Plain sailing

In French transport parlance, Brittany-based Gulf Stream Ferries is located in Department 29. But in real-life terms, the young, vibrant company is in a class of its own.

As ferry companies go, Gulf Stream Ferries is a new kid on the block. However, the reputation it has built within the hugely competitive, often claustrophobic world of marine transport suggests that it is in for the long haul.
Gulf Stream Ferries came into being just four months ago but it has already garnered the loyal support and patronage of a whole host of customers bowled over by the company’s policy of affording its burgeoning list of customers a top-quality, reliable service.

Catering for all manner of marine transport matters, the Brittany, France-based ferry company is a specialist freight transport operator.
Although it has experienced the almost statutory degree of teething problems which all embryonic commercial operations have to endure, the company has done really well since its inception in May.
Indeed, according to Gulf Stream Ferries’ Sales and Marketing chief, Sharon Bligh, the company’s owners couldn’t be more happy with the way things have panned out to date.
“Things have gone really well for us over the last few months. We are pleased to say that we have achieved all the objectives we set out for ourselves the first few months when the company was formed.

MARINE TRANSPORT
“We all recognised that it would take time for us to become established and to build up the sort of reputation which would stand us in good stead in the long run but business has really picked up in the last three weeks and we’re delighted with the current progress we’re making.

“Our main aim was and, still is, the development of ro-ro traffic business from Brittany to Ireland and given the volume of goods now being conveyed by companies using marine transport, we are confident that we can increase our workload significantly in that regard,” Sharon enthuses.
Because the company specialises in marine freight transport and boasts its own ship - the Francoise (the name of the owner’s mother) - customers of Gulf Stream Ferries can be assured of the most professional, reliable and thoroughly knowledgeable service available in the market place.

Whether it’s drop-trailers, truck plus driver, live animals, potatoes, fruit and veg, fish or seafood (a common type of cargo given that the firm’s headquarters is located near the vibrant fishing port of Lorient) which is being transported, Gulf Stream Ferries has the capacity to deliver on schedule, on time and at a competitive price.

A family-run business headed by executive director and company founder Jean Luc Ledouarin and his son Gildas, managing director, Gulf Stream Ferries has a team of five based in the firm’s headquarters at Brest Terminal, a further three employees in Rosslare, a team of four in Lorient and, of course, the crew resident on the Francoise.

SPANISH MARKET
“There’s a good team in place here, working hand in hand for the betterment of the company. Each member of the team has a job to do and works for the common good.
“Gulf Stream Ferries is a relatively small company but we believe that in the marine transport business small can be beautiful because it allows you to maintain direct contact with your customer.

“We mostly deal with a plethora of small to medium-sized businesses but we have the capacity to handle contracts with firms with anything from one to 100 trucks.
“However, we find that our customers appreciate the kind of personal contact that we can offer and the fact that we know a lot of our customers by name is appreciated also and certainly stands to us in retaining the business that we work hard to attain in the first place.”

Formerly employed by Brest Chamber of Commerce, Sharon - a native of Renmore in Co. Galway - has been one of the key players on the Gulf Stream Ferries team since the company’s inception. So what, in her view, is the secret about the progress made to date by the company?
“We’ve laid good foundations from the word go in the sense that we’ve worked hard to establish a good relationship with each of the customers we’ve done business with.

“The company has shown itself to be committed to carrying out a quality service at all times. That formula seems to be working and we intend to stick with it.
“We are also keen to sell the idea of Brest being an ideal port from which customers can target the Spanish market.
“Brest is becoming more and more attractive to haulage companies because their drivers don’t have to be concerned with violating the tacograph laws, because, legally, they are entitled to drive such a distance.”

“Even in the short time we have been in existence, we have noticed an increasing amount of traffic coming through the port of Brest and it’s obviously in our interest to try and see that that flow increases on a consistent basis.”

DROP-TRAILER
So is that why the company headquarters was set up in Brest?
“The Ledouarin family identified a window of opportunity in establishing a presence at Brest and being the first ro-ro ferry operating out of Brest has certainly paid off.
“The opportunity was there for somebody willing to place their faith into the port of Brest. It’s a rapidly developing port which is destined to increase in popularity in the future,” Sharon opines.

With its impressive Gulf Speed Ireland, replete with drop trailer system, on hand to save customers time and money. The team at Gulf Stream Ferries are proud of their ability to offer their burgeoning client base a valued-added service for no added charge.
“The Gulf Speed Ireland underwent a complete refurbishment programme last May which included the provision of new cabins which sleep 24 drivers, all of which are ensuite, and a new bar and restaurant.

“Transit time from Brest to Rosslare is approximately 15 hours and the ship has a maximum speed of 22 knots.
“We have three departures from Rosslare each week; Saturday at 6pm, Monday at 11pm and Wednesday, 11pm. From Brest, we leave at 6pm on Sunday, Tuesday at midnight and Friday at 7pm.”
And the value added service?

“If the customer’s vehicle is a refrigerated trailer, our crew can control the temperature in the truck and check the product which is very important considering that on a freight boat, drivers are not allowed into the freight area.
“In this way, the driver need not have to stay with his truck for the entire duration of the sailing. It means he can relax for the 15 hours or so.”
Now when did Sharon say the next sailing was?

For bookings with Gulf Stream Ferries, customers are advised to contact Elliott Shipping Agency, Rosslare, at 053-33464/33549 or fax; 053-33572 or e-mail; elliottshipping@indigo.ie

For further information on Gulf Stream Ferries, log on to website; www.gse.ferries.com