Bulker partners Torvald Klaveness and Marubeni Corp have outlined growth plans for this year after what they called an extremely volatile 2023.
The Japanese group took a 25% stake in ship operator Klaveness Dry Bulk in June 2023.
The two sides now aim to “build on continuous strong results for the operator business”, as well as strategically expand the pool operation MaruKlav and leverage digital tools.
Klaveness head of dry bulk Michael Jorgensen said: “Our efforts to deliver consistency and strong results over time through the timing of freight decisions, smart vessel selection, and active meaningful differentiation towards our cargo clients is clearly paying off.”
He added: “2023 saw extreme market volatility, but disciplined position management paired with consistency in our commercial and operational performance continues to bring us forward.”
The Marubeni buy-in included operating arm Klaveness Chartering, Maruklav’s Baumarine pool and tech platform Market Manager, a data offering that aims to help chartering staff make better-informed decisions.
Jorgensen explained: “Our goal is to broaden our partnership base, exploring new avenues in earnings management, vessel investment and change management initiatives through tools like Market Manager.”
Marubeni has now taken Market Manager into its own shipping department.
Taku Nakamoto, general manager of shipping at Marubeni, said the collaboration around Baumarine by MaruKlav “has provided us a strong sense of mutual trust”.
“The overall strategy [of Klaveness Dry Bulk] to consistently deliver results by leveraging best-in-class digital tools for freight decisions, while always putting the client first, is firmly in line with our values and strategy,” he added.
