Svitzer has merged two sectors of its towage business in the UK, creating the largest cluster in its worldwide fleet
The AP Moller-Maersk subsidiary is combining its UK northern and southern clusters into one business.
Svitzer said this will “streamline its operations, optimise customer service and manage the continued complexity in the region more effectively.”
It said this came about due to geopolitical and towage market trends, as it was affected by the global Covid-19 pandemic, Britain’s exit from the European Union and this year’s outbreak of war in the Ukraine.
Svitzer also faces increased competition and changing shipping demands, which increased the need for regional alignment.
“The UK north and south clusters have built a strong business foundation with well-functioning local teams and a solid market position,” said Svitzer Europe managing director Lise Demant.
“However, to navigate the increasing market complexity and thrive as a business going forward, we need more unified operations,” she said. “Merging our UK clusters will further support us in optimising the use of our assets, increasing operational agility and improving our service levels in the region.”
The unified UK cluster will support improvements in reporting and operational changes by establishing a single UK management team.
All port managers, cluster technical managers, heads of crewing and Svitzer’s UK customer service centre will all report to the cluster managing director.
Svitzer operates more than 70 tugboats in the UK and employs around 650 people.
The UK has been the starting point for the company’s EcoTow project, with Svitzer’s entire fleet in London, Medway, Felixstowe, and Southampton switching to sustainable biofuels. This service is set to be rolled out across the remaining ports in the UK and eventually across Svitzer’s global operations.
