History Jingwei ｜ Simple survival specimen of small and medium liner companies

In 1965, the containerization revolution, which was founded by Malcolm McLean, was just spread to Europe. The consortium composed of five European shipowners jointly formed the Atlantic Container Shipping Corporation (ACL) to operate containers in cross -Atlantic trade Compatible with rolling vessels.

One of the oldest European container trains companies

In an industry that has a turbulent gene itself, ACL has experienced a more tortuous history than most marine carrier companies.

In 1990, ACL's primitive consortium ship was dissolved. Sweden Pan -Atlantic Corporation acquired ACL, received 100%of the shares, and successfully listed on the Oslo Exchange in 1994.

In 2000, the Green Maldi Group in Italy became the largest shareholder of ACL with 44%of its shares. In 2002, the Oslo stock trading market deleted ACL. In 2007, Green Maldi wholly owned ACL.

Since the five major European shipowners formed a consortium to establish ACL companies 50 years ago, although the shipowner has changed some changes, the advanced management has been very stable. The core business of ACL is very strange. Its rolling/container multi -purpose ship fleet has specially engaged in the Atlantic and Mediterranean routes from the beginning, and has never been involved in high -cost, high -risk east -west trunk routes. And it has not changed so far.

The current ACL company, the helm is Andrew Albert, who joined in 1977. Except for the short period of time from 1979 to 1983, he has been working in the ACL company in the Waternan Shipping Group and Oriental Overseas Container Shipping Company. In 2003, he replaced Eurav Reagannis as the president and CEO. Some of his senior staff have also worked for ACL for many years, and to a certain extent have maintained ACL's stability and sustainability, which is rare in today's shipping industry. This undoubtedly helps to cultivate customers' loyalty.

The parent company Green Maldi is a powerful shipowner. It specializes in rolling ship transportation business with an annual turnover of 2.3 billion euros ($ 3.1 billion) and has a fleet with more than 120 ships. In addition to the five rolling/container -oriented ships ordered by its ACL, the four fifth -generation rolling ships set by the parent company Green Maldi also left the factory in early 2017.

In 2016, the freight and passenger volume of Green Maldi Group increased by 20%and 90%over the previous year, respectively. The growth mainly comes from the newly opened freight and ferry passenger routes.

The two brothers of Mannires and Gainuka are the second generation of Green Maldi family companies. They are currently in charge of the group's deep -sea business and coastal business. Their children also work in their shipping companies to inherit the family's marine genes and marine passion.

ACL has already extended its business to the world through its parent company's network, but now it still pays attention to the Atlantic region. ACL hopes to escape the great changes brought by the Global Super League in this area.

In order to achieve the mix of container and rolling goods, ACL has carefully chose to be attached to the port order. At both ends of its cross -Atlantic routes, there are both large ports such as New York, Norfolk, Antwerp, and Hamburg. Such a port rotation decision is very attractive for some consignors. Due to the two reliance on the same port in the same voyage, the transportation time is faster.

It is particularly worth noting that Green Maldi owns Finnish shipping company, so the rolling goods of ACL companies uninstalled by Antwerp can be loaded on the Finnish ship to St. Petersburg the next day. Similarly, ACL's large number of rolling goods can be installed on the Green Maldi ships of the Mediterranean countries such as Greece, Italy, Turkey, Israel, and Egypt.

Rolling goods from the United States to Brazil and Argentina follow a very strange route. ACL's car carried a car from the United States to the Atlantic Ocean to Burger or Antwerp. This looks like a fool, but it is effective in a specific context. The advantage of this is to ensure that the ACL rolling ship is not empty, and the other is that the flight will make the transportation faster because of the dense flight.

Differential strategy is the basis of ACL's survival

According to the data of Alphaliner as of December 15, 2016, Green Maldi has operated 41 ships with 46,813teu (40 of its own ships). Compared with the global carrier of the world's capacity of 2300,000 or even 2 million benchmarks or even more than 2 million benchmark boxes on the three major east -west trunk routes, the scale of Green Maldi is indeed not worth mentioning, let alone its ACL company It's right.

How do small and medium carrier compete with the league giants outside the price? 100 companies may have 100 different answers. However, with ACL's experience, based on a pure container shipping background, it is difficult to survive by a company alone.

In the past 50 years, ACL has adopted a differentiated strategy based on market demand and has been positioning the main business at cross -Gate container/rolling ship transportation. This attachment is rare.

ACL hopes that through the new ships and other changes planned by ACL, the company's share of non -military affairs transportation market in the Great Western Ocean gradually increases from the current 4%to 9%. In order to achieve this goal, ACL's plan to take a way is to expand the South Atlantic and the Bay of the United States with only 1%of the current market share. The company hopes to increase the port of Charlston, Samvana or Jacksonville Port. Because ACL is a small carrier, the increase in relatively few goods will also increase. If ACL's share in the South Atlantic and Gulf container markets increases from 1%to 5%, it may not even be noticed in this trading market, but it means a lot for ACL.

Albert said: "Our rolling goods are an economic indicator. If the number of rolling goods rises, the number of containers will also increase after six months. Rolling goods are mechanical equipment for capital investment for manufacturers. "

But now, Atlantic container shipping is at its historic lowest valley from North America to Europe.

Albert said: "Now, people do not buy any machine at all. The main building equipment manufacturers, such as Caterpillar, no longer sell these devices, because Europe has no new construction projects. The market has begun to emerge ","

However, with the gradual improvement of trade conditions, the container, rolling goods and cars of ACL vessels during the westward voyage were fully loaded. With the recovery of the US real estate and automobile market, the situation of other carrier is also improving.

In the east voyage, for containers, the use of the cabin is about 85%to 90%, but for rolling goods, the cabin utilization rate is nearly 75%, which reflects that the demand for infrastructure construction equipment in Europe is still relatively weak. Essence

Reliable customer relationship

Because the scale of ACL is relatively small, the company can put more energy on customers. Albert frequently passed through the Atlantic and visited all key customers. In fact, establishing a close connection with customers is an obvious advantage of ACL, whether they are container consignment or rolling cargo consignment.

ACL has focused its energy on the transportation of real small transport owners. If a consignor with only 25 containers per year, find a carrier with 20,000 containers a week, obviously not pay attention. But for ACL, this is a "big customer" worthy of serious treatment.

ACL believes that if all the ships of the company serve one or two major consignors, once one of the trackers may have problems and cannot send goods in time, ACL will be in trouble. Although the company is small, ACL can find their own positioning among many carrier, dare to say "no" to big customers, and focus on small customers. This may be a key to ACL's success.

"Most shipping companies swarmed to China, India or Central America to fight for endless sources of incompetent. The relationship, not just discuss with us on the Internet. If a customer suddenly requires a 5 40 -foot container to send it to Stuttgart next week, then we will do it. Wherever we come, we also know the needs of customers very well. Customers usually place orders immediately after talking with us for a minute. "

It is precisely because of the close personal contact and connection with customers that ACL will always be profitable.

ACL has never played a price war. Albert said: "We will not blindly reduce the price, we will negotiate with our customers. Each of our customers understand that any type of freight rate is only temporary and we must sacrifice part of the interests. Han Jin is the first example. Compared with the bankruptcy of an enterprise, it is more likely to appear by the company. "

However, if it is not for the rolling goods, ACL will not have today's results.

"If we are just a pure container carrier, then we will have no hope of profit. The carrier object, after all, the relationship is more important than the freight rate. "

ACL is transported to the cargo, and the owner does not need to worry about cargo damage. Since 1983, ACL has carried aircraft aircraft, and has never damaged a wing. The value of each wing is as high as 4.5 million to 5 million pounds (5.4 million to 6 million US dollars). Airbus companies will not chattering at sea freights. They just want to ensure that the wings can be transported intact.

In addition, the parent company Green Maldi has successfully signed a contract with the American automobile manufacturing giant Chrysler and Fiat in Italy. It not only disappeared the brand by introducing the Fiat 500 to the US and Canadian market for 25 years. There are guarantees of brand car transportation demand in both directions.

Cooperate with shipping giants

With the slowdown of the Far East trade, the carrier began to transfer large -scale ships to the Atlantic and added new routes in the form of steps. The latest challenges faced by the container shipping industry are the powerful strength of the 2M league, marine alliance and The Alliance on the main route. The regional carrier without entering the league can feel tremendous pressure. Independent operators in the Atlantic Airlines areas have begun to perish from very favorable maps to gradually. However, ACL's long -term cooperation with the shipping giant in the field of container and rolling ship transportation may give other small companies a little inspiration. In 1986, cooperation forms such as ship sharing agreements, union and alliances were rare, and ACL and Herbelot negotiated the first cockpit mutual rental agreement. In the second year, in order to meet the additional demand for the cabin, ACL had lengthened its five third -generation (G3) ships. The partnership between ACL and Herbelot has been maintained to this day. Moreover, although the container business of the South American ship (CSAV) is about to merge into Herbelot, the relationship with ACL is not affected.

Every week, Herbelot Shipping handed over 550teu container cargo to ACL's container/rolling ship, while ACL company enjoys the same number of cabins on the ship of Herbelot On the route. Both ACL and Herbelot regard each other as their best customers. When all new ships of ACL are put into operation, it is expected that the two carrier's exchange cabin cooperation may be further expanded.

What is even more imaginative is that small companies like ACL even sell car deck space to Wallenius Wilhelmsen, a car shipping giant. The cooperative relationship between the two companies has been maintained for many years. The operator of Scandinavian Peninsula leased all vehicle decks between ACL ships between North America and South Europe.

As a new generation of ships have been put into operation one after another, ACL will begin discussing prices and how long they will continue to transactions of the two companies. The company will maintain a long -term cooperative relationship with the Swedish partner of Wallen Wilson, because it is one of the shareholders of ACL companies established during the mid -year -on -started period of the mid -1960s.

Corporate culture with cohesion and affinity

Do not ignore the soft power of corporate culture. Green Maldi's business philosophy is very unique. It can be summarized as "buying things as an investment; seeking possible large -scale economic and synergistic effects; not to break."

They not only listened to the opinions of the subordinate branches, but also rebuked people who were very important to them. In addition, they have rich professional knowledge in the fields of shipyard contracts, fuel procurement and insurance. They pay attention to evidence, everything speaks with numbers. Not only do you use numbers in terms of finance, but also use numbers in all aspects such as operation, fuel consumption, sailing time.

Ten years ago, when ACL's chief financial officer retired, Green Maldi suggested to recommend a person to take over the position from the ACL instead of being appointed by the headquarters. On the other hand, Green Maldi trusts employees. For example, when setting a new ship, Green Maldi will let ACL's CEO negotiate the final contract, and the company's lawyers will accompany all documents to ensure that all documents are orderly. This 100%trust has given subordinate employees a very large working motivation.

ACL has around 175 employees in the United States and Europe, and the company's personnel change rate is very small. For 17 years, the average number of sales staff has not changed.

Even the way ACL named the new ship is unusual. The company will hold a competition for this, and employees recommend their names. The employees of ACL will vote for the participating works, select 25, and finally select 5 of them to be submitted to the Green Maldi brothers decided. The winner will have the opportunity to take a spouse to Shanghai to attend the new ship to get off the water celebration. The way employees are actively participating can give employees a greater sense of presence and belonging, and increase employees' identity in enterprises.

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