Multipurpose shipping line AAL has strengthened its European network with the appointment of new agents in Belgium, France and Spain, while adding new staff in Germany.
The carrier's agency network has been expanded with the appointment of Maritima Davila (Grupo Davila) in Spain, Breakbulk Project Agencies in France (a division of Shipping Agency Service Le Havre) and De Keyser Thornton in Belgium (to cover the Benelux region).
Meanwhile, AAL's Hamburg team has been bolstered with the appointment of Eike Muentz as general manager Europe and Jan-Henrik Heyken as senior chartering manager Europe.
AAL said the moves were made to support the emerging global projects controlled out of Europe. Kyriacos Panayides, managing director of AAL, said: "AAL is currently serving long-term projects around the world for the renewable energy, mining, infrastructure, and offshore oil and gas sectors - to name but a few. The geographic size of our network and fleet capabilities today is matched by our commitment to perform on every booking and ambition to grow even further.
"Europe is still the powerhouse and architect behind much of the project cargo movement worldwide and with the strengthening of our Hamburg team and agency network around Europe, we are sending a clear message of intent to the market."
Muentz added: "Our strong and well-respected team here in Hamburg has doubled in size since the start of the year and we have repaid the faith of our senior management by already winning a number of exciting contracts of affreightment (COAs) that are employing several of our mega-sized (30,000 dwt) multipurpose ships full time with project cargo movements worldwide."
It follows news, which HLPFI reported here during February 2018, that AAL and Hyundai Merchant Marine (HMM) launched a joint Far East - Middle East multipurpose liner service. Served by five multipurpose vessels, including four 30,100 dwt 640-class vessels from HMM and one 31,000 dwt A-class vessel from AAL, the service sails on a bi-monthly schedule.
