Alliance Maritime: With Hai Phong to Reach out to the Vast Sea

Improving the quality of crew members and ensuring the highest rights and living standards for employees is a prerequisite in the operation of Alliance Maritime Joint Stock Company. The company has therefore gradually affirmed its position in the maritime service market and become a reliable address for high-quality crew manning service.

After 16 years of development, Alliance Maritime has become Vietnam’s leading private crew manning and export company

Trusted supplier of international crew members

Alliance Maritime Joint Stock Company, established on April 15, 2009, manages and supplies crew members for domestic and foreign ship owners. The company was granted License 385 dated January 25, 2014 by the Ministry of Labor, Invalids and Social Affairs (now the Ministry of Home Affairs) on crew manning service. The Vietnam Maritime Administration granted the certificate of conformity on recruitment and supply of seafarers according to Decree 29/2017/ND-CP dated March 20, 2017 of the Government. The Hai Phong People's Committee awarded the license of conditional business for labor subleasing according to Decree 29/2019/ND-CP of the Government dated March 30, 2019. The company also obtained the Japanese Certificate of Seafarer Recruitment and Placement Service Providers.

After 16 years of continuous growth, the company has become a leading private exporter of seafarers in the country. Mr. Hoang Van Duong, Director of Alliance Maritime, said: Determining the quality of crew members regarding professional expertise, foreign languages and sense of discipline is a prerequisite, Alliance Maritime regularly supplements, improves and enhances the performance of the crew member quality system according to ISO 9001:2015 standards and the International Maritime Labor Convention MLC 2006.

Periodically, the company reviews and sends crew members to attend training courses to take certification exams and get degrees to upgrade their titles according to regulations; and sends newly recruited crew members who are new graduates to attend specialized English courses. In addition, the company joins hands with training centers at maritime universities and colleges to open English communication training classes for officers and crew members. It also runs English clubs on board.

As a result, crew members of Alliance Maritime not only master techniques to operate vessels safely and work diligently and professionally, but also have good English skills and communication skills, which are highly appreciated by ship owners. Currently, the company is managing and supplying about 800 crew members, ranging from 20 to 23 crews for Japanese and Taiwanese (China) ship owners as well as some domestic crews. The ships operated by Alliance Maritime crew members have a tonnage from 25,000 to 220,000 DWT and highly automated modern equipment.

Ship owners Sugahara Kisen (Japan) and Franbo (Taiwan, China) are the company's main partners, with many ships, worth up to more than US$100 million, carrying high-value shipments. For example, a specialized vessel of Sugahara Kisen carries 5,000-6,000 cars or the super-long cargo vessel of Franbo Taiwan, operated by all Vietnamese crews of Alliance Maritime.

Indeed, the company's crew has affirmed its capacity, qualifications and reputation among international ship owners. The company has created jobs and high incomes for many workers and brought in foreign currencies for Hai Phong City as well as the country. 

Keep reaching out

In addition to its main crew manning business, Alliance Maritime is the exclusive importer and distributor of lubricant products of Gulf Oil International - the world's leading lubricant brand with a 120-year plus history.

The company supplies marine lubricants to more than 100 ships at service facilities and anchorage areas in Vietnam and ports around the world. For Gulf Oil automotive lubricants, the company distributes to more than 10 large dealers in many provinces and cities like Hai Phong, Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, Southwest provinces and Central Highland provinces, and hundreds of big customers who are transportation companies, factories and manufacturing companies.

In 2022, Alliance Maritime Joint Stock Company was appointed the importer and distributor of new generation Ford vehicle lubricants for the factory in Hai Duong and 40 Ford dealers nationwide by Ford Vietnam. The company has been recognized by Gulf Oil as the best distributor in the Asia-Pacific region for 10 consecutive years.

Director Duong said: Hai Phong is considered the "cradle" of the maritime industry and marine economy of the whole country. The city is striving to become a leading modern international maritime economic center in Southeast Asia, with a focus on seaport, logistics and marine tourism services.

These are the bases and motivation for Alliance Maritime to work harder to affirm its position and brand and become a leading trainer and supplier of crew members. The company will continuously improve quality and industry standards applied to training and supplying crew members. In addition to in-depth training in expertise and profession, the firm will concentrate on training in behavioral culture and foreign languages to compete with international rivals.

Maritime labor is characterized by difficulties and hardships, but it is a highly paid profession, he added. The government also has many incentives and support programs, especially exemption of high income tax for Vietnamese crew members working on foreign fleets. Additionally, Alliance Maritime, together with the Trade Union, also pays great attention to caring for employees’ material and spiritual lives and improving their working environment.

Salary, health insurance and social insurance policies are fully implemented. Alliance Maritime regularly participated in and won many sports events organized by the Hai Phong Labor Federation and the Party Committee of the Enterprise Sector. The company successfully hosted the 7th Annual Football Tournament. Besides, the company organizes year-end party, Tet reunion and excursions for employees, and presents Tet gifts to ships and reserve crew members.

Confidently in its development strategy as well as the close adherence to the marine economic development direction of Hai Phong City and Vietnam, Alliance Maritime will continue to grow and expand its business operations and affirm its position on the world nautical chart.

By Ngoc Tung, Vietnam Business Forum