Greek expansion for Barry Rogliano Salles
French broker set to open doors with quartet of staff poached from RS Platou’s Piraeus operation.
Barry Rogliano Salles (BRS) is the latest in an increasing list of international shipbrokers attracted by the dynamic Greek shipping market to set up a local office.
The Paris-based house has snapped up four dry bulk chartering brokers from RS Platou’s Piraeus operation and is set to open its doors in the near future.
BRS president Tim Jones says the French company is very excited about the move.
“We have always had a hole in our system not having an active office in Greece. This opportunity came up and it was the right mix and the right concentration, so we jumped on it,” he said.
Jones also says that, as the French brokerage has done elsewhere, it sees the opening of the dry bulk chartering operaton as just the beginning.
“Whenever we open up new offices we always try to base it on some ongoing business and then add more,” he said, adding that BRS will be looking also to do sale-and-purchase (S&P), tankers and gas.
“We have always wanted to be there but finding the right people and having the right guys is the most important element,” he said, referring to the Greek market.
Nikos Panagiotopoulos, who was with Platou Hellas from December 2009, Akis Papadopoulos, Panos Avgerinos and Giorgos Agallos make up the new BRS chartering desk. Reliable broking sources say the quartet offer a complementary team covering all size segments of the dry market.
Jones says the team will start working out of temporary offices until new accommodation is finalised.
“We think we’ll be up and running very soon,” he said.
In an interview with Trade-Winds in May, when BRS marked the retirement of president Jean-Bernard Raoust, Jones said the company was hiring people.
“We believe in the shipping world and the shipping markets. There is a way to make money if you serve your clients well,” he said then.
Shipbroking remains BRS’s core activity and it has 16 offices in 15 countries.
BRS is by no means the only international brokerage to see the attraction of the active Greek shipping market.
Earlier this year, Copenhagen-headquartered Lightship Chartering opened an office in the northern suburbs of Athens, while a year ago Norway’s Lorentzen & Stemoco also set up shop, with their offices located in Voula.
