Testimonials

"From boatman to CEO"

“As a shipping agent, it’s crucial for us to be able to count on pilots and boatmen being there on time. Without Brabo, we couldn’t actually do our jobs.”

“There are a lot of cranes at a terminal. If a ship isn’t piloted or moored properly, the infrastructure may be damaged. Such a scenario is simply disastrous.”

“It’s fantastic how many people here have the company’s best interest at heart.”

“The combination of manual labour and brainwork suits me down to the ground.”

“We reassure the captain and pilot: don’t worry, we know our job.”

“Brabo is a stable partner providing an essential service.”

"The mutual trust between Brabo and Kotug Smit is the ideal basis for fruitful cooperation.”

“Every oil spill is different. So you need to look at each case individually and discuss the best possible solution with the dock master for emergencies and the incident coordinator.”

“Brabo is a vital player for us. I’m especially pleased with their services. The standard of dock pilot training is very high.”

“Riggers man abandoned ships and unmanned pontoons or rafts. This is still manual labour.”

“The people on the Board of Directors know the company inside out. It’s not really the sort of organisation that insists on hierarchy. I knew the CEO when he was a boatman!”

“My job is mainly preventive, it’s a sort of security duty. Checking whether all the requirements are met. We prevent major disasters from happening in the port.”

“The sushi method.”

“It’s only after 13 years of theory and practice that our pilots are ready for the real work.”

“Brabo plays a key operational role in the Port of Antwerp.”

De diversificatie van de activiteiten is zeer belangrijk voor de toekomst van Brabo.

“It was like the film ‘Stormforce’, but in real life!”

"I’m impressed with the pilot’s professionalism”

“There was no time to throw out the anchors.”

"Sea captains can navigate at sea, but manoeuvring in the port is our speciality"

At the Delwaide Dock, maritime traffic became more and more intense. Our crane operators reported that the situation was becoming dangerous. We started talking to Brabo and in no time at all we co-developed an efficient communications system between pilot and crane operator.

Via our representatives in the Board of Directors, we can give the management input from the shop floor to help improve things. We are all shareholders and in that sense very consciously committed to our jobs. I’d never want to work anywhere else.