Jumbo Maritime has ended its exclusive agency agreement with Martico in Spain to serve the market directly. The shipping company said the move is necessary in order to retain, and in some segments regain, its market position in the region.

‘Alongside seriously changing market conditions, Jumbo has realized the need to step up its efforts to retain, and in some segments regain, its market position. This includes responding to a growing desire from Spanish customers to engage more directly with Jumbo in setting up, safely handling and efficiently executing heavy lift projects’, the company states.

The company added that several heavy-lift markets worldwide are increasingly becoming direct markets and as Jumbo is developing from a traditional heavy-lift carrier to a full-service Transport & Installation contractor, intensifying direct relationships with its Spanish customers has become paramount. As such, the company has decided to terminate its agreement with Martico.

“As this industry is constantly changing, the need has arisen to alter our business strategy in a more direct one”, comments commercial manager Laurens Govers of Jumbo Shipping.

Hands-on

All enquiries regarding shipping and heavy-lift transport projects in the Spanish region are now handled by Guy Foubert, Jumbo Shipping’s regional commercial manager. He will work out of Jumbo’s head office in the Netherlands.

“There are many advantages of working directly with our clients,” comments Guy. “Of course, the lines of communication are short and efficient. It also gives us the unique opportunity to get to know customers’ project requirements on a truly ‘hands-on’ level and be able to respond more directly to customer’s needs and market requirements”, Foubert says.

With a large number of turbine and blade factories in Spain, the country is a major producer of wind energy-related project cargo, which is the fastest-growing market for project carriers.