International marine and engineering consultancy LOC Group has moved one of its top performers from Asia back to London to focus on growing the company’s shipping services in London and around the world.
Nick Haslam, Group Director of Shipping Services, joined LOC almost 20 years ago and has been based in Singapore for the last nine years. He has returned to London to focus on business development and intends to further grow the expert team over the next 12-18 months.
A Class 1 Master Mariner, he has more than 20 years of sea going experience on bulk carriers, LPG, container vessels, reefers, salvage tugs and AHTS, including command. Nick is also a Special Casualty Representative (Member of the Lloyds’ SCR Panel) and was one of the initial people invited to join the panel by the SCOPIC committee more than 16 years ago.
He has been involved in numerous high profile salvage and wreck removal operations around the world and is one of the most active SCRs on the panel.
“LOC has offices all around the world, and as Group Director I have leadership of the shipping business line to ensure growth and excellence within the sector, but I am glad to be able to focus on London as the leading global location for this industry,” Haslam said.
“LOC has a long respected history and despite the growth in maritime services elsewhere, nothing touches London as the home of shipping services,” Haslam continued. “The P&I Clubs still have their headquarters here as does the Lloyds’ market, so do the maritime lawyers and the High Court and the arbitration system go back hundreds of years. The system is utterly tried, tested and trusted, there’s nowhere else like it for specialist knowledge and expertise.”
LOC said its Singapore office has grown four fold over the last nine years, and is now a busy hub covering much of Asia. Haslam noted that the last year has been particularly busy for casualty work across the region, with a high profile wreck removal case dominating much of the work. He added that the team is looking to grow still further and has a considerable amount of work in the pipeline despite the global economic downturn.
The London team will be providing services ranging from problem analysis, cargo damage and liquefaction to cargo claims and disputes, condition surveys, fixed object damage, hull and machinery, marine casualties, personal injury, pollution, to ports, risks and safety, salvage, technical support, voyage and wreck removal.
