As of June 2017, the World Bank estimates that the Philippine economy will grow 6.8 percent within the year — largely due to a positive outlook on consumer spending, foreign direct investments, OFW remittances and the BPO industry. These factors, combined with the strengthening of local and foreign trade relationships, necessitate the mobilization of resources such as people, petroleum and commodities.
To that end, businesses need a logistics partner that will not only provide transport for shipping purposes, but also ensure that every step of the shipping process is smooth, efficient and cost-effective. Chelsea Logistics Holdings Corp. (CLC) meets that need, with its commitment to becoming the finest shipping provider through unparalleled customer service.
CLC steadily grew its fleet from one vessel in 2006 to 11 tankers, 4 barges, 6 tugboats, 7 roll-on/roll-off passenger vessels and 3 cargo vessels to date. CLC also established a reputation as a reliable shipper within the petroleum hauling industry, and is set to raise P8 billion from an IPO scheduled this July.
CLC has two main subsidiaries: Chelsea Shipping Corp. (CSC) and Trans-Asia Shipping Lines, Inc. (TASLI). CSC’s trade includes, but is not limited to, the handling, loading, transport, discharge and storage of petroleum products and other goods within the Philippines’ waterways. TASLI, on the other hand, engages in the transport of passengers and cargo within the Philippines’ territorial waters and/or the high seas.
CSC and its subsidiary PKX-Chelsea Shipping Corp. are the first to bareboat charter vessels to an international company, with two of its tankers chartered by a leading Vietnamese company under an extendable five-year bareboat agreement. Other services provided by CSC through its subsidiaries include crewing, towing and management of maritime vessels.
Meanwhile, TASLI operates 7 passenger vessels and 3 cargo vessels. These vessels typically ply the Visayas-Mindanao group of islands, positioning TASLI as a key player in the trade development of the area. In 2016, TASLI expanded its customer base to include Manila clients, who can now take advantage of the company’s freighter vessels offering less than container load (LCL) and full container load (FCL) cargo services.
Currently, CLC has 15 vessels totaling 39,280.64 metric tons (MT), making it the Philippines’ largest tanker fleet in terms of gross registered tonnage (GRT). All of the Company’s vessels are classed by reputable Class Societies as follows.
- American Bureau of Shipping
- M/T Chelsea Dominance
- Filipino Vessels Classification System, Inc.
- M/T Chelsea Enterprise
- IACS Class Bureau Veritas
- M/T Chelsea Cherylyn
- M/T Chelsea Denise II
- M/T Chelsea Donatela
- M/T Chelsea Thelma
- Korean Register of Shipping
- M/T Chelsea Charlize
- Nippon Kaiji Kyokai
- M/T Chelsea Endurance
- Ocean Register of Shipping
- M/T Chelsea Denise
- M/T Chelsea Intrepid
- M/T Chelsea Resolute
- M/T Ernesto Uno
- M/T Jasaan
- Philippine Register of Shipping
- M/T BMI Patricia
- M/T Chelsea Excellence
Being classed means that a company’s fleet meets and/or exceeds safety and operational standards. CSC achieved this through initiatives such as the 2014 re-fleeting program (where the Company added 3 new vessels to its lineup), the re-building and upgrade of M/T Chelsea Enterprise and M/T Chelsea Intrepid, and the establishment of a preventative maintenance and drydocking program to minimize downtime for vessel repairs.
CSC also achieved a record of 6 Million man-hours of No Lost Time Incident as of March 6, 2017, owing to the Company’s commitment to foster a safety culture within its workplace. CSC inculcates a safety mindset in employees from Day One, and enrolls the same under continuous training and seminars on safety. The Company also performs regular emergency drills to ensure that employees can apply safety protocols when needed.
To date, CSC boasts of an established customer base that includes Petron Corporation, Cebu Pacific Air, SMC Shipping & Lighterage, Seaoil Philippines and Seagull Marine. Chelsea is also a primary provider of service tankers for Phoenix Petroleum Philippines, Inc. (PPPI), the fastest-growing oil company in the country. Through these relationships, the Company is able to serve more businesses that require marine and maritime shipping and logistics services.
In March 2017, CSC acquired significant interest in 2GO Group, Inc., the largest provider of logistics services in the Philippines and the operator of successful brands such as 2GO Express, 2GO Freight, 2GO Logistics and 2GO Travel. 2GO has joint venture partnerships with international supply chain companies such as Germany’s Hansa Meyer and Hapag-Lloyd, and Hong Kong’s The Kerry Logistics Group. Because 2GO is engaged in both shipping and non-shipping segments here and abroad, it’s well-positioned to take advantage of the opportunities provided by a rapidly-growing Philippine economy.
With its emphasis on superior customer service, Chelsea Logistics Holdings Corp. is fully committed to its vision to become the best shipping company in the Philippines. As the Company grows, it will continue to expand its services, refine its operations and exceed client expectations.
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