Chiefs updates
We are half way the year and it looks as if we will move through this year without to much wear and tear. I think that because of our flexible approach and ever positive attitude of the NMT group we manage to keep our head above the water.We are trying very hard to earn our position within the RoRo shipping industry and think that we are doing a reasonable job there. But we learn time after time again that companies like us are not really treated as full fair customers by the major carriers, as they always prefer to deal with the manufacturers and put our trade in second (or third, or fourth) place.
Lines prefer to make ridiculous arrangements with manufacturers against crazy conditions and let us and our clients pay the bill for it. Anyhow, this is nothing new as it has been like that as long as I am in this business, we just have to accept it and deal with it. Therefore our policy of
spreading the risk has proven to be the right decision.
Frits Dix, June 17th, 2010
2010 is well on its way and it looks as if the economic World is stabilizing a bit. Also the shipping industry is recovering a bit and slowly getting out of its worst period since decades. The pain however is not over yet and we have to watch closely the developments in the different markets.
Although it seems that we have made some good decisions in the past we can not fall asleep. We have put the long term planning in the fridge for the time being and need to look at the changing markets day by day.
It is always funny to see that people do not like it when others are more successful than themselves. Bad mouthing and spreading rumors is a very popular tool with the brainless and those who failed to have any creative ideas themselves.
This is something we in NMT have to face every day, defending ourselves against all kind of rumors and treats. Lucky enough it is mostly not that difficult to defend our position, because we have proven our quality and loyalty towards our customers and principals.
It is for sure therefore that we have managed to expand our Africa service to 2 sailings a month, which now includes Durban. The first sailings have been a big success and we seriously look at how we can secure more cargo to perhaps more ports. Together with the expansion of the Middle East trade and boosting activities at all NMT offices, 2010 will be another fine year for the NMT group.
Frits Dix, April 20th, 2010
2010 has started and I am very curious what this year has in mind for us!
After a very turbulent 2009, I do not like to make any predictions in what direction this year will move. Car sales are still very much down and only picking up very slowly in just a few parts of the world. The complete automotive industry is still in a complete debris trying to get things back on track again, resulting in huge reorganizations, bankruptcies together with all its side effects of a huge number of people being made redundant.
As global RoRo shipping is so intense linked to the car industry the pain hits our industry with same force as it does to the car industry.
Letʼs hope that 2010 will bring some light again at the end of this long dark tunnel. Funny side effect is to see that tiny little carmakers are getting the chance of buying one of the big guys, like the Dutch carmaker Spyker (production 50 cars per year) buying Saab from GM (production 60.000 cars per year). Perhaps NMT should try to buy Maersk or so!!
Frits Dix, February 5th, 2010
2009 has been a year not seen before, a deep crisis which has hit everybody around the globe. Some had a full crash and some came through with light scratches. Where everybody thought that things would get better by the end of 2009 turned out to be wrong, as this crisis will continue for some time and not in the least through 2010. The shipping industry has been hit very hard and 2010 will show who have been the strong ones, some will disappear but most will no doubt survive! This of course not only for the big carriers but as well for the agents, the forwarders and everybody related to the shipping community!
As for NMT, looking back at 2009 I dare to say that we have been among the lucky ones, getting through this part of the crisis so far with just minor scratches. For this I like to thank not only the complete NMT organization but also our loyal customers and of course our partners among the big carriers.
Leaves me with wishing everybody a very merry Christmas and a beautiful end of the year celebration. As for 2010 I wish for everybody a very healthy, happy and prosperous year and let us continue with the same energy and loyalty to NMT, which will get us through 2010 with the same positive result as 2009!
Frits Dix, December 8th, 2009
Not only the weather but also governments getting depressed. Although it seems that slowly the world is stabilizing and looking for a way up again, it will take years before the world economies are in green figures again. Sure governments will need to take dramatic measures to safe money. So apart from civil servants and bank employees everybody will feel the pain for a lot of years to come. In our business it will not be different, so far everybody suffers, the lines, the agents, the forwarders, all will need to scale down to survive. For NMT, so far so good, but we need to be prepared as no doubt some tough times will be en route to the future.
Frits Dix, September 16th, 2009
So far we have managed to come relatively safe through the first part of the crisis, thanks to hard working and our efforts to secure cargo before the crisis started. The service we have given worldwide to our clients seems to be paying off as we can hardly complain about the loyalty of our customers and partners. So if we manage to continue like this we can be sure to get out of these crisis even stronger!
But think I have been writing enough about the crisis and rough times for now! It is time for a summer break, so we can all be fresh again for the 2nd part of 2009.
Leaves me to wish you all a very good, sunny, relaxing and enjoyable summer holiday!
Frits Dix, July 8th, 2009
The economic crisis is in full swing now and slowly everybody starts feeling the effects around them. If not themselves, everybody know someone who has lost his job or is in financial tough times.
In the shipping industry the sea is more than rough, there are hurricanes and high seas. Shipping lines trying to survive by having part of the fleet in hot or cold lay-up, reducing staff en working more cost effective. In our part of the business it is equally tough, where we have to face hurdles of clueless people, both with the lines as with the forwarders, reducing rates to unnecessary low levels, destroying trade areas, thinking that it is the only way to survive.
But also here the good and strong will survive so the earlier we can see that the clueless draw their own plug the better it will be for our industry.
Frits Dix, June 10th, 2009
This year has started more turbulent than ever. The credit crisis is in full swing and for the time being there is no end in sight. There are people who think that it will last till over summer and that by the 3rd quarter of this year things will get better again. I have my serious doubts especially for our industry.
Think it will not be before the beginning of next year that things will be slightly better and a complete restoration of the world wide economy will take at least 5 years. But, as nobody could predict this enormous crisis, suppose nobody can predict the end of it either.
Frits Dix, April 23rd, 2009