Viking Line, International Quality Crown in London, Talks Future

NAHCO, B.I.D. World Quality Commitment International Star Award in Paris

The Nigerian Aviation Handling Company Plc (NAHCo) has been conferred with the Diamond Category of the World Quality International Star Award by the Business Initiatives Directions (BID).
At the award ceremony which took place in Paris, Jose E. Prieto, President and Chief Executive Officer of BID, said that NAHCo represents success for Nigeria in the business world through commitment to Quality, Leadership, Technology and Innovation. Jose Prieto rated NAHCo as one of the outstanding companies in this years award, stating that the awarded companies are symbols of commitment to leadership, technology and innovation which make them models for other companies of their sector.
Alhaji Suleiman Yahyah, Vice Chairman, NAHCo Board of Directors and Mr. Bates Sarki Sule, Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer received the award on behalf of NAHCo.
Commenting on the import of the award for the company, Alhaji Yahyah said that the global recognition was a confirmation of the high level of professionalism that NAHCo exhibits in service delivery. He added that the Board and Management of NAHCo were committed to providing the right equipment and technology coupled with employee value creation to ensure optimal service delivery to clients.
Mr. Sule expressed delight at the recognition accorded the company, noting that it was heart-warming to see that the huge investments that the company has made in the last three years both in its manpower development, technology-driven service and innovation have earned it global recognition.

Iran Shipping Lines, winner of a B.I.D. Award in Paris

The maritime fleet of the Islamic Republic of Iran Shipping Lines (IRISL Group) comprises 115 ocean-going vessels with the total capacity of 3.3 million tons deadweight (DWT). The ownership structure of the fleet comprises 87 ocean-going vessels in IRISL and 28 different types of ships under the flag of subsidiaries, including Khazar Shipping, Valfajr as well as Iran-India Shipping Companies. They are manned by 6,000 Iranian personnel including shore staff, masters, deck and engine officers as well as ratings, who work under the flag of the Islamic Republic of Iran in the Caspian Sea, Persian Gulf, international waters and various ports of the world.

Due to the increase in the volume of imports into Iran since early 1960, consequence of which was to employ many foreign flag vessels to trade within Iranian ports caused some concerns to the country. In addition, the need and importance of a regular carriage of goods by sea and considering peculiar geographical characteristic, accessibility to open seas, with having had long water boundary and water ways to and from Iran made the necessity in initiating a research study to establish the first and biggest integrated national shipping lines. The result of the research study, which was started in 1961, was approved by the first general assembly meeting to establish Iranian National Shipping Company on August 1967 with the name of Aria Shipping Lines.
They received the International Star Ward for Leadership in Quality in Paris
Aria Shipping started its activity in 1967 by two small size vessels with capacity of 1000 and 1550 tones in Persian Gulf area and 4 ocean going vessels, namely, Aria Sep, Aria Far, Aria Naz and Aria Gaam with the total capacity of 61,252 tones that had been put into service between the Persian gulf-Europe, Asia and America. By the end of 1978 the number of Aria shipping vessels was 42 with the total capacity of 525,000 DWT which proved the increasing of the sea transportation volume by Aria shipping lines and its effective role in Iran economy.
After the Islamic Revolution and change of economical and political policy on January 5, 1979, the authority renamed the Aria Shipping to Islamic Republic of Iran Shipping Lines (IRISL) and affiliated the company to the ministry of commerce.
During the Iran Iraq War, numerous vessels such as Aria Boom, Aria Jahan, Aria Shaad, Aria Omid, became total losses due to missile attacks, as a result of which, the IRISL suffered dearly. After this period, the names of all the vessels were changed to those of martyrs and cities – with the prefix “IRAN”.

Al Jazirah Transporting Co

Al – Jazira and Quraini Transportation Company is one of the leading car and heavy equipment rental companies in Kuwait . Established on 24 Feb. 1966 and approved by oil and government sectors in the category of automotive & heavy equipment rentals.
JQTC leases out vehicles and heavy equipment to the government, oil, and private sector companies on long and short term contract bases in addition to supplying a specific number of vehicles & equipment on a continuous basis to be used by their employees.
The process includes tendering, arranging for financial resources to finance the purchase of such vehicles and heavy equipment.
During the contract period, JQTC provides a comprehensive service including routine maintenance, preventive maintenance, comprehensive and third party insurance, electrical, mechanical, bodywork, and replacement/standby vehicles round the clock at the garage facilities including all necessary equipment supported by experienced manpower, spare parts stock, and tire stores.
At the end of the lease agreement period, JQTC sells out all or part of the vehicles and equipment at the market value based on the extensive experience in this field.

BID Awardee King Fahd Industrial Port in Jubail plans to expand

The government will soon establish a new port in Ras Al-Zour for exporting minerals, Transport Minister Jabara Al-Seraisry announced yesterday. This will increase the total number of seaports in the Eastern Province to four, he added.
Speaking to reporters after attending the launch of a new ship named Al-Zamil 13 in Dammam, he said the land-bridge project linking the Kingdom’s east with west was progressing well, as tenders would be called shortly to carry out the landmark project.

Eastern Province Governor Prince Muhammad ibn Fahd launched the ship, which was built by Al-Zamil for Maintenance and Operations. He also gave the green signal to build four more ships. Al-Seraisry commended the Al-Zamil Company for its marine transport services.

The minister said the government had allocated SR7 billion for road projects in its 2005 budget and SR8 billion for this year.
We have already invited tenders to implement half of these projects,” he said.
Al-Seraisry said the government’s decision to privatize management, maintenance and operation of port facilities was yielding fruits. “Six years after taking this decision, we see an increase in revenues and productivity and a decrease in expenditures,” he said.
He also unveiled plans to expand King Abdul Aziz Port in Dammam and King Fahd Industrial Port in Jubail.
“Efforts are under way to establish a fourth port in Ras Al-Zour, which will specialize in the export of minerals. It will soon join our ports system,” he added.
In a related development, Al-Seraisry chaired a meeting of the Saudi Railway Organization’s board of directors in Dammam yesterday, the Saudi Press Agency said. The meeting discussed SRO’s new projects, including construction of a new railway line in Al-Ahsa to promote passenger and goods transportation in the city.
The organization also intends to purchase modern passenger trains and 200 double-decker cargo carriages, as well as set up a new signal and communication system.
In 2004, SRO carried 315,000 containers compared to 280,000 containers a year before. Its trains transported 1.23 million passengers in 2004 against 1.12 million in 2003, a statement issued by the organization said. SRO generated SR295 million in revenue in 2004 compared to SR245 million in 2003, registering an increase of 20 percent.

Tata Motors

In order to provide an additional facility in car finance to its customers, Tata Motors has promoted an understanding with Canara Bank to finance its range of passenger vehicles.
Canara Bank is one of the largest public sector undertakings in the country catering to the financial needs of industry as well as retail segment. The bank has pan-India presence with about 2,729 branches and 2,006 ATMs spread all over the country.

Tata Elxsi, belonging to Tata Group, received the World Quality Commitment Award from BID’s President Mr. Jose E. Prieto.
Canara Bank offers car loans up to 90 per cent of “on-road cost”, for tenure ranging up to seven years, at a very competitive rate of 11.00 per cent.
This facility will be available at all the 2,729 branches of Canara Bank and 470 sales touch points of Tata Motors. This tie-up will provide a single window for both cars as well as car loans and will make car buying easier for customers.

Fiat CEO in Berlin to pitch plan for Europe giant

Fiat SpA’s chief executive visits Berlin on Monday to try to convince Germany’s political leaders to sign up to his vision for a new European car giant by letting him take over General Motors Corp’s Opel unit.

Sergio Marchionne goes to Berlin with a one-month deadline in his sights, a newspaper report said, less than a week after he sealed a deal with Chrysler to form a partnership.

His plan would involve spinning off Fiat’s core car business into a new company including Chrysler and GM Europe and listing it on a stock exchange.

“An agreement in principle has to be struck in 30 days,” he said in an interview in the Financial Times on Monday about a deal with Opel.

Fiat’s shares jumped 6.5 percent in early Milan trade while the DJ Stoxx European auto sector rose 1.1 percent.

Combining with Chrysler and Opel fits in with Marchionne’s strategy for guiding Fiat through the auto industry’s current crisis.

He has often said a carmaker had to make more than 5 million vehicles a year to be able to make a profit, and in December he said Fiat did not have the scale to survive the shake-out as a standalone company.

A Fiat statement on Sunday said Fiat, Chrysler and GM Europe would together have annual revenues of about 80 billion euros ($106.3 billion). It did not mention Opel, which makes up 80 percent of GM Europe’s revenue.

Marchionne told the Financial Times that Fiat and Opel would reap synergies of 1 billion euros a year from the deal.

“From an engineering and industrial point of view, this is a marriage made in heaven,” he was quoted as saying.

The biggest opposition to a deal between Fiat and Opel will come from the unions in both countries. They fear the eventual cost savings to come out of a merger would lead to job cuts and plant closures.

The new company, tentatively called Fiat/Opel, would merge their small B and midsize C segment car platforms, and absorb Fiat’s ultra-small A platform and Opel’s upper-middle D platform, the Financial Times said.

Marchionne plans to ask the British government and administrations in other European countries where Fiat and Opel have plants, to offer the new company loan guarantees, the FT said.

He will say the deal is important for Europe, currently being battered by an economic downturn, the paper said.

“This is a real opportunity to make the European Union work as a union,” he was quoted as saying. “If we don’t do this, it’s a failure of our efforts to create a single market.”
The new company would see the Agnelli family’s 30 percent shareholding of Fiat Auto diluted after the spin-off, with GM also a minority shareholder in Fiat/Opel, the paper said.

The merged company would also include Saab, GM’s small Swedish brand which it is selling separately, the paper said.

The new company may also include GM’s Latin American operations, the FT reported.

Ferrari and Maserati luxury carmakers would stay with the parent, the paper said.

The FT said Marchionne was considering stepping down next year as non-executive vice-chairman of UBS.

German Economy Minister Karl-Theodor zu Guttenberg said he did not expect a final decision on the future of Opel to come out of his meeting with Marchionne on Monday.

“Today I just hope that I hear something more concrete than the rough draft that has already been presented to me,” he told German radio, adding he was open to any potential investor.