29 September 2016

Last week a group of Masters Students from Southampton Solent University visited Shoreham Port to meet the team and be shown around key areas of the Port. Leading the tour was the Port’s Director of Engineering, Tony Parker.

Tony joined the Port in 2006 and has nearly 40 years’ experience in the design, implementation and management of port and harbour facilities, coast protection and waterside development and was the ideal tour guide for the students studying Maritime Operations and Logistics.

The visit began with a ‘meet and greet’ at Nautilus House, followed by a presentation from Finance Director & Deputy Chief Executive, Sara Bassett. The group then boarded a coach and began their tour along Basin Road South, visiting the Port’s main terminals.

As well as viewing the operational areas, the group also visited the pump house and beach, learning about the importance of the biannual beach feed and the role it plays in coast protection.

Dr Andrei Kuznetsov, Lecturer in Maritime Operations and Logistics at the School of Maritime Science and Engineering at Southampton Solent University commented “Shoreham Port is a specialist within the maritime sector, specifically the short sea side of shipping. In an era of ever larger ships which can hardly fit into most conventional ports, Shoreham maintains its competitive advantage by adapting the highest levels of operations management principles within its organisation and by focusing on particular types of trade.

Operating at nearly 98% capacity, Shoreham’s figures are very surprising in the current shipping markets when the majority of major ports are seeing a downturn in cargo throughput. The core reason behind such figures is going the extra mile to provide great service for their customers, in order to fully understand and appropriately address their needs.”

Tony Parker commented “As a trust port, Shoreham is here for the benefit of all our stakeholders – not only importers and exporters but also our local communities, the thousands of people whose jobs are created here and the very many businesses and farmers whose livelihoods depend on the goods passing through the Port.

The entire team at Shoreham Port works incredibly hard to make the Port a success and we are extremely proud and flattered to be regarded by Southampton Solent University as a shining example of how a medium-sized trust port should be run. If their visit has given the students just a little extra insight into the issues to be faced in their future careers then the visit will have been well worth-while.”