“It’s difficult to say goodbye to him”, said Dr Dirk Claus, Managing Director of the Port of Kiel (SEEHAFEN KIEL GmbH & Co. KG.) adding that “Heinz Bachmann has decisively shaped the development of the Port of Kiel for three decades”. Highlights of his successful activity during that time have included the expansion of the Ostuferhafen into a hub for ferry traffic with Russia and the Baltic, the development of Kiel into the leading German turnaround port for cruise shipping and the concentration on Kiel of Stena Line’s west Sweden traffic. “Today, the biggest and most modern ferry and cruise ships call at Kiel. We have Heinz Bachmann to thank for that”, said Dirk Claus. One of the special moments in his career was perhaps the naming ceremony in 2007 for “Color Magic” at the Bollhörnkai in Kiel. More than 100,000 visitors experienced that event, which set a benchmark for sea tourism via Kiel.

Heinz Bachmann began his professional career in 1965 as a shipping company management assistant and shipping agent with Zerssen & Co. close to the Kiel-Holtenau lock on the Kiel Canal. Later he worked for forwarders Willy Bruhn & Sons in Kiel and for the shipping firm F.H.Bertling in Lübeck. In April 1978 he moved to the Port of Kiel to work for what was called at the time the Port and Transport Services Company in the Schleswig-Holstein state capital, which later became the SEEHAFEN KIEL. Because of his very personal and open manner he won great respect in port and shipping circles. He is just as well-liked by his business competitors as he is by colleagues and friends. “I had a great time”, says Heinz Bachmann, “and when you are enjoying it most, that’s the moment to stop”. Once Heinz Bachmann has parted company with his business colleagues and customers at the end of August, he plans to spend more time on his private activities.

Heinz Bachmann’s responsibilities at the SEEHAFEN Kiel are being spread among several people as of the start of September. The new head of the Marketing Department will be Heinz Bachmann’s deputy Knud Sörensen. The Cruise sector will be the responsibility of Nicole Heinisch while the entire operations sector will move into the hands of Port Operation Manager Jörg Demuth.

The SEEHAFEN KIEL GmbH & Co. KG operates Kiel’s commercial port on behalf of the Schleswig-Holstein state capital of Kiel, of which it is a 100% subsidiary. Kiel is one of the most versatile and economic ports in the Baltic. Its location on tide-free deep water and its direct links to rail and highway networks make it equally attractive for both cargo and passenger services. An additional advantage is Kiel’s location at the entrance to the Kiel Canal, the world’s busiest man-made waterway. During the summer season Kiel is an attractive destination for cruise ships and is northern Europe’s third largest cruise turnaround port. Last year more than 6 million tons of cargo were turned round for the first time while two million passengers either embarked or disembarked from ships in Kiel.

The 59-year-old French national has spent most of his career in Antwerp, but his work with various companies based in the Belgian port has included major initiatives involving Marseilles Fos. 

From 2008 he was strategy and development director for the container division of stevedoring company Euroports, which employs 2,500 personnel.  In this role he developed and marketed several inland multimodal platforms including Trilogiport at Liege and Pagny in Bourgogne.  The Marseilles Fos port authority is a minority shareholder in Pagny, one of its partners in the Medlink network of logistics hubs along the Rhone-Saone axis.

Previously Ranjard was commercial director for logistics companies Franbelti & Eurofram until 1996 and then Norfram Logistics until 2007.  In 2000 he created Norfram’s Marseilles-based agency, which now operates as Manuport Logistique.

The newcomer to the senior management team at Marseilles Fos holds a diploma from advanced commercial studies institute l’Ecole des Hautes Etudes Commerciales.     

A company spokesman confirmed Tuesday that Carlyle Infrastructure Partners, a Carlyle Group fund, submitted a bid before a state-imposed deadline at the end of the business day Monday. The Carlyle spokesman, Chris Ullman, said the company would not disclose any information about its proposal beyond the fact that it had been filed. Secretary of Transportation Sean Connaughton said late Monday that the
state had received two bidders, but would not disclose the “identities of the proposers or the scope of their proposals until we have had an
opportunity to perform the responsiveness check and to brief the Virginia Port Authority board on August 22.”

Ryan Pedraza, a program manager in the state office that reviews public-private partnership proposals, said Monday that staffers want
to perform an initial vetting to see if proposals meet state requirements before disclosing company names. He added that nothing prevents a bidder from announcing that it has submitted proposals.

The latest two proposals come three months after the state announced an initial bid from APM Terminals to run state port facilities in
Norfolk, Newport News and Portsmouth. APM is a division of Danish conglomerate A.P. Moller Maersk and owns a state-of-the-art container terminal in Portsmouth.

After receiving APM’s bid, which the company said would last 48 years and be worth between $3.1 billion and $3.9 billion in today’s dollars,
the state sought competing proposals. The Carlyle Group is familiar with Virginia’s terminals, having been one of three companies who unsuccessfully bid to run them in 2009.

Of the other two companies, CenterPoint Properties, which is based in Chicago and runs a warehouse and distribution facility in Suffolk, did
not pursue a bid. An executive at the third company, Seattle terminal operator Carrix, declined to discuss a potential deal last week. Another terminal operator, Jersey City, N.J.,-based Ports America, was rumored to be considering a bid in 2009. A spokeswoman for the company wouldn’t say if Ports America was a bidder. The Virginia Maritime Association, which represents hundreds of port-related businesses, issued a resolution calling for transparent bid process.

Art Moye, the group’s executive vice president, said, “We know there are certain aspects that have to be kept confidential in a bidding process, but the process should be as transparent as possible and strive for what’s best for the commonwealth long term.”

“It shouldn’t be a process of instant gratification or of short-term gain, long-term pain.”

The resolution says the group would oppose any change in the port’s structure that “creates the fact or appearance of one steamship line
having been given a competitive advantage over its competitors.” A number of ocean lines have objected to APM’s proposal, saying it
would give a competitive advantage to Maersk Line, the world’s largest ocean carrier, and like APM a business unit of A.P. Moller Maersk.

APM tried to address those concerns by adding contract language in which it pledges to treat all carriers fairly, and allows for
independent audits to ensure fair practices. But Moye said many association members are not convinced.

“(APM) says we’ll be fair and equitable,” he said. “It may be a sincere gesture, but what recourse would a port customer or port user
have if they don’t comply with that?”

Operaciones Portuarias Canarias, S.A. (OPCSA) – which operates the leading terminal at the Port of Las Palmas, Gran Canaria – purchased the models during the first quarter of this year, replacing existing terminal tractor units. They are joined in the fleet by two further additions; a Kalmar DRF 450-60 reachstacker and a Kalmar DCE150-12 forklift truck. All units were delivered in July.

OPCSA has recognised that the unique and robust TT616i has been designed specifically for heavy-duty use in port and container terminals and selected the equipment based on a strong and longstanding relationship with Cargotec. The machines have already been put in service, and are used for transporting containers across the busy terminal.

OPCSA’s terminal at Las Palmas is the sixth biggest terminal in Spain with cargo of over 715,000 TEU during 2011. It offers full service freight logistics with both Lo-Lo and Ro-Ro operations, providing a strategic link for traffic between Europe, Africa and South America, connecting directly with over 70 ports around the world. The majority of traffic is containerised goods, however, it does also handle general cargo. OPCSA boasts an extensive fleet of container handling equipment, including 19 existing Kalmar rubber-tyred gantry cranes.

The Kalmar TT616i model has a pulling capacity at 95 tonnes and a lifting capacity of up to 36 tonnes. It has been designed to meet the needs of modern terminals, combining excellent manoeuvrability with the highest operational efficiency. Fuel economy is impressive due to a high torque-to rpm-ratio, optimised axle ratios and the Kalmar EcoDrive system.

The TT616i is equipped with the latest CAN-BUS interface technology which saves time, enhances performance and reduces costs through the complete integration of the engine, transmission and the rest of the machine. In addition to EcoDrive as standard the tractor also has the option of Silent Drive to further reduce noise and emissions and minimise impact on the environment.