Giuseppe Massa
Nova Marine Carriers

What is the core activity of your company? Does your company focus on particular geographic markets?
Nova Marine Carriers is a ship-owner, and a freight trading company aimed at providing competitive and reliable transportation services to its clients base. Its roots can be traced back to1981. With its head office in Lugano, Nova Marine Carriers has satellite offices in Bogotá, Dubai, Istanbul, London, Madrid, Rotterdam, Singapore, Sofia, and Toronto; one in Miami will be opened in the near future. The fleet of 100 vessels, between owned and time charter, has a total carrying capacity of approximately 1’500’000 dwt, including conventional bulk carriers in the range from 5000 to 57000 dwt. On top of those, the company also has Belt Self Unloaders as well as one of the largest fleets of Pneumatic Cement Carriers in the world.
To answer your question, I would say that Nova Marine Carriers is an international company with a local focus. That’s the reason of the various offices around the world. The idea is that the close vicinity to our client base, allows us to service their needs better, and helps the consolidation of the relationship, which we like to call partnership, as we look upon our clients as our main asset.
In your view, what is the actual trend of your sector? How do you judge the perspectives of your activity’s market?
In general, the shipping markets are all linked to the world economy trends. More in particular the “Bulk Shipping” market is dependent on the demand side from the consumption of raw materials, iron ore, coal, and the likes, which in turn means energy consumption and steel consumption, i.e. construction. The number of ships available in the world fleet influences the supply side obviously. After a long period of very low market level due, on the one side, to a depressed world economy, and on the other side, to a huge level of oversupply fuelled in the boom years by crazy ordering of new buildings, we are starting to experience slightly stronger fundamentals. The older ships did not survive the crisis and were scrapped, the ordering of new buildings practically came to a standstill and the world economy is showing shy sign of recovery. Based on the above, I would say that I am cautiously optimistic for the near future.
What are the benefits of working in Lugano (Switzerland)?
First of all, favourable location well connected to the rest of Europe, and a sizable trading hub. In the second place, multicultural environment that allows for a company like ours to attract the right calibre of professionals from around the world. Finally, yet importantly, lack of red tape both at a personal (once the B permit is in place) and at corporate level, which helps streamlining operations and makes it easier for the companies to take advantage of the opportunities that from time to time arise.
Your opinion in one sentence to describe LCTA’s activity
LCTA is a precious instrument to convey the needs of the shipping and trading community to those governing the country, as well as being a great opportunity for teaming up with people from our same industry and create synergies that would otherwise be difficult to achieve.