In addition to the speeches by Asmira Group CEO Mustafa Aslan, Petrol Ofisi Group CEO Selim Şiper, and IMEAK Chamber of Shipping Chairman Tamer Kıran, the ceremony turned into a festival with colorful Rhythm Dance and Russian Water Ballet shows, as well as the stage performance by countertenor Nuri Harun Ateş.
Mustafa Aslan: “Didim D-Marin Petrol Ofisi Group Station has been completely renovated.
At the ceremony, which also spurred the attention of business people and local administrators, Asmira Group CEO Mustafa Aslan indicated that the station in Didim D-Marin was their first ‘child’ and it was completely renewed upon the recently signed contract:
“We have implemented in this beautiful station our new concept that we launched at our station in Bodrum Turgutreis D-Marin last year. The main goal of our new idea is to host our guests in a pleasant environment.
In the one year since the opening of our Turgutreis D-Marin station, we divided the business units at Asmira Petrol into two brands: Asmira Marine for providing services to yachts and Asmira Bunker for providing services to vessels. Thanks to these new units focusing on vessels and yachts separately, our performance has exceeded our track record of the past years in both business fields. Furthermore, the transportation department, which provided logistics services under the group, now has separate management and is named Asmira Logistics. Asmira Logistics utilized the Group's increasing locations and business volumes as a competitive advantage and reduced logistics costs by developing complex supply processes. It will focus on different and niche logistics activities besides fuel transportation in the next period. Asmira Logistics is also the accredited logistics supplier of Petrol Ofisi in the Aegean Region.”
Asmira Bunker quadrupled its sales in the first half of 2018
Along with the change in Petrol Ofisi Group, Asmira Bunker, which supplies fuel to ships, quadrupled its monthly sales in the first half of 2018 compared to the previous year. As a result of this development, we made a new marine tanker investment. Thanks to our marine tanker Kingfisher, the title we obtained this week, we have become the only company in the Aegean Region to reach 1,200 tons of bunker supply and shipping capacity.
In Asmira Marine, which serves yachts, we are 1.5 times higher than the previous year in our non-station duty-free and station sales. Our recent high-volume supplies confirm this to the world's most prestigious boats. At Asmira Marine, which supplies high-quality Petrol Ofisi Group products with high-quality operations and service understanding in the field, we have developed this channel to serve tourists in the high segment that brings an inflow of foreign currency to the country.
D-Marin stations in Turkey are entrusted to Asmira
We have also opened Kuşadası and Göcek locations in addition to Didim and Turgutreis D-Marin stations. In Göcek, we have created awareness in the region by waving the flag of Petrol Ofisi Group in D-Marin. With this latest development, we have taken over D-Marin's fuel operations in all marinas in Turkey.
Asmira will open its first overseas station at D-Marin's Portonovi Marina in Montenegro.
Our cooperation with D-Marin is not limited to Turkey. We have moved beyond the borders. D-Marin, as you know, also makes marina investments at important locations abroad. Portonovi Marina in Montenegro, one of these investments, will be launched in the summer of 2019. The bid we placed for the station in Portonovi Marina received a positive response this week, and I will go to Montenegro next week to start with procedures. This will enable us to launch operations in Montenegro, a significant location for the yacht market outside Turkey, and transform Asmira into an international company. This is the first important step towards our vision of ‘being a local brand on all European coasts.’
We know our accomplishments and achievements increase our responsibility and we will work more with this sense of responsibility. When you reach the destination, the trail doesn't mean anything, and that's why we will walk and run ceaselessly.
Selim Şiper: “The only brand that can refuel on all the seas of Turkey: PO Marine.”
Petrol Ofisi Group CEO Selim Şiper pointed attention to Petrol Ofisi Group Marine Sales - PO Marine as the only company in the maritime industry that can offer the supply, production, and related services for transit, bonded fuel, and marine oils. He also said the following:
“We are the only brand offering refueling services on all the seas of Turkey with seven marine terminals and one floating station positioned along the entire Turkish coastline from Hopa to Iskenderun. As Chevron's business partner in marine lubricants, we are at the disposal of the maritime industry with a production capacity of 140,000 tons/year in our lubricants plant. In bonded sales, we have the largest dealer and delivery network and five marina stations across the country's coastline. We carry over 600,000 tons of refueling operations annually, with 12 barges in transit and the local market. To illustrate, the average amount of fuel sold by PO Marine in one day equals the sum of the daily sales of 120 stations performing well. PO Marine's annual sales are large enough to refuel once more than 12 million passenger cars are registered in Turkey. Allow us to give an example from space: With the annual sales of PO Marine, a large long-distance cruise ship can make at least 20 trips between Earth and the Moon.
PO Marine serves approximately 40,000 ships per year.
With PO Marine, we supply more than 34,000 ships in the domestic market, more than 2,700 in the transit market, and more than 2,500 ships in the lubricants market annually. Thanks to the largest distribution network with 12 marine tankers in Turkey and powerful stakeholders such as Asmira Group, PO Marine is not limited to inland waters but can respond quickly to the fuel demands from all ports worldwide. In addition to local waters, PO Marine currently serves 60 different countries globally via its agencies. We are the major fuel supplier in the Eastern Mediterranean in addition to Turkey, with our product diversity, logistic capacity, and market efficiency.
This station has special importance and different meanings for us in such a gigantic structure. First of all, this beautiful ring in the distribution chain of PO Marine is also a reinforcing step in the long-standing and strong cooperation between two well-established brands, Petrol Ofisi Group and Asmira Group. Indeed, we have a strong, long-standing, and mutually satisfactory collaboration with Asmira Group in all their business lines, including Asmira Marine, Asmira Bunker, and Asmira Logistics.
“Didim D-Marin station is the most beautiful ring in our chain.”
This station we have opened in Didim D-Marin is the most beautiful ring in our chain. In terms of aesthetics, we have maybe only one station to compete with this station. The station in Turgutreis D-Marin is another good example of our cooperation with Asmira Marine. However, I can easily say that the most beautiful station in Turkey is here, in Didim D-Marin. Similarly, this ceremony is taking place in a very special way, beyond the traditional opening ceremonies, to fit the beauty of our station and the modern approach of Asmira Group.’
Selim Şiper thanked everyone who contributed to this colorful ceremony, especially the management of the Asmira Group, wishing that the station would bring beneficial and promising results.
Tamer Kıran: “We will move our maritime industry to the levels it deserves with further achievements.”
IMEAK Chamber of Shipping Chairman Tamer Kiran pointed out the recent development and progress in the Turkish maritime industry: “With its strategically important geographical location surrounded by water on its three sides, Turkey has significant potential in the maritime industry, and therefore, stands before a considerable distance to be covered. However, this growth and progress are not limited to the number of vessels and the volume of sea trade. All related parties should make a collective leap, strengthen themselves and undertake achievements. And PO Marine and Asmira Group are great examples of vigorous activities in their respective fields and strong and long-term cooperation. Thanks to their strong infrastructure and service quality at world standards, both companies have contributed and will continue to contribute significantly to the Turkish maritime industry and yacht tourism. With similar achievements in every field, we will carry our maritime industry to the new heights it deserves.”
