Philip Adkins, CEO of Fairstar, has worldwide business experience. He is at the helm of a young business specialising in offshore heavy maritime transportation. ‘We are the new generation in the Dutch tradition of offshore heavy maritime transportation. The Dutch have been specialists in this field for many years. At the moment Imtech is working on the completion of our second semisubmersible ship, the Fjell. And I have to say: our partnership with Imtech has resulted in Fjord and Fjell representing the best of Imtech’s expertise. Fjord and Fjell are technically the most advanced ships in the global heavy transport fleet today.’ The first ship, Fjord, received DNV Class Approval in February 2008. ‘The Fjord’s Maiden Voyage involved transportation of the appropriately named ice breaking vessel ‘Ice Maiden’ from Mississippi to Newcastle, says Adkins. ‘As a result of the booming offshore oil & gas market, there is exceptionally strong demand for our company’s transportation services, that’s why we are working so hard on the Fjell. A day not spent at sea is a day without gain. Fortunately Imtech understands that and their core principles are in keeping with our corporate culture. I have great respect for Imtech’s problem solving capabilities in what sometimes appeared a ‘mission impossible.’

The implementation of all the electro-technical components, the diesel-electric propulsion, the Integrated Bridge System and all the navigation and communication equipment on board takes place in Malta. The temperature there is great if you are on holiday but the reality is: long days working in a hot shipyard. In short, work is carried out under a lot of pressure and for this ‘hats off’ to the mentality of the Imtechers. And although the planning was problematic in the beginning, thanks to Imtech we now have a state-of-the-art integrated bridge system and with that the possibility to operate and manage the Fjord with precision, safety and efficiency.’

Logistically complex
‘Once the Fjell is ready we will have the most advanced ships in specialist heavy maritime transport at our disposal. We focus on logistically complex projects, in the offshore energy market in particular. We are aware that the world is desperate for energy at the moment. There has been insufficient investment in energy projects in recent decades so investments have soared over the last three years. The epicentre of the European oil and gas trade is in Oslo, Norway. This explains why Fairstar is listed on the Oslo Stock Exchange’, says Adkins. ‘Our headquarters are in Rotterdam however, the heart of the Dutch maritime world.’

An enterprising people
Adkins says: ‘I have had the pleasure of working with the Dutch most of my professional life.’ Throughout his career in finance, brewing and shipping, living in Japan, Australia and Europe, he kept encountering this enterprising people. ‘Certainly in the maritime world, specialist knowledge often comes from The Netherlands, in my experience. People turn out to be your most important capital. That’s true for Fairstar, but also for Imtech Marine & Offshore. The challenge for both of us is to keep attracting professional employees. There are projects for ten years to come and Fairstar also wants to gradually increase its fleet’, according to an ambitious Adkins, who likes to make dreams come true.

Olympic Games
Another dream about to become true is that Adkins’ ‘military’ horse Parkmore Ed has been selected to represent Great Britain at the Olympics. ‘I would have loved to go to Beijing myself, but at least Parkmore Ed will go with one of the best jockeys in the world, William Fox-Pitt, with a real chance of a gold medal!’