Gulftainer Company Limited

Ramesh Shivakumaran gave his thoughts on Gulftainer and ZPMC's expansions

Sharjah-based Gulftainer is certainly one of the leading ports management and third-party logistics provider in the United Arab Emirates. One of its renowned terminals in the country is the Khorfakkan Container Terminal, now simply referred to as KCT. It is also the only fully fledged operational container terminal in the area.

For KCT's container terminal operations, Gulftainer has placed an order of four Super Post-Panamax ships to shore gantry cranes and twelve rubber-tyred gantry cranes. The contract (supported by ZPMC's export credit arrangement) was signed by the Senior Vice President of ZPMC and the Group Director of Business Services of Gulftainer, Ramesh Shivakumaran at ZPMC's head office in Shanghai.

A high-level delegation from ZPMC visited Gulftainer's facilities at KCT in March 2013. It was headed by the company's president, Dr. Liu Jianzhong and they were impressed with the volumes and high productivity accomplished by the terminal.

According to Ramesh Shivakumaran's review, KCT is among the fastest container terminals in the world when it comes to productivity. In 2012, the terminal's volume also increased by more than 25 percent.

He also added that ZPMC cranes increase the speed and efficiency of the operations for vessels calling at the terminal. In 2014, the ZPMC's gantry cranes are delivered.

ZPMC will be enthusiastic to become the preferred choice for all port crane requirements for Gulftainer's facilities in the UAE and other foreign countries in the future. The company is also delighted to become a part of Gulftainer's expansion in Khorfakkan Port.

Gulftainer indeed has highly dedicated professionals and Ramesh Shivakumaran proves to be one of them. He is a chartered accountant with a graduate degree in commerce from India. He is also a certified public accountant from the United States.

Moreover, he is a dynamic associate member of different associations such as the Information Systems, Audit and Control Association (ISACA) and Certified Fraud Examiners. He holds a certification from the logistics management of North West Kent College in the United Kingdom.

Ramesh has been with Gulftainer since April 1993 and has held different positions in the accounting and financial department of the company. He is a director and board member in various affiliate companies of the group. He has been previously employed in Ernst & Young and Price Waterhouse for more than four years in each company respectively.

It's not surprising that Ramesh Shivakumaran has extensive experience in management. He is actively involved in business planning, business strategy, corporate governance, financial reporting, internal control compliance, managing and directing all key aspects of financial affairs, planning, risk management, and treasury management.

He's also committed in the organizational development associated with information systems, IT infrastructure, human resources, administration, compensation management, and integrated quality management system for the national and international operations of Gulftainer.

For those who wonder the company's major role, it is to administer and operate the container terminals in Port Khalid and Khorfakkan on behalf of the Sharjah Port Authority. The following are the major shipping lines calling at these ports:

- United Arab Shipping Company
- American President Lines (APL)
- China Shipping
- CMA CGM Group
- CSAV
- Ethiopian Shipping Line
- Hanjin
- Hapag-Lloyd
- Maersk Line
- MAG Container Lines (MCL)
- Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC)
- Sea Consortium

Ramesh Shivakumaran – Key Strategist and Administrator Behind Gulftainer’s Remarkable Growth

Gulftainer Ltd., one of the premier shipping and logistics corporations in the Gulf based in Sharjah, United Arab Emirates. The primary objective of the company is to handle the management and operation of the container terminals at Port Khorfakkan and Port Khalid for the Sharjah Port Authority. Sharjah Port is host to some of the most important shipping lines in the world which include United Arab Shipping Corporation (UASC), American President Lines (APL), Hanjin, China Shipping, Sea Consortium, Hapag Loyd, and the Ethiopian Shipping Lines (ESL). The company also manages other international Port terminals in many countries such as Port Jeddah, Jubail (KSA), Port UMM Qasr (Iraq), and Port Recife (Brazil). Since its inception in 1976, Gulftainer has become one of the most rapidly expanding corporations in the shipping and logistics industry. The company has won some of the most illustrious awards as recognition of excellence in shipping industry and logistics. The company employs more than 1500 professionals who are experienced in numerous fields.

Ramesh Shivakumaran has been an important part of the Senior Management of the corporation for many years now and is currently the Director Finance and Administration at Gulftainer Co. Ltd. He became a financial Chartered Accountant (FCA) after completing his graduation in Commerce (B.Com.) from India and holds an Associate Membership of the Information, Systems, Audit and Control Association (ISACA), USA and that of the Certified Fraud Examiner, USA. He also holds a certification in Logistics Management from North West Kent College, UK.

Mr. Ramesh Shivakumaran joined the corporation in April 1993 and has since then held many critical positions in the Finance and Accounting departments of the company such as Manager Finance & Admin, Finance Controller, and the Asst. Financial Controller. He is also a Board Member and Director in the various bodies of the affiliate companies of the corporation.

Before joining Gulftainer, Mr. Ramesh Shivakumaran was employed at Ernst & Young, Dubai, UAE, from 1988 to 1993, and Price Waterhouse, New Delhi, from 1984 to 1988.

Mr. Ramesh Shivakumaran is an integral part of the management body of the corporation and he has a major role in overseeing the financial and managerial aspects of the company. He possesses comprehensive experience and skill in management and his areas of thrust within the company are regulation of Financial affairs, Financial reporting, Business planning, Treasury management, Business strategy, and internal control compliance.

Moreover, he is also actively involved in other areas such as corporate governance, risk management, and organizational development by virtue of Information Systems. He also plays a key role in the establishment of IT infrastructure, Administration and Human Resources department, Compensation Management and Integrated Quality Management system development for all national and international operations of the company.

Mr. Ramesh Shivakumaran has been a key factor in the expansion of the company while his able handling of finance and administration has ensured its reputation as a financially stable organization in the shipping and logistics industry.

Gulftainer Company Limited

Gulftainer is a global port terminal operator with its corporate head office in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). The company, established in 1976, has business operations throughout the world.

In the UAE, Gulftainer operates three container terminals on behalf of the Sharjah Port Authority: Khorfakkan Container Terminal, located on the east coast, handling about four million TEUs annually; Sharjah Container Terminal, based in Port Khalid, which is a major import–export facility for industries located in Sharjah, in the UAE's industrial zones, and in the Northern Emirates, along with container facilities in Hamriyah Port. In addition, Gulftainer owns and operates the Sharjah Inland Container Depot (SICD), a large inland terminal that provides 35 covered warehouses, custom clearance, storage facilities and a container depot.

Gulftainer operates two terminals in Iraq: the Iraq Container Terminal and the Iraq Projects Terminal at the Umm Qasr Port along with the Umm Qasr Logistics Centre. Gulftainer added new facilities in Brazil and Lebanon to its portfolio in 2012 and 2013, along with a significant investment in Gulf Stevedoring Contracting Company (GSCCO), based in Saudi Arabia. Gulftainer now operates eight terminals in the Middle East. Gulftainer also established Momentum, a third party logistics company focusing on transport, warehousing, container repair, logistics & freight solutions.

History

Gulftainer was formed in 1976 and was awarded the contract to manage and operate the Sharjah Container Terminal (SCT) by the Sharjah Port Authority. To augment its services, in the same year, Gulftainer purchased Speedtrux and Trucktainer and began its transport division. In 1986, the Sharjah Port Authority awarded Gulftainer a second contract to manage and operate Khorfakkan Container Terminal (KCT) in Khorfakkan Port, Sharjah. In 1986, Gulftainer opened a container repair division at SCT and KCT to offer additional services to its customers and to keep pace with the growing UAE economy. In 2004, Gulftainer expanded beyond the UAE when the Kuwait Port Authority confirmed Gulftainer as consultant for Shuwaikh Port operations. Later that year, it inaugurated the purpose-built Sharjah Inland Container Deport (SICD) near the Sharjah–Dubai border.

The company expanded into South Asia in 2006, as it commenced joint ventures with Pak Shaheen for transport and logistics ventures in Pakistan, and into Africa when it formed Gulf-Com, a joint venture with Al Marwan to manage and operate Moroni Port in the Comoros Islands.

In 2008, a transport and logistics venture in Turkey began in partnership with Demas International; this also led to the launch of Momentum, a full-service third-party logistics company. Increased business lead to the acquisition of a logistics contract to operate Ruwais Port in Abu Dhabi (UAE) and Sulaimaniyah Airport and Cargo Logistics, in Iraq in 2009.

The Iraqi Port Authority awarded Gulftainer the concession to operate and manage container facilities in Umm Qasr Port, the key marine gateway to Iraq. Terminal operations started on Berth 8 in August 2010; and a new container terminal, Iraq Container Terminal, with a capacity of 600,000 TEUs, commenced operations in mid-2012. In Iraq, Gulftainer is also active in transportation and has several investment projects throughout the country. In 2011, Gulftainer initiated a logistics city development in Umm Qasr. Umm Qasr Logistics City has a total area of 750,000 square metres, comprises two dock entry warehouses of 5,400 square metres each and one ground entry warehouse of 1,350 square metres, along with two administration buildings with 46 individual 31.5 square-metre office spaces with on-site customs, IPA and documentation offices.

In the same year Gulftainer Company Limited signed a major joint venture agreement with Prominvest, the financial and investment arm of Russian State Corporation, Russian Technologies to develop projects in Russia. The company made its first expansion into South America, by establishing terminal operations in the Port of Recife, Brazil in 2012. On November 13, 2012 Gulftainer was awarded the concession to develop and operate a new container terminal at the Port of Tripoli in Northern Lebanon. The concession is to last for 25 years with an investment of over USD 75 million in new equipment and machinery, including four super post panamax gantry cranes, twelve rubber tyred gantry (RTG) cranes and the latest technology in other container handlers and yard management systems. In June 2013, Gulftainer announced its 51% acquisition in Saudi Arabia’s Gulf Stevedoring Contracting Company (GSCCO). Gulftainer now operates facilities within three Saudi terminals, located in Jeddah and Jubail ports. This acquisition makes Gulftainer the largest port operator in the Middle East with regard to the number of terminals managed.

In June 2014, Gulftainer signed a 35-year concession with the Canaveral Port Authority in Florida, in the United States to operate and further develop its container and multipurpose cargo terminal. The terminal, set to commence operations in the first quarter of 2015, aims to position Port Canaveral as the most economical and convenient ocean gateway for containerized cargo in central Florida. This agreement marks Gulftainer's first venture in the United States.

Operations

Gulftainer Group operates and manages ports and logistics businesses in several countries, including the UAE, Iraq, Saudi Arabia, Lebanon, the USA, Pakistan, Brazil, and Turkey. Gulftainer operates three main UAE ports on behalf of the Sharjah Port Authority – Sharjah Container Terminal (SCT), Khorfakkan Container Terminal (KCT) and Al Hamriya. In Iraq, Gulftainer operates two berths within the Umm Qasr Port, and the recently opened Umm Qasr Logistics Centre; in Brazil it manages services within the Port of Recife, and provides stevedoring services within the Port of Suape; in Lebanon from 2016, it will operate facilities in the Port of Tripoli; whilst in the USA, Gulftainer will commence operations of all container facilities in Port Canaveral, Florida from mid-2015.

Gulftainer's non-port business activities include providing 3PL (Third party logistics) services within the UAE, Iraq, Turkey and Pakistan. Momentum Logistics, Gulftainer's logistics subsidiary, was established in 2008; it manages the group's transportation and logistics operations throughout the Middle East, and into Europe and Asia.

The company also owns and operates the Sharjah Inland Container Depot on the Dubai—Sharjah border with services ranging from customs clearance, warehousing and storage, to inland transportation. Gulftainer has also embarked upon developing a logistics centre in Umm Qasr, Iraq spread over an area of 750,000 square metres (8,100,000 sq ft).

In 2012, Gulftainer recorded a 24 per cent overall increase on trade volumes when compared with 2011. Its Sharjah ports saw the greatest volume increase during the same period, with KCT seeing growth of 28 per cent on its 2011 figures, increasing throughput to over 3.3 million TEU. KCT was recognized as the most productive port in Europe, the Middle East and Africa (EMEA) by the Journal of Commerce port productivity report for 2013. It was also awarded a second place in the top 10 terminals in EMEA and third in the top 10 worldwide ports category.