Mariner SpA expanding operations

Marin Hili, whose company Mariner SpA had bought shares in a container terminal in Venice last July, yesterday told The Sunday Times that he was negotiating to acquire other terminals and that synergies were going to be created between the ports of Venice and the Baltic Container Terminal company in Latvia, which is wholly owned by Mariner SpA.

"Mariner SpA is not just an investor but also a management company. We shall see that synergies will lead to transfer of technology, better human resources development and management and rationalisation. This would all lead to better cost effectiveness between these two ports and the others we are planning to buy," he said.

Mariner is also seeking to establish new niche markets. Mr Hili was the chairman of the terminal in Latvia and is now also chairman of Terminal Intermodale Venezia SpA, the company running the terminal in Venice.

Mariner SpA had last year bought half the shares of the company running the port of Venice. The port serves the local region and the neighbouring areas in northern Italy, Slovenia and southern Germany.

"Our terminal is the busiest and largest in Venice. Last year we handled over 1.5 million tons of general cargo and will be starting containerisation as well.

"The terminal is being developed to specialise in cargoes destined for big projects, such as power stations and other large cargo items.

"We have handled buoys weighing 100 tons as we have a specialised quay for such heavy cargo," he said. Such a facility sets the terminal apart from others which normally handle only general cargo or containers.

"General cargo is expected to increase by at least 20 per cent this year," he said. Apart from the terminal in Venice, the company also has an inland terminal in Verona and a special cargo train which links both terminals, bringing the goods right under the gantry cranes, which are then loaded onto waiting ships, Mr Hili said.

For the past nine years, Mariner SpA has also owned the Baltic Container Terminal company in Latvia. "We are doing very well. Over the past three years, we have increased business by 20 per cent each year and expect to have the same growth over the next three years," Mr Hili said.

The terminal in Latvia is the leading terminal in the Baltic states and 65 per cent of the work it handles goes to former Soviet countries. The Latvia terminal also has warehousing facilities.