Schoeller-owned Columbia Group is tapping into Indonesia as a source of seafarers.
The ship management giant said on Tuesday it is expanding into the country with the formation of Columbia Shipmanagement (CSM) Indonesia.
The aim is to deliver first-class manning solutions directly to Indonesia and its surrounding regions, the company said.
The move will also diversify the crew pool on Columbia-managed vessels and use the vast wealth of personnel resources that can be found there, Columbia added.
“With more than 12m people employed in the maritime sector in the country, Columbia Group is proud to further its commitment and investment in its people with the expansion to Indonesia,” the group said.
Columbia believes the move comes at an exciting time for the domestic industry.
The Indonesian commercial fleet has doubled in size since 2005, with shipping-related business emerging as a leading part of the economy.
These trends indicate the increasing offshore crewing supply emerging from the region, an opportunity that Columbia recognises and looks to utilise with the creation of CSM Indonesia, the company said.
Columbia Group chief executive Mark O’Neil added: “It’s long been our ambition to fully establish the CSM brand in Indonesia, having utilised manning operations there for many years through third-party arrangements.
“We are excited to invest and foster the Columbia brand with strong local staff that share our vision,” he said.
O’Neil described the group as being “all about investing in the people within it, and the benefits of providing the best level of quality and welfare of our crew through our network of manning agencies are vast”.
