Rob Smeets is Director of Nautical Operations at the Port of Antwerp. The Port of Antwerp is, among other things, responsible for safe and smooth shipping traffic in the Antwerp port area.
How important is Brabo to the Port of Antwerp?
Rob Smeets: “Brabo’s role cannot be underestimated. Piloting and mooring ships safely and smoothly is essential for the port. If anything goes wrong, it can result in physical damage or loss of image. After all, damage or standstill represents a major financial loss for the shipowners. A ship is only profitable when it’s at sea.”
So reliability is your top priority.
“Every link in the nautical chain is essential and influences the next. If you take away one link, the chain will break. Then everyone pays a heavy price: mainly the shipowner, but actually the whole port. Brabo is a very stable and reliable partner in all of this. The fact that the employees are at the helm contributes to this. The other duties taken on by Brabo confirm their unique know-how: cleaners, fire guards, riggers... they all contribute to the smooth operation of the port.”
