Crowley Acquires International Ship Management Company – Accord

Crowley Maritime Corporation has acquired majority ownership of Accord Ship Management (HK) Limited and Accord Marine Management Pvt. Ltd.

The Accord acquisition will be managed by Crowley’s ship management group, which provides all phases of commercial ship management along with full technical management and government contracting.
It will immediately increase the size and scope of Crowley’s technical ship management group while supporting the company’s expansion into the international ship management market with a foreign crewing presence.

The acquisition also makes Crowley a rare U.S. company - one that provides third-party international crewing and technical ship management.

At first glance, it may appear that this might alter Crowley’s status as a “Jones Act” carrier, but the company says that’s not the case.

The Crowley Accord deals with international shipping (crewing and technical management), which is not related to Crowley’s shipping services in the U.S.,” says spokesman, Mark Miller.

With offices in Hong Kong, India (Mumbai and Goa), and the Netherlands, Accord currently manages 23 vessels. The company employs 55 people who work collaboratively to realize the company’s vision of being a globally competitive shipping company, offering cost effective management solutions with a commitment to customer satisfaction.

“When investigating international ship management companies that would allow Crowley to expand our business and create a greater presence outside of the U.S., we were careful to only pursue companies that share Crowley’s corporate values and culture, especially as they relate to safety,” says Mike Golonka, vice president, ship management. “After several visits to observe their culture and operations, we are convinced that Accord is the right fit to complement Crowley’s existing operations. Accord has built a team that allows access to trained, qualified mariners without the additional expense of third-party crewing companies, something potential customers are demanding.”