Oct 12 | 2020
Now a part of SAL, Intermarine's president Richard Seeg talks strategy in the market
(The following is a preview from the upcoming Breakbulk Issue 6 / 2020 feature on industry veteran and Intermarine President Richard Seeg. He will be joining the Business Outlook webinar as part of Breakbulkbulk Americas: The Digital Special. The full feature – and all of Issue 6 – will be available digitally on the week of Oct. 26, at http://breakbulk.com/page/subscribe-breakbulk-magazine.)
With 30 years of multipurpose carriage under its belt, Intermarine has been reworked as an independent shipping company with a singular focus on the Americas market and a 25-year industry veteran at the helm.
President Richard Seeg brings to the table a personal vision and comprehensive plans undoubtedly shaped by his background as a U.S. Naval officer, and then long years in the global multipurpose shipping market.
And, with news Oct. 5 that breakbulk specialist SAL Heavy Lift acquired a “major stake” in Intermarine, the carrier will now operate as an independent brand within the SAL Heavy Lift Group. The deal will tie Intermarine’s Americas liner service to SAL’s cross-Atlantic and global trade. Further, long-time executive and former Intermarine and BBC Chartering head Svend Andersen has been named CEO.
Seeg in a statement explained the value of the linkup. “Having SAL as an organization behind the activities of Intermarine brings with it a wide range of commercial opportunities. SAL holds one of the most comprehensive sales networks globally, and they also bring vessels, world-class engineering capabilities and other resources that are extremely valuable to the commercial setup of Intermarine,” he said.
Customer-driven
Seeg said that from the outset, Intermarine has been customer-driven, “founded 30 years ago, with a focus on fulfilling customer needs in the breakbulk/project arena, instead of simply trying to fill ships.”
That foundational philosophy is still in play. And while the company remains in the breakbulk/project cargo business, it is now solely in the Americas, an important service differentiator today.
Intermarine Americas LLC operates five to 10 multipurpose vessels on short- and long-term charter within the Americas. Its fleet of geared tweendeck vessels have a lift capacity of up to 400 tonnes. Cargo capacity ranges up to 11,326 cubic meters.
The company runs weekly sailings from its load center in Houston to the Caribbean/North Coast South Americas, to its main ports in Trinidad, Guyana, Suriname, Colombia, Mexico and other destinations in the region. There are also monthly sailings to Brazil/Argentina and regular voyages to the West Coast of South America.
Intermarine, as agent for Industrial Maritime Carriers, LLC, assumed its new structure after Zeamarine – the Zeaborn Ship Management and Intermarine joint venture – divested its Americas business in early 2020. In addition to operating multipurpose carriers and offering technical services such as customized method statements for safe and efficient loads, Intermarine has recently been appointed by United Heavy Lift to promote its commercial maritime business for cargoes controlled in North America.
Market Prospects
Intermarine and its global transportation competitors face a plethora of obstacles in the current heavy-lift, project cargo and breakbulk markets, but Seeg appears undaunted. He said the word “uncertainty” is overused, and indicated Intermarine’s key business strength is about helping customers adjust. He said: “Our customers are struggling with their needs and the needs of their customers constantly changing as everyone tries to move forward in this market. We regularly see our customers fixing cargoes with us to one destination, and then having to change to another destination, or having the readiness slip back, or move up to become critically urgent.
“We view our relationship with our customers as a partnership, and not just a client/vendor relationship. Through regular and open communication, we work with our customers to find the best option – in terms of service and price – to work through their constantly changing requirements.”
Based in the U.S., Lori Musser is a veteran shipping industry writer.
With 30 years of multipurpose carriage under its belt, Intermarine has been reworked as an independent shipping company with a singular focus on the Americas market and a 25-year industry veteran at the helm.
President Richard Seeg brings to the table a personal vision and comprehensive plans undoubtedly shaped by his background as a U.S. Naval officer, and then long years in the global multipurpose shipping market.
And, with news Oct. 5 that breakbulk specialist SAL Heavy Lift acquired a “major stake” in Intermarine, the carrier will now operate as an independent brand within the SAL Heavy Lift Group. The deal will tie Intermarine’s Americas liner service to SAL’s cross-Atlantic and global trade. Further, long-time executive and former Intermarine and BBC Chartering head Svend Andersen has been named CEO.
Seeg in a statement explained the value of the linkup. “Having SAL as an organization behind the activities of Intermarine brings with it a wide range of commercial opportunities. SAL holds one of the most comprehensive sales networks globally, and they also bring vessels, world-class engineering capabilities and other resources that are extremely valuable to the commercial setup of Intermarine,” he said.
Customer-driven
Seeg said that from the outset, Intermarine has been customer-driven, “founded 30 years ago, with a focus on fulfilling customer needs in the breakbulk/project arena, instead of simply trying to fill ships.”
That foundational philosophy is still in play. And while the company remains in the breakbulk/project cargo business, it is now solely in the Americas, an important service differentiator today.
Intermarine Americas LLC operates five to 10 multipurpose vessels on short- and long-term charter within the Americas. Its fleet of geared tweendeck vessels have a lift capacity of up to 400 tonnes. Cargo capacity ranges up to 11,326 cubic meters.
The company runs weekly sailings from its load center in Houston to the Caribbean/North Coast South Americas, to its main ports in Trinidad, Guyana, Suriname, Colombia, Mexico and other destinations in the region. There are also monthly sailings to Brazil/Argentina and regular voyages to the West Coast of South America.
Intermarine, as agent for Industrial Maritime Carriers, LLC, assumed its new structure after Zeamarine – the Zeaborn Ship Management and Intermarine joint venture – divested its Americas business in early 2020. In addition to operating multipurpose carriers and offering technical services such as customized method statements for safe and efficient loads, Intermarine has recently been appointed by United Heavy Lift to promote its commercial maritime business for cargoes controlled in North America.
Market Prospects
Intermarine and its global transportation competitors face a plethora of obstacles in the current heavy-lift, project cargo and breakbulk markets, but Seeg appears undaunted. He said the word “uncertainty” is overused, and indicated Intermarine’s key business strength is about helping customers adjust. He said: “Our customers are struggling with their needs and the needs of their customers constantly changing as everyone tries to move forward in this market. We regularly see our customers fixing cargoes with us to one destination, and then having to change to another destination, or having the readiness slip back, or move up to become critically urgent.
“We view our relationship with our customers as a partnership, and not just a client/vendor relationship. Through regular and open communication, we work with our customers to find the best option – in terms of service and price – to work through their constantly changing requirements.”
Based in the U.S., Lori Musser is a veteran shipping industry writer.
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