After three years of Jumbo SAL Alliance, the members Jumbo Maritime and SAL Heavy Lift have been joined by their American sister Intermarine. The addition of the multipurpose and liner operator means a new heavy-lift shipping alliance has been formed Starting March 1, 2024, the JSI Alliance will set sail with a combined fleet of 50 vessels. 

The Dutch maritime heavy lift transport and engineering contractor Jumbo Shipping, German breakbulk and project cargo specialist SAL Heavy Lift and Intermarine dubbed the milestone a significant milestone, one that will resonate throughout the world of heavy-lift shipping.

JSI Alliance replaces Jumbo-SAL-Alliance as the unified marketing platform and brand. As operators and owners, however, Jumbo, SAL and Intermarine remain independent – allowing the three brands to be active in the market.

All sales offices are unified from day one as JSI Alliance offices represent all three members. Also, back-office support functions such as engineering, QHSE and project management will contribute to the alliance organisation, maximizing synergies between the entities.

New heavy-lift industry powerhouse

They have joined forces to create a new industry powerhouse with the experience, legacy and reputation of these three renowned carriers, combining their fleets and all commercial activities for breakbulk and project cargo. What can be seen as the evolution of the commercial alliance Jumbo and SAL formed in 2021, JSI Alliance builds on the same fundamental principles.

They will provide a unified commercial entry point for sales and marketing for their joint network of offices and agents in 23 countries worldwide. Versatile and flexible, the large fleet of around 50 vessels ranges from effective multipurpose vessels to the most advanced heavy-lift ships in the world, with a lifting capacity of up to 3,000 t SWL. This creates a real one-stop shop for customers seeking maritime breakbulk or project transport solutions.

Read also: Intermarine expands fleet with four heavy-lifters

Intermarine President Richard Seeg explains, “This is a great step for Intermarine and a significant milestone for us in our over 35 years of business. We’re a sister company to SAL, which means we’ve had some cooperation up to this point. But forming a real commercial joint venture and alliance marks the beginning of a new and greater adventure. I’ve truly admired what Jumbo and SAL have managed to achieve over the past three years, and I’m excited to bring the Intermarine product to the joint venture. This will add more services and an expanded reach to the portfolio. With our strength, especially in the Americas, I’m sure our alliance is off to a great start.”

Operational versatility

Members of the newly formed alliance stress that they stand for both commercial flexibility as well as technical excellence, offering semi-liner and liner services as well as customised project shipping solutions around the world.

Services range from effective transport solutions for small parcels and single cargo items to the most complex industrial cargo units. The ability to combine services and transport solutions gives customers a new multitude of options.

Laurens Govers, Director Chartering & Projects at Jumbo Shipping, adds, “When we launched our commercial alliance with SAL three years ago, we weren’t sure how the market and our customers would receive this new take on a commercial cooperation in the heavy lift sector. Today, we look back at the success it’s been. Through our growing relationship with Intermarine as well, I’m confident that our new setup and wider service scope as JSI Alliance will be a valuable addition to our platform. Every customer, from EPCs and industrial equipment manufacturers to project freight forwarders, will find transport services that can benefit their business and projects in our new constellation.”

Expanding the complementary services

The Jumbo and SAL services and fleets are highly complementary, but the Intermarine “products” are somewhat different and expand the scope. The Intermarine fleet is based on standardised, effective multipurpose vessels typically geared up to max 500 t SWL, essentially where the Jumbo and SAL vessel portfolio begins.

Furthermore, Intermarine is highly experienced in operating a mix of owned and time-chartered vessels, both on a short- or long-term basis. While the owned fleet typically takes on complex cargo operations, volume cargo and vessel positions may require a different approach. The focus on flexible commercial solutions that Intermarine brings to the table helps JSI Alliance achieve their goal of being a true one-stop shop for customers.

Intermarine COO Lars Rasmussen says, “We have a setup where we can combine many different vessels and service scopes. With JSI Alliance, you can find simple, straightforward transport solutions as well as the capacity to handle the most complex heavy lift projects. We can combine standard multipurpose ships, with mighty heavy lifters, deck carriers and even in some case bulk vessels – all under our operation and management. I’ve been in bulk, breakbulk and project shipping for over three decades now, and I’ve never seen a commercial solution as comprehensive as this.”

Read also: Intermarine and JSA pounce on Chilean projects outlook

JSI Alliance holds a combined +120 years of experience between its three members. The fleet and service scopes differ somewhat in the new joint venture, but Jumbo, SAL and Intermarine share a very similar culture and values. This is essential in a close, unified commercial structure where all sales teams work from the same platform.

SAL Heavy Lift Managing Director Jens Baumgarten summarises, “We’ve obviously gained vital experience in our years of commercial partnership with Jumbo. JSI Alliance emerged more or less organically with our closer commercial cooperation with our sister company, Intermarine. That being said, we’ve worked intensively over the past several months to prepare and set up our structures so we can operate effectively from day one. Our greatest priority is keeping our customers happy – both during and after each project and shipment. We believe that the added value we create for our customers will strengthen relationships and lead to repeat transport inquiries over many years.”

Intermarine CEO Svend Andersen stresses, “JSI Alliance is the pinnacle of commercial innovation in heavy-lift shipping. My many years in shipping have given me good instincts for which collaborations work and which don’t. I have no doubt that this one is a winner. Combining our strengths both commercially and technically outmatches any other operator in the market. Whether in Asia, Europe, Africa, the US or South America – the JSI Alliance organisation ensures that every customer gets the best possible service.”