Bernhard Schulte Shipmanagement (BSM) and Columbia Shipmanagement have joined forces in the ship supply sector.
The vessel managers have formed GP General Procurement Company (GenPro) as an independent procurement company using their combined buying power.
The aim is to deliver greater value for customers, they said, with the move "guaranteeing" lower costs for the companies' 800-plus vessels under management.
GenPro will negotiate framework supply agreements with international ship suppliers on behalf of their clients.
"It will capitalise on the best practices and strengths of its members by driving efficiencies into the whole procurement process to help reduce clients’ vessel op-ex costs and return real value to the client by way of volume-related discounts in a fully transparent and auditable way," the two managers said.
The move comes a day after Denmark's Wrist Ship Supply announced a merger with Dutch rival Klevenberg to drive consolidation in a competitive sector.
BSM CEO Ian Beveridge said: “We are pleased to be working with Columbia Shipmanagement to set up GenPro, a new company designed to deliver maximum value to our shipowner clients in a new and innovative way.
“We believe GenPro will change the way global procurement is delivered to shipowners on an international scale and will in time become a compelling new force in the industry. Both companies are leveraging their industry links and relationships to owners and we believe this is something owners will welcome.”
Mark O’Neil, CEO and president of Columbia, added: “GenPro represents optimisation of the procurement process in its purest form – a veritable ‘win-win’ for owners and suppliers alike.”
GenPro will make its money from a brokerage fee agreed with the ship supplier.
It will also negotiate and agree volume-related discounts for the benefit of clients.
"GenPro has pledged to build the most relevant, competitive, comprehensive quality repository of supply contracts within the maritime industry while ensuring honest and transparent dealing at all times, and fair competition amongst its suppliers and service partners," it said.
