Asia Pacific: solving the challenges of the world’s most diverse shipping region

Stolt Tank Containers’ Asia Pacific operating region spans from India to the middle of the Pacific Ocean. Within this footprint, which encompasses 24 countries and more than 100 ports, Stolt Tank Containers operates six wholly-owned depots and another seven joint-venture facilities. 60,000 international shipments originate in Asia every year, accounting for more than 40% of our global volume in 2021. With China domestic shipments adding another 30,000 to that figure, Asia Pacific is by far our busiest region.

That’s a lot of business to manage! Not just in terms of volumes, but in coordinating operations between very different local cultures over widely separated locations. However, getting this right, to give customers a seamless service, is what Stolt Tank Containers is all about. And we’re proud to have it all in very capable hands.

Meet our Asia Pacific Regional Director, Greg Vinson

Having first started working for Stolt Tank Containers 37 years ago, Greg has been in his current role or 11 years. With a large workforce working under his guidance, inspiring them to act as a single-minded team is key to our company’s reliable performance and forward-thinking attitude.

Being in a position to support all these people to personal and professional success is one of Greg’s proudest achievements. “We have an amazing team of people in Asia, comprised of those working in our own offices and via our agencies. They were already the best in the business before I took on this role, and I’m proud they have stayed as such during my tenure. When the time finally comes for handing over my responsibilities, I know they will end up in the hands of even better, and better mentored and prepared leaders.”

Unique attributes and challenges

Greg describes Stolt Tank Containers’ Asia Pacific region as being unique in terms of geographical challenges and range of different cultures, economies, regulations and trading habits.

“We are in 24 different countries. There is a great amount of ocean, distance and time separating a range of distinctive and dramatically differently driven economies, cultures, and markets. Each with its own customs, laws and ways that business is negotiated and executed and relationships are built.”

“The range of customer types we serve is equally diverse. From the very smallest, shipping just a few tanks per year, to the largest, with many thousands. The market is a much more ‘spot’ oriented business model, due to a combination of our customers’ traditional trading methods, how goods are consumed, production commitments and changing trends demands from buyers of products, both within and outside the region.”

 Proudly finding solutions

The broad diversity of requirements within the Asia Pacific region means finding a middle ground that stabilizes processes, consistently delivers the highest quality service, while remaining cost-effective. These must be sustainable, both environmentally and economically, in order for Stolt Tank Containers to serve customers long into the future. As Greg explains: “It is key for us not only to maintain our performance and deliver results, but to continue to prepare and deliver the next tranche of strategic initiatives that will carry the region forward still further and faster.”