POINTE BLANCHE:--- RT ST. MAARTEN – Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Mark Mingo recently during a year-end general staff meeting that included a majority of the 79 employees working at Port St. Maarten, gave an overview of port activities for 2015 and a forecast of developments for 2016.
Mingo told the assembled staff that customer centricity was the key focus in 2016, pointing out that the Port St. Maarten group of companies were the most competitive and productive out of all government owned companies, and that this great achievement must be maintained and built upon in the years to come.
Mingo further pointed out that the 79 employees were responsible for one third of the country’s economy since the port’s contribution to national economic activity was more than US$300 million annually. Port St. Maarten is one of the country’s critical infrastructure.
Another key area that the CEO emphasized upon for 2016 was ‘value proposition,’ which is positioning and understanding what benefits an organization like Port St. Maarten provides for customers and how it is done and why the port group of companies is better than the alternatives.
The value proposition is part of the business strategy of the port in order to provide a sustainable service and experience that is satisfying to customers.
Mingo on behalf of the management team congratulated all staff for a job well done in 2015, but that 2016 required all hands on deck to increase efficiency in cruise and cargo sectors as well as an increase in asset utilization where it concerns revenue earnings.
Mingo also informed staff that the costs for providing security at the port had increased significantly, but that this was in line with the requirements of the Florida Caribbean Cruise Association (FCCA), a trade organization composed of 19 member cruise lines operating more than 100 vessels in Floridian, Caribbean and Latin American waters.
Port St. Maarten also has an international responsibility to be in compliance with International Maritime Organization (IMO) International Ship and Port Facility Security Code (ISPS) which requires minimum security arrangements for ships, ports and government agencies to be able to detect security threats and take preventative measures against security incidents affecting ships or port facilities used in international trade. Port St. Maarten is part of the country’s critical infrastructure.
Congratulations went out to the Chief of Port Security and staff for doing a great job in protecting the business at the port and by extension protecting part of the national economy that is so dependent on what goes on at Port St. Maarten.
The Chief Executive Officer also briefed staff about the project management triangle, a model of constraints of project management which will be used in 2016 and implemented via a project bureau.
It’s a management tool used to illustrate that project management success is measured by the project team’s ability to manage the project, so that the expected results are produced while managing time and cost. Projects need to be performed and delivered under certain constraints.
The staff were also informed about Port St. Maarten’s participation in January 2016 in the 46th edition of the Dutch Vakantie Beurs Utrecht (Holiday Expo), which takes place from January 12-17, 2016 at the Convention Center in the Dutch city of Utrecht.
Destination St. Maarten has been absent from the aforementioned trade show for several years resulting in a low brand awareness of the country in the Dutch market.
Vakantie Beurs Utrecht caters to business to business and business to consumers. More Dutch travelers are becoming aware of cruises, and the St. Maarten cruise brand is the largest and most developed cruise port in the Dutch Kingdom. In 2014, approximately 109,000 Dutch travelers took a cruise.
Mingo concluded with requesting from staff their commitment once again in 2016 to raise Port St. Maarten Group of Companies to an optimal level. Organizational performance comprises the actual output or results of an organization as measured against its intended outputs such as goals and objectives.
The Port’s CEO wished the staff and their families a happy holiday season and a healthy and prosperous 2016 on behalf of the Board of Directors and the Management Team.