Shipping takes a new direction

News was prepared under the information support of Online Daily Newspaper on Hellenic and international Shipping "Hellenic Shipping News".

31 Aug 2008

The developer of a software product that has made the documentation process easier for vessels to enter ports around the world has broken away from the business that his father sold two years ago to start his own company. Fritz Heidenreich, president and chief executive officer of Heidenreich Innovations, will leave Heidmar Inc. on Monday to establish his new business at 165 Mason St., in Greenwich, sharing a building occupied by a office operated by his father, Per Heidenreich, who founded Heidmar 25 years ago and sold it to subsidiaries of Morgan Stanley Capital Group Inc. in September 2006.
In connection with Heidenreich's departure, Heidmar will transfer the www.Q88.com and www.Baltic99.com Web sites to Heidenreich Innovations and will enter into a contract with the new company for consulting services.
The Q88 Website was launched in June 2001, and the Baltic99 Website was launched in June. There are 580 questionnaires available on these Websites, and they are being used by more than 390 ship owners, representing 4,900 vessels.
The eventual departure of Fritz Heidenreich, 38, and transfer of the Web sites had been contemplated at the time that Heidmar was acquired.
"It will be very difficult for me to leave Heidmar, where I have worked for the past 15 years," Fritz Heidenreich said, "but I look forward to the opportunity to expand the questionnaire service and develop new products for both the wet and dry sectors of the shipping industry."
Heidmar, through its offices in the United States, England and Singapore, operates a fleet of more than 90 tankers. Heidmar is the general agent and commercial manager of five tanker pools ranging from 55,000 to 180,000 dead weight tons.
"We wish Fritz every success with his new company. Computer innovations have been an important factor in the growth of Heidmar over the past 20 years," said Tim Brennan, president and chief executive officer of Heidmar, in a prepared statement. "We look forward to working closely with Heidenreich Innovations in the future."
Fritz Heidenreich had the option of selling his business or going out on his own.
ST Shipping & Transport PTE Ltd., sees the Q88 Web site as an essential provider of information for its 160 chartered and owned tankers that visit ports around the globe.
"It takes the salient data - the physical characteristics of a ship and its certificates to populate the questionnaires required by the shipping terminals. Every terminal has a different format," said Eric Haughn, spokesman for ST Shipping. "It makes life easier."

Source: Stamford Advocate