Tag Archive for: success story

An Overnight Rush to the Port of Houston Keeps a Heavy Lift Vessel Safe and On-Schedule

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The call from a purchasing manager came into Horizon one Tuesday midday last winter. A heavy lift vessel, recently flagged into the United States, had arrived in Houston in ballast for a bulk grain load-out. The ship was scheduled to start cargo operations in less than 24 hours, then head across the North Atlantic to deliver the grain as food aid to a developing country. But there was a problem. Actually, there were two problems. The ship needed burlap and a new start air compressor before cargo operations could begin.

Burlap may seem a humble material to be threatening a ship’s on-time departure from port, but our routing specialist who took the call — a graduate of the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy — immediately understood the need. Before the ship’s crew loaded the grain, they would need to cover the bilge pump rose boxes with burlap. Without it, grain could get sucked into the bilge pump, clogging and potentially ruining this critical equipment designed to pump water out of the cargo holds.

The need for the start air compressor was obvious. While the ship’s existing start air compressor was still working, the crew had been having major mechanical issues with it. If they didn’t replace it in Houston, their next best option would be to replace it at their foreign port of destination, where we knew freight deliveries would be more complicated and costly. The shipping company would save a lot of money if we could deliver it to them in Houston.

Worst case scenario? The old start air compressor could fail during the ship’s crossing of the North Atlantic, leaving them at the mercy of the rough winter seas. Unable to restart the engine, they might be stranded or even sink.

We weren’t going to let that happen. We leaped into action on two parallel operations.

Getting the Goods by Nightfall

To preserve any possibility of transporting the burlap and start air compressor to the Port of Houston in time for the next day’s cargo operations, we had to take possession of both by nightfall. From our New York office, we immediately called the domestic vendor of the burlap and asked them to prepare the delivery for immediate pick-up.

Meanwhile, we had our partner in Germany call the German supplier of the start air compressor and ask them to stay open late. Our partner works with this German vendor very frequently and, due to their very good relationship, the vendor agreed to remain open until 8 p.m. The ability to collect that evening allowed us to transfer to the first available flight the next day into the United States.

Two Horizon trucks on two continents made their way to the suppliers. One loaded up the burlap, the other the start air compressor, and each headed directly to the nearest airport to put their deliveries on overnight flights. For the start air compressor’s flight from Germany, we arranged for wheels-up clearance so there would be no customs delays once it arrived at the airport in Houston. Both flights were soon loaded and in the air.

All Coming Together in Houston

Overnight, two flights sped toward Houston, the critical deliveries of burlap and a new start air compressor in their cargo holds. On the ground, an agent from our Houston office drove a truck to the airport and awaited the flights’ arrival.

By 3 a.m., both flights were on the ground. Our agent soon had both the burlap and the start air compressor loaded in his truck, and he departed immediately for the Port of Houston. Less than an hour later, he delivered the burlap and compressor on deck.

The ship’s crew wrapped the rose boxes, installed the new start air compressor, and proceeded to cargo operations. The grain loud-out began on schedule, and the ship was soon on its way.

Afterward, we received several calls from the purchasing manager and other leaders at the company, thanking us for our work. “Thank you for always going above and beyond for us,” one said. We were glad to do it. It’s just what we do, every day for every customer. Reach out to us for a conversation about how we can help you. 

Pulling Rabbits Out of Hats to Connect the World

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Horizon’s Bridget Aglio Keeps a Major Undersea Cable Operator Shipshape and On-Schedule

At Horizon, we have the privilege and pleasure of working with many customers doing remarkable work around the world. Commercial fleets are the foundation of the global economy, and offshore platforms keep that economy powered and running. Fishing fleets feed us well, and research vessels help us better understand our planet. Military vessels keep our seas safe, protecting us all. Our customers inspire us, and we’re honored to support their important work.

One of our customers develops, deploys, and operates undersea communications cable. They’re one of the largest and most respected companies in this space, and for more than half a century they’ve connected the world with the backbone of the information economy. Whether you’re conducting international business via video conference, making an online purchase from an overseas provider, sharing data from a remote research station, or placing an international call to a friend or family member, there’s a good chance our customer made it possible.

Their cable-laying and cable repair ships are often at sea for 2-3 months at a time, laying or maintaining thousands of miles of cable, then only in port to resupply for a day, sometimes only a few hours. Even minor delays are costly to them, with potential six-figure revenue losses and heavy contract penalties.

That’s way, for all their spares and equipment, they turn to Horizon.

“When I need to get something delivered,” says the customer’s senior procurement manager, “and I can’t have any screw-ups in the whole process of pickup to delivery to the vessel, Horizon is someone who you learn to rely upon. So many times they’ve pulled a rabbit out of a hat.”

Horizon’s Bridget Aglio leads the team that supports this customer, and, as Horizon CEO Steve Leondis says of her, “She pulls rabbits out of hats all day long.”

Ship-Stopper Saved by an Overnight Repack

Netherlands to Taiwan

One night not long ago, Aglio received a call from the customer. An engine failure had a ship dead in the water in Taiwan, in the Port of Kaohsiung. A vendor in Amsterdam had the parts needed to repair it, but the oversized pipes weren’t properly packed for air freight. No air carrier would accept them.

The vendor could outsource repacking of the parts, but it would take days to complete, days that would cost the company hundreds of thousands of dollars in lost revenue.

Aglio contacted Horizon’s Amsterdam office, and, in the middle of the night, they sent a truck to pick up the goods from the vendor. Horizon’s team repacked the pipes overnight and had them on a plane to Taiwan the next morning. Less than 48 hours after the initial call, the ship was repaired and got back to work.

Flying Flares to Seoul During a Global Pandemic

Spain to South Korea

Transporting explosive materials internationally is complicated even in normal times. Such shipments have to be specially packaged. Dangerous goods forms have to be filled out and approved. Importers must be licensed to accept the goods. And only providers with specialized certifications can do any of this.

In the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, with 80% of planes grounded and many international borders closed, it all might seem impossible.

But our customer needed a delivery of new safety flares to replace expiring flares on one of their ships. The company doesn’t compromise on the safety of its crews. There was a narrow delivery window available when the ship would be in Seoul for one day. If the flares didn’t arrive, the company would have to idle the ship until they did, costing the ship thousands of dollars in additional expenses.

Flares and other explosive materials have to be transported on cargo-only planes, so all passenger flights were out. And closed borders eliminated what would have been the standard routing for the shipment.

Aglio found a way, an alternate routing with available cargo-only flights and customs clearances she could navigate during the pandemic. (Like a good magician, she won’t reveal all the secrets of this routing.) Her team received the flares, verified they were properly packed, issued the relevant dangerous goods forms, and got them on a plane. Aglio also coordinated with Horizon’s South Korean consignee to confirm they would be able to clear the shipment upon arrival.

Hours before the company’s ship arrived in the Port of Incheon, the flares were there, awaiting it.

Beat the Vessels to Port

Aglio does reveal one of her rabbit-pulling secrets. “The key,” she says, “is to get there before the vessel arrives. It gives you more time for customs clearance, and more time in case of a problem. If a truck breaks down, you’ll have time to find another to complete the delivery.”

Add in her passionate commitment to her customers and some marine logistics magic, and you begin to understand how Aglio keeps pulling those rabbits out of those hats. It’s just another day on the job for her as she helps our customer connect the world.