Andriaki Shipping is one of many Greek ship operators adapting for the future. Two new VLCCs are in operation and a new bulk carrier is ordered. CEO Korkodilos explains some of the reasons behind the success of Greek shipping and the importance of increasing the publicÕs tolerance for shipping as a safe operation.

`The environment of world shipping is about to change and we have to adapt,´ says Dimitris Korkodilos, Chief Executive Officer of Andriaki Shipping. `The success behind Greek shipping is the ability to sense market demand and grasp the opportunities as they arise. This has not entirely to do with profits, but the fact that we Greeks are able to combine good seamanship with an affinity for trading. This is a tradition we have inherited from the ancient Greek traders, who sailed the oceans over thousands of years ago.´

Hands-on the operation
Andriaki Shipping has 12 vessels in their fleet, all operated and managed by them. They started their operations in 1953 and are following the Greek tradition of preferring to manage their own operations in-house.

`We like to keep our hands on the operation,´ says Korkodilos. `However, for some it can make sense to outsource the management of ships. There are a lot of good companies offering such services, but we prefer to be directly involved in the operation of our vessels. There are still not many specialised management companies operating in Greece. I think the reason is that the majority of Greek shipping companies still are family-owned. The companies have survived through several generations. We simply love our trade because we have grown up with it. It runs in our blood.´

Squeezed tolerance
Mr. Korkodilos worries that traditional shipping expertise is being sacrificed because political opportunists have rushed decisions to meet public pressure. These decisions have implications, not only for some countries but worldwide.

`I think we could have avoided disasters like the Prestige if the problem had been approached from the right angle. The vessel should have been detained and handled on-site rather of being forced out in the ocean again. Instead, strong pressure from the media and public forced a hasty decision, and it ended up as an environmental disaster. The politicians should have given the shipping experts more time to consider alternative solutions before making such a decision.

`I cannot deny shipping is at fault sometimes. The majority maintain their ships very well, but there are still some who are not prepared to spend enough money to keep their ships up-to-date. It is therefore important that some of our clients demand certain quality standards for us to stay in business. A good example is the oil companies requiring the CAP surveys. It forces the owners to make sure the vessels are maintained up to a certain standard. This is one of many efforts that contribute to increasing the quality of shipping.

`It is wrong to believe that shipping is causing the biggest environmental disasters. We are continuously improving while other industries are producing more pollution and doing little about it. The tolerance limits for ship operations have now been squeezed to a minimum in special areas in Europe and the U.S., which might cause tremendous damage to the business of international shipping.´