continually - Alarga Ship Supply

ALARGA
I
PROFILE
CONTINUALLY
SELF-IMPROVING
Elke Nagy talks to Akif Bora Arda, the Trade Sales & Operation Director of Alarga Kumanyacilik Ve Gemi
Malzemeleri Tic A.S. (Alarga), a large ship chandlery company based in Istanbul, Turkey.
kif Bora Arda first explains how
Alarga started in 1985. Over the next
30 years, the company amassed 65
staff and a large fleet of vehicles - including
5 freezer trucks and 3 cargo buses - and is
strategically headquartered in Tuzla, replete
with a generous 3500 square metres of
warehouse space.
Today, Alarga supplies high quality
product and services, including all technical
stores as specified by the International
Marine Purchasing Association (IMPA)
and the International Ship suppliers and
Services Association (ISSA) catalogues.
Products and services are supplied at competitive prices and on a 24/7 basis. Through
the creation of partnerships with chandlers
all around the world, the company’s prod-
A
ucts and services are available at the ports
of over 80 countries.
The company’s customers include
Cosco Bulk, Palmali Group, Akmar
Shipping, Yang Ming, Shipping Corp. of
India, Novoship and Meridian Marine
Management, among many.
As a member of ISSA, Alarga is governed by a code of ethics that act to promote good business practices, and is
effectively linked in with a network of
close to 2,000 ship suppliers throughout
the world. In addition, the company
holds ISO 9001-2000 certification (as set
by the International Organisation for
Standardisation), thus demonstratively
complies with the various requirements
for a good quality management system.
One-Stop Shop
Alarga constitutes a one-stop shop for
ships and offers a wide range of products
and services, such as fresh and dry foods,
beverages, drinking water, stationary and
so forth. Moreover, the company caters to
different cultural needs, and provides a
range of ethnic foods as well as Halalslaughtered meat.
Products pertaining to the requirements
of galley, deck, engine, safety, general maintenance and so forth are available. With all
products comprehensively listed on a database for efficient processing, and every
delivery accompanied by a detailed report.
And as ships cannot afford to wait
for deliveries when due to go back out
to sea, Alarga ensures that the right
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Mr Ibrahim Mete - General manager
Mr Mustafa Unal - Operation manager
Mr Akif Bora Arda - Foreign trade sales and operation
Accounting department
Technical department
Ms Ozlem Benturk - Accounting manager
Mr Ibrahim Vatanseve - Marketing and Operation manager
Food and Beverage management team
SPECIMEN
product is always provided and waiting
on the gangway when the vessels draw
alongside. Plus, the company’s services
include oxygen, acetylene and freon gas
refilling, life raft servicing, and the repair
and maintenance of engine parts.
Company Philosophy
Next, Akif Bora Arda describes how Alarga
can be readily distinguished from other
similar companies.
Most importantly, the company is
intensely people focused, and endeavours to treat its customers and suppliers
fairly, and with the utmost sensitivity. For
example, in dealing with vessels from all
nationalities, Akif Bora Arda explains that,
“it is crucial to have a good understanding
of cultural differences, and to have the
capacity to correctly interpret the needs
of customers.”
And of course, Alarga treats its staff
with the very same consideration,
while ensuring they employ the right
staff in the first place. That is, dynamic
and friendly people who are highly
receptive to education. The company
operates like a tightly knit family, with
“
shared values and objectives, where
each and every day, personnel strive
to perform better than they had the
day before.
The work environment is distinctively
fresh and invigorating. Staff members
are free to experiment and trial new
processes and techniques in a supportive team context, and training and
skill upgrades are provided on an
ongoing basis.
Akif Bora Arda asserts that the company’s personnel are ever vigilant, and
never complacent. They are constantly
Alarga’s success can be primarily
attributed to its strong focus on
people and on the building of
long-term relationships
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thinking about how the company can
improve upon its products and services,
and regular surveys of customer views
are undertaken.
In fact, Alarga’s success can be primarily attributed to its strong focus on
people and on the building of long-term
relationships. A philosophical stance
that is clearly working to the company’s
advantage as it has been steadily
expanding ever since its creation. And
indeed, Alarga plans to further expand,
largely by extending its partnerships
and networks, and the scope of its
operations overseas.
Economic Challenges
When asked about whether the company has had to deal with any difficult
economic challenges recently, Akif
Bora Arda reports that like every other
company, global events have had a definite impact. However, as a deliberate
competitive strategy, Alarga chooses to
focus on the positives, and not the negatives - to concentrating all energy
inwards, and towards improving its own
performance - instead of needlessly
worrying about what is going on outside, and anxiously looking over its
shoulder. In this way, the company
remains stable and content - and ultimately becomes a far more effective
and formidable operator.
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