“The number of cases for P&I correspondents has decreased during my thirty years in the business, but the times when you can provide decisive assistance have not.” NNPC interviews Niels van der Noll, manager at subsidiary NNPC Correspondents. We talk about his profession, developments in the industry and the added value of a new player in the market.
Niels van der Noll has been working in shipping since 1990. He started at an Amsterdam port company and after a few years moved to the shipping and transport company Van Ommeren. In 1994, he began working as a P&I correspondent, building a large network in Amsterdam. That made him the ideal person to help establish NNPC Correspondents in 2021.
Let’s start with the most important question: what is NNPC Correspondents exactly?
“NNPC Correspondents is a P&I correspondent based in Rotterdam. From there, we are active in all Dutch seaports and on all European inland waterways. We provide solutions and assistance for our clients for a wide range of situations: cargo damage, crew matters, stowaways, but also environmental issues, bunker disputes, collisions… and that 24/7, every day of the year.”
How does this differ from what NNPC itself does?
“The significant difference with NNPC is that they work worldwide for their own members, using local correspondents. We, as a separate branch, service third parties: shipowners, charterers and other P&I clubs and insurers. We focus on Dutch ports and the North Sea, extending to the rivers, canals, and inland ports of Europe.”
How did NNPC Correspondents get its start in recent years?
“Even before it was founded on February 20, 2021, I was involved. NNPC had a vision of a P&I correspondent office in Rotterdam where the club’s high level of service, their network and experience in the maritime sector would be put to use. In the beginning, it was hard work to establish a position, which takes some time. Fortunately, in that first year we already received assignments, which has steadily grown in the second and third year. I can now say that we are an established P&I correspondent in the Netherlands.”
Being available 24/7 is quite a challenge. How do you manage that?
“Although being available day and night is part of the job as a correspondent, the advantage of working with NNPC colleagues is that I can now hand it over to a colleague on the night and weekend shift. At NNPC Correspondents, this is well covered, but it’s a challenge for the entire industry. How do we maintain this availability and quality? That applies to all people working in the sector. Balancing 24/7 availability with having a life outside work is a balancing act.”
What sets NNPC Correspondents apart from other offices?
“What I find very important is that we work well with others: experts, surveyors who conduct nautical research and take samples of cargoes, lawyers when necessary. As a correspondent, I coordinate between those parties. Good communication and keeping each other continuously informed are crucial. That’s where we differentiate ourselves. We have the experience of a P&I club. Furthermore, we have a fast response time and are both operationally and legally very strong. And we are cost-effective: our rates are competitive and we work with experts in a way that allows us to control their costs as well. We’re on top of things.”
You had a successful start in recent years. What does the future hold?
“We have shown that there is sufficient room in the Netherlands for a new P&I correspondent to develop. We have gained the trust of several clients, so I expect that in the coming years we will be able to do more work for them. I have a positive outlook, but we’ll have to earn our position every day.”
What are the trends and developments in the profession?
“The number of cases for P&I correspondents has decreased during my thirty years in the business, but the times when you can provide decisive assistance have not. I can remember the time of the fax and telex, but nowadays we are accustomed to a world of fast and direct communication. Back then, a significant part of communication was by mail, and you easily had to wait two weeks for a response. Now, it might come within ten minutes. That has tremendously changed the service. A captain can call a shipowner himself to inquire; he no longer needs us for that. That has altered the position of the P&I correspondent. But for complex matters, and especially those requiring local contacts and knowledge of local conditions, our expertise, know-how, and network can make a difference.”
Do you have any final tips for the reader?
“When in doubt, contact us. We’re always available, and often, we can quickly arrange matters to save time and costs. We know the world of shipping and P&I like no other and are therefore equipped to solve problems proactively and pragmatically. One of the most rewarding aspects of the past three years was the positive feedback from our clients and the fact that we could make a difference for them.”
NNPC Correspondents
If you would like to know more about NNPC Correspondents, or need the expertise of an experienced P&I correspondent like Niels van der Noll, please contact us here.