INDUSTRY - PROFILE An Epic voyage On 1st February, the Epic Shipping Group successfully completed a planned corporate name change of two of its businesses. As a result, Eastern Product Carriers became Epic Product Carriers and those offices formerly under the ICSM banner became Epic Ship Management. The name Epic first appeared in 2004 when the large handysize bulker concern Pacific Basin was launched on the Hong Kong stock exchange. Epic was set up to handle the non-bulk carrier sector of the business and since then Epic Ship Management has grown to control around 50 vessels, including VLCCs, products tankers and LPG carriers, among others. Nigel D Cleave Epic has management bases in Singapore, Hamburg, Limassol and an operation in Liverpool through a joint venture. Epic also has a crewing agency in the Philippines - Epic Maritime Personnel. The German office was set up to tap into the KG finance system. Former Dobson Fleet Management guru Nigel D Cleave has taken over the mantle of Epic Ship Management's chief executive officer. He said at the time: "The name change for ICSM had been accomplished on time and neatly brought its offices under the Epic umbrella, in line with the re-branding of Epic Ship Management." Speaking to TANKER<strong>Operator</strong> in Cyprus recently, Cleave said that Epic Ship Management had highly experienced in-house expertise in the fields of crude oil tankers, product tankers, chemical tankers and gas carriers. As well as the more specialised tanker contracts, today Epic also manages bulk carriers, car carriers and ro-paxes. Cleave explained that he is looking to expand Epic's portfolio of vessels under management across the board, not only in specialised tonnage, such as gas carriers, but also in more standard type vessels. "All options are open for the future," he said. Training is on everybody's lips today and to cope with the increasing demands, Epic has its own in-house training capability. Cleave also described Epic's management fees as "...being inline with the market." He said that Epic's motto was 'When safety, teamwork and the personal touch counts,' explaining that safety was absolute paramount, team work between client, crew and others crucial and in providing that extra special personal attention to a client, this set them somewhat apart from other players, he claimed. Cleave will remain in Limassol, having overall responsibility for the worldwide activities of Epic Ship Management, where he has been active for 16 years. While its Singapore base was the perfect location for its Far Eastern clientele, he said the advantages for third party shipmanagers and other companies wishing to make Cyprus their home were threefold: The LPG carrier Minorca was delivered from Kanrei in January. She is currently managed from Singapore. 1) Time zone advantages from both an eastern and western perspective. 2) A good business structure and experienced local support staff in place. 3) Excellent communications. The joint venture mentioned earlier is Meridian Marine Management, between Epic and Liverpool-based Bibby Line. Meridian primarily concentrates on the offshore sector and in short sea transportation, managing jackup rigs, dive support vessels, accommodation units, a floating storage unit (FSU), as well as tankers, ro-paxes and ro-ro ferries. Another string to Epic's bow came in the form of a contract to supervise the newbuilding of six 3,000-5,000 cu m capacity LPG carriers. Epic Ship Management has oil majors' approval for tanker and gas carrier technical management. The latest newbuilding delivery is the LPG carrier Minorca. She was a product of Kanrei Shipbuilding and was formerly handed over on 15 January this year. The ship is managed out of Epic's Singapore office where the vessel's commercial and technical operation, plus crew management are also handled. Apart from the Minorca, the Singapore office currently manages a fleet of LPG carriers. In Singapore, the chartering, operations and technical management are all handled from the same office, which is claimed to make communications between the various departments beneficial to the ships' operations. As for the products tankers, these focus on the handysize sector, which are trading clean products in the Asian market. VLCCs add to Epic Ship Management's portfolio, making it a truly all-round serious tanker manager, Cleave said. TO 10 TANKER<strong>Operator</strong> • March 2007
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