Tradewinds 16-07-2008 'Greek player returns to roots'

NJ Goulandris Maritime Inc is a new company that was set up in Athens and opened its doors in March but it is the continuation of a name that has been known and respected in the shipping world for 55 years.

Today, under the management of 30-year-old Paul Gripari great grandson of Nicholas J Goulandris the company is laying the foundations for the next half-century.

Some industry watchers immediately jumped on NJ Goulandris's relocation from London as an example of how UK Chancellor Alistair Darling's initiatives to tax non-domiciled residents pushed companies into leaving. But Gripari says it was purely coincidence that the move happened at the same time. "The decision was actually taken over several years. We finalised the decision probably about a year ago. I don't think there is any way you could up and move an organisation like ours with just a couple of months' notice," he said.

A desire to reunite the commercial aspects of the group with the operational and technical aspects was behind the decision. The operational and technical arms of the company left London in 1991 but Gripari says he believes it is no longer possible for operational, technical and safety departments to be in the dark about what is underway on the commercial side of the business, and vice versa.

Andriaki Shipping, headed up by Dimitris Korkodilos, is the group's management arm with both companies now housed under one roof.

But this does not mean that NJ Goulandris no longer has a London presence. "The doors are definitely still open in Berkley Square House," Gripari said. Headed up by Gemma Mills, the downsized London office acts as a chartering liaison office and handles some insurance and accounting functions. "We didn't really want to be split between two places. Greece, being the heart of shipping and with its improved infrastructure... was chosen as opposed to London," Gripari said.

Fourteen years ago, TradeWinds reported that NJ Goulandris's policies then showed a long-term commitment to shipping. They still do today. A clear indication of not only how committed the group is but also how committed its people are is their long-serving records. The group can boast a retention rate of over 90% for both shore-based and senior seagoing personnel.

Korkodilos has been with the group some 30 years. Antonis Vrondissis, head of Andriaki's quality, safety and environmental department, clocks in as a third generation staffer with NJ Goulandris. His father, father's brothers and grandfather all worked for the company.

"You do feel like family," he commented.