Whether it is maintaining a good relationship with a customer or taking care of operational and financial matters, Stephan van der Peet, operator at Bulk Maritime Agencies B.B., has got it covered. What makes working for BMA so interesting and challenging?
Diversity is what matters to Stephan. “Every day is different at BMA, in its own challenging way. As an operator, I am responsible for handling the ships that enter the Dutch ports.” BMA covers the ports of Rotterdam, Amsterdam and all other Dutch ports together with our partners. Stephan - as an agent - is a spider in the web. He communicates directly with his customers, service providers and authorities, to get the job done in the most efficient and economical way.
Projects to remember
The last few years, BMA has been focusing on digitization. Stephan explains:” As a company, we
went paperless and optimized our digital processes. Together with our colleagues within the Hudig & Veder Group we have integrated our processes of the agency departments. The timing was perfect, certainly when COVID-19 forced us to work from home. Every member or our team had digital access to all the necessary information, which increased our efficiency significantly.” “To further develop my professional skills, I completed a course to become an internal auditor. Together with a small team, we will audit the management systems within the Hudig & Veder group”, Stephan continues.
Another project to remember is the expansion of our services to Eemshaven. BMA was assigned as a shipping agent in this port. Through communication, active listening and strong partnerships, they were able to start up the corporation “For me, this is one of the most interesting projects, Stephan explains. “We’ve made so many new contacts and learned so much in a short period of time. And off course we will keep improving these new processes continuously.
“Another great part of my job is travelling, at BMA, we visit our customers on a regular basis. We find that personal contact and building a strong relationship is a key factor for long term success and daily operational matters.”
Trends to keep an eye on
Over the years, the market has changed significantly. The energy transition is happening. Germany has already closed some coal-fired power stations. This leads to lower transport volumes of coal, but on the other hand, it also creates new possibilities. For instants to be present in transportation of renewable energies and other technologies. “We strongly believe in opportunities and are always looking for new challenges.”, Stephan claims. You just have to know the market and do proper research. Our focus lies with our customers, staying ahead of the competition and attracting as many new opportunities as possible.
I am looking forward to this together with the Hudig &Veder Group. Within the group we are keen on creating an ultimate logistical plan for our customers. We do this by combining different departments and disciplines within Hudig & Veder. In general, three departments are to be distinguished. Agencies, Bulk and Chartering. Together they form our ABC-concept. At our Agencies departments, we are the independent port agent representing for both charterers and owners. Bulk department consist of our storage, trans-shipment and inland shipping activities. And our Chartering department arranges the overseas transport for our customers.