Human resources company Brascrew wants to take a more active part in NBCC and is optimistic about the future.
Brascrew belongs to the same holding as Acamin, NBCC member for several years, and the group recently decided to profile Brascrew more actively within the Norwegian Brazilian Chamber of Commerce. This is part of a strategy to position the company in the market in order to handle future demands and a busier tomorrow, and the CEO of TAPB Holding, Mrs. Fernanda Mattos is optimistic when talking about the future. Despite the crisis, Brascrew is growing and investing in expanding the different services the company offers.
«We envision great opportunities in the Brazilian market in the future, and hope to see growth in 2016 and 2017. This is why we need to invest today to be ready to handle future demands», Mrs. Mattos says.
While Acamin is an «EBN», a Brazilian Navigation Company, able to charter and operate foreign vessels in Brazilian jurisdictional waters, Brascrew offers services related to human resources. The company is specialized in immigration services for foreigners and also offers crew management services to foreign vessels operating in Brazil. Brascrew is the second biggest company of the TAPB Group, and Acamin also benefits from the services that Brascrew offers, when hiring crew for chartered vessels.
«We believe Brascrew can contribute in a more active way. We have an extensive knowledge of Brazilian immigration rules and regulations, and we would like to give presentations, take part in discussions and share our knowledge», Fernanda Mattos says.
Acamin has worked very closely with Norwegian companies in the Brazilian association for offshore support vessels, Abean, and Mrs. Mattos believes Brascrew can play a more active role in NBCC than Acamin has done in the past. Brascrew has also worked closely with many Norwegian companies.
«We would like to strengthen our relations with the other member companies. We are in constant dialogue with Norwegian companies, as Nor-Ocean is our broker, and the companies contact us in order to offer their vessels to Petrobras. At the moment we have three Norwegian companies taking part in the bidding process for the operating of ROVs for Petrobras».Streamlining
The business activities of Brascrew have developed over the years. The last couple of years, the company has focused its activities on the immigration services, visas and legalization of foreign manpower.
«As shipowners came to us asking for crew to foreign vessels, we saw new business opportunities, and as a consequence, Brascrew was founded. The foreign crew needs work visas, that we also provide. Brascrew also offers training services.»
According to Mrs. Mattos, proper planning is a key word in order to avoid delays due to unexpected requirements in the visa application and legalization processes.
«Our intention is to intensify our services in this area even further in the near future. We are also looking into offering relocation of foreigners, finding housing, schools and so on, and hope to be able to offer this kind of services by the end of this year. This is happening partly because of the indecisive moment we are going through when it comes to outsourcing of offshore crews. The current regulations do not allow us to provide crew for vessels that are involved in «navigation operations». As a result, we have seen a slowdown in this segment, and this is why our focus lately has been on immigration services», she says.
Brascrew has a team of specialized lawyers and is well connected in the governmental bodies involved, like the Federal Police and the Ministry of Labor.
«We work to streamline the process for our clients. Our ambition is to grow even further and we believe there are opportunities in other segments, not only the offshore industry. A lot of journalists and a lot of sponsors will be coming to Brazil for the 2016 Olympics to work, and they will also be needing work visas.»
Corporate culture of a multinational
Brascrew and Acamin are both part of the TAPB group. Acamin is still the main company of the group, and currently, Acamin is operating three vessels for Norwegian Havila Shipping. Other Norwegian companies are taking part in ongoing bidding processes, and Petrobras is the main, final client. Brascrew and the foreign shipowner work closely together to comply with the needs of the final client, the company executive explains.
«Acamin operate the foreign vessels as if they were our own, both when it comes to qualifications and cost, and we are highly rated by Petrobras, as we have the structure, the proceedings and the corporate culture of a multinational», Mrs. Mattos says.
«We have the know-how from operating our own vessels, through Acamin, and our focus is always on planning. We would like to serve not only the offshore industry but also other segments. In the chamber we also need to discuss the problems Brazil is facing, like bureaucracy and how to deal with Petrobras in a better way for suppliers and service providers. Today nobody questions the requirements of Petrobras. It is important to be aware of the existing obstacles in the Brazilian market, and although there are plenty of opportunities, we should not be selling «dreams» or concepts that are not viable to companies», Fernanda Mattos says.
By Runa Hestmann, NBCC journalist
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