Part 2

The panel on Analysis of Shipping Companies’ Capabilities and capacities, aimed at reviving IRISL previous brand

News ID: 58823

Date: 03 December 2015 - 15:09

Compiling New Strategic plans, with a global approach
IRISL is bracing to step into the post-sanction time and revive it’s past brand once again these days in a bid to go through a new phase in it’s economic life after the sanctions have been absolutely raised. Thus new strategies are now being planned for this company during post – sanction period.
A panel was recently held by the attendance of managing directors of IRISL subsidiary companies for further acquaintance with the aims and future plans of IRISL Group subsidiaries orientated at reviving IRISL Brand as well as surveying the existing capabilities and capacities during which the following questions were replied :

1. How much capability and capacity IRISL Group subsidiaries enjoy in order to step into the post-sanction stage ?
2. What problems IRISL Group Subsidiaries are presently encountered with ?
3. What preparations and facilities these companies have considered in order to achieve an ideal and contestable situation ?
4. What short-term plans are being devised for entering post-sanction times and restoring IRISL previous brand ?
5. Do we have to create privileges for reviving IRISL brand or there’s one already available?

Here below you can read an abstract of panelists’ talks at the meeting:

Capt.S.A.Mirazizi Managing Director of Qeshm Marine Services & Engineering Company: Bunkering has started in irisl since 1986 , at that time we had 3 barges to supply hfo and fresh water.
In recent years we have planned and expanded our bunkering fleet by emplying different capcities of bunker vessels which are able to render service to different size of vessels in notrh pg and oman sea.
To expand irisl bunkering activities, one of the main points is to train and preserve the skilled emplyees in order to promote irisl brand, human resources are the core of each company and careful attention is required to hsve a competent, loyal team to achieve company’s goals.
We need strong positions in major bunkering hubs around the world with excellent professional staff in all respect, therefore our proceedues fo nomiating irisl reps has to be revised and there should be special courses for nominees with certain qulifications

Capt. Nowrooz Tayyebi Sadrabadi , Deputy Managing Director of South Shipping Lines , Iran line Company. : I believe that IRISL brand , in spite of the existing problems , has been revived even further and sanctions have actually helped the company to be discussed in international arenas . Of course the company was expected to go bankrupt soon , but since it had a good performance during the sanctions , preparations were made for it’s revival and this indicates that IRISL brand will not be easily evaded. Now IRISL must increase it’s potentials and activities to be revived and reappear again globally. It must undergo training in order to be able to increase capabilities of it’s work force and for this purpose , necessary equipment should be provided in advance. It is quite evident that IRISL Managing Director is definitely seeking to make arrangements for such issues. It should be mentioned that the activities of South Shipping Lines, Iran line company will also have a good impression on reviving IRISL brand.

Capt. Bijan Danehkar , Managing Director of Pars Petrochemical company :
Although Pars Petrochemical company has very few staff, it has performed great major works so far, and this is while hard efforts of staff have never been talked about or appreciated. Of course one of the reasons for this has been the issue of sanction . If we intend to revive IRISL brand, publicizing that would be possible through Public Relations monthly publication ‘’ MANA‘’. This publication should be intelligible enough so that the readers can understand it easily. In fact any ordinary person should be able to read it and understand, not merely being specialized and usable only for professionals and experts. Evidently, it would be profitable as well to extend its English copies. With its scant staff working , Pars Petrochemical company managed to dispose about 50 million dollars into IRISL Bank account until the year 1393 inclusive , which is a huge amount . This is while Pars shipping company has carried nearly one million tons of cargo during this period . The company also exported 10 million tons of liquefied gas during the sanction period. Since I was appointed as Managing Director of Pars Petrochemical company , I’ve been training my staff to work in international arenas without depending on any other system , as preparing the staff can be so effective in reviving a certain brand.

Engineer Ali Akbar Ghonji, Managing Director of Khazar Shipping company ( Caspian Sea ) :
Since setbacks have been gradually removed during the post-sanction period and there is more elbow room as well as possibility for live presence for shipping companies , Khazar Shipping company as the only affiliated company to Holding Group can play a critical and effective role in presenting IRISL brand in the region as well as in CIS trading markets.
Making investments for constructing jetties at domestic and foreign ports such as Oktao as a strong , dominating and supporting arm ; investing in commercial and cereal transportation sectors as well as constructing silos, both in domestic and foreign ports ; and boosting and utilizing Salianka port are all main issues in presenting IRISL in terms of its’ stabilizing and dominating position in the region . the Establishment of dynamic agencies in the countries in CIS territory, active presence of the company’s agencies in Georgia , as the European gateway to Caspian Sea, providing information system , marketing as well as performing related affairs are considered as highly efficient tools in getting familiar with trading culture in that region . There are also other factors which have great effect on reviving IRISL brand which include; Organization of multi-purpose companies for producing brands cooperated by some affiliated companies, as well as completion of trading courses for exporting and importing of goods and eventually transiting them from targeted markets to other countries .
Connecting CIS Eastern countries to international open markets is deemed as one of the most significant strategies for using potentials of Caspian Sea in a more optimizing way. When the process of branding was completed , IRISL shall be discussed as one of the most influencing companies in Caspian Sea region but this necessitates establishing an absolutely international system as well as making great efforts in materializing that . The efforts by Khazar Shipping company for increasing it’s shares in process of exchanging goods in Caspian Sea region is also another contributing lever in enhancing IRISL dominating power in the region .

Mohammad Reza Mohammadi Banaee Managing Director of Afra Marine Kish CO.: I personally believe that IRISL brand has always been existed but was kept at a low profile during the sanctions period due to obvious reasons.
IRISL brand is alike a sapling that needs protection and support to commence its growth .As we are suffering from worldwide economic recessions and limited resources, we should plan to use mentioned resources in such way as to direct the highest productivity out of it towards revival and growth of the IRISL brand. In doing so, repeating the past mistakes and its consequential wastage of resources during the past periods should be reduced to minimum .In the mean time due to the long path being laid ahead of IRISL group, we should plan to transfer all our experiences as “lessons to be learnt “ to IRISL young generations who are hoped to take over the IRISL lead seamlessly in the years to come.
To achieve a cost control strategy and avoid wasting reserves and financial resources, it seems that we should place our risk control policies in preference. Alike many Industrial and financial corporations we have to adjust and control the IRISL group companies’ risk appetite as the circumstances prevail, considering the fact that the said apetite was inevitably increased during the sanctions period.
The issues related to human resource are always amongst top most import issues whenever cost control policies are considered by managers. We believe that as much as the level of cooperation between the staff in a company reduces it would negatively affect the efficiency of the system and at the same time would make the company to go deeper into use of its sources in order to satisfy the customers or quality of its services. Thus the way to quality and cost effective services passes through a qualified and loyal human resources.
At last, another important item which needs to be considered in the way to reduction of wastage of resources is to establish and operate a control and performance monitoring system over IRISL group affiliated companies’ productivity .These control measures are necessary and need to be operated by the managers at the holding company.

Capt. Majid Sojdeh , Commercial Deputy of Valfajr Shipping company: Passenger vessels lines are considered as the most distinct brand for Valfajr Shipping company . Regular services of this company also can play a very effective role in enhancing, developing and making IRISL brand known across the world profitably. Most of the people in the country are presently not aware of international passenger as well as cruise vessels of this company, therefore wide publicity should be made in this respect in populated areas , especially those places on southern brink of Iranian coastal waters as well as the Persian Gulf region . Of course this company might be able to enter the markets in near future by changing it’s policy , adopting the protective approaches , allocating supplies packages along with enhancing Maritime Culture as well as clarifying decent laws and regulations to passengers and finally carrying out optimizing supervisions, aimed at enhancing the level and standard of passenger voyages . It is expected that the officials in charge in all related organizations would change their outlooks and try to clarify appropriate strategies in order to support this section of Marine Industry and take contributing measures for enhancing the level of passenger vessels lines both qualitatively and quantitatively .
Entering the markets for offshore services vessels constitutes one of the main activities of this company. It goes without saying that once the sanctions are raised completely and large oil companies step into the market, timely presence of a specialized and modern fleet equipped with the latest technology of the world would be one of the fundamental needs in this industry. Valfajr Shipping company is able to provide a great part of such needs due to it’s operational and technical capabilities. Therefore , it would be needed that not only the fleet of this company but it’s specialized sectors to be developed properly , so that such needs be covered and this purpose would be achieved.

Hamid Jamali Jamal Abadi, Managing Director of Persia Hormuz Ship repair company :
Persia Hormuz Ship Repair company is presently among the latest and most equipped centers for repairing ships and vessels in the country and is esteemed among the five first-rank shipyards in the Persian Gulf and Oman Sea regions. The quality of repairs and services offered to the vessels is in step with international standards and based on qualities demanded by ranking institutes, and tariffs for repair and services in this company are competitive as compared with other shipyards of the same level in the region. The shipyard can use it’s substructure facilities as well as various machinery and equipment in order to repair 6 vessels, each having a length of below 100 meters and one oceangoing vessel simultaneously. The company has three jetty lines with total length of 700 meters and in good conditions from the vessels’ berthing capacity points of view where minor repairs are done. According to strategic plans of Persia Hormuz company , during the next two years the capacity of vessels with a length of below 100 meters which are to be designed for under water repairs shall be increased by 60% and utilizing lifting capacity of oceangoing vessels will be increased by more than two fold within the next five years. Persia Hormuz , in addition to performing the projects of periodic repairs for various kinds of vessels in the yard , carries out voyage repairs of the vessels through it’s own branches in Bandar Abbas and in the very near future , in port of Assalouyeh completely. Due to prominent position Persia Hormuz ship repair company holds among other shipyards in the region, this company can have a serious partnership in reviving IRISL brand and creating credit for the Group during the post-sanction period, by developing it’s own activities in the field of marine industries. Regarding significance of Persia Hormuz for the Group, it should be reminded that most of renowned holding companies which are involved in marine transportation are owners or shareholders of one or a few shipyards , and evidently, IRISL having prominent international rank as well, would need a standard international shipyard with an appropriate production capacity for it’s five-year strategic plans ahead . Most IRISL holding companies , especially those which have their extent of activities and service providing beyond those in the Group itself can benefit from IRISL global reputation and make competitive privileges by achieving success and developing their activities in the region as well as globally, for IRISL Group. Regarding the expansion of Persia Hormuz ship repair company’s activities, we can hopefully expect that repairing oil and gas rigs would be among our company’s next five-year strategic plans.