Durban: There’s a new shipping social media site that promises to revolutionise the way bunkers are bought and sold around the world.
Sean Potts, founding member of Bunker Squires, says: “The main aim of the site is to be interactive for the users and keep it simple and allow for the growth of young people looking to grow or even get started in the industry.”
Over the past seven years Potts worked at Enviroshore offering specialised oil recovery services to vessels calling at ports in Southern Africa.
“It was through these services that we were often offering rebates off bunker pricing,” Potts recalls, adding: “It was through this that I was using various other websites to source different pricing for the various ports, then would use a different site to chat with the principals, another site to track vessels and so on.”
He then had the idea of starting a website that would allow for people, companies and even vessels to network with each other and basically create an industry specific community platform to assist people in the industry.
The plan is to grow the site by offering users a number of key services at no charge thus allowing for people to spread the word.
“We believe it is going to be useful to shipowners and managers as well as people and companies in the bunker industry as it would allow for them to go to one place to network, communicate and recruit in an industry specific website,” Potts reckons.
Future plans include launching a messenger application linked to the website as well as other useful tool applications associate to marine fuels. Bunker Squires is also looking at offering training as well as an advice centre where people new in the industry may come to for advice, tips or help on any problems they face.
Could be interesting when there is more people connected. Looking forward.