenges take on a global scale, WSM has a big advantage because of its global network.”
Facts: Wilhelmsen Ship Management Asia
* 500 professional staff with 100 in Malaysia
* 5,000 seafarers available to crew client vessels
* Operations in 15 countries with its head office in KL
* Offer includes technical ship management, crew management, lay up management, dry docking services, and commercial management