OUR MISSION
WLA Ship Agents endeavours to contribute to the modernization of the ship agency business through innovative solutions.
OUR VISION
To be the modernization engine of maritime industry by offering a new innovative concept to the ship agency business, committed to accountability, honesty and transparency.
We believe in what we do best
OUR VALUES
We foster strong ethical values, namely integrity, loyalty, maximum effort and safety.
INTEGRITY AND LOYALTY
The integrity is the fundamental base, upon which the WLA’s staff operates. We always do the right thing, in all circumstances.
Our relationships with clients and suppliers are based on honesty, respect, justice and equity, and we expect the same from them. We spare no effort in ensuring endurance of our trust-based relationships.
Loyalty is also one of our core values. We maintain an extreme respect to our moral principles and always honour our commitments.
MAXIMUM EFFORT
The WLA’s team knows that all our values are inconsistent without an extraordinary capacity of service and sacrifice. The real value of the team’s strength is to achieve difficult goals; our dream is to make possible the impossible.
To achieve the best results, permanent learning and permanent improvement are paramount.
SAFETY
Our project is only viable if we work in a safe and secure environment. We work safe at all times and in all circumstances. We follow all protocols and requirements for a safe development of our business.
OUR HISTORY
We are proudly the fourth generation, servicing the international shipping industry.
Our Company history begins in 1899, when José Tartiere founded the company “Compañía de Navegación Vasco Asturiana”, in Avilés (North Spain) to serve the transport of coal from Asturian mines to Bilbao and rest of Spain, taking advantage of the railway line that he had created.
The first director of the "Vasco Asturiana" was Luis Caso de los Cobos, brother-in-law of José Tartiere. Due to his knowledge of the maritime world, Luis Caso de los Cobos sets in 1910 as a shipping agent and customs broker in Aviles to offer all agency services in the Asturian ports. With the time, the company became owners of 16 merchant vessels. The main highlights of our history are:
1900
The company acquires its first vessel named “Gatton”
1953
The Shipping Agency became a limited Company (Casocobos, S.A.)
1957
Remolques, Aguadas y Salvamentos, S.A. is established, to provide towing
services and fresh water services in the ports of Avilés and San Esteban de Pravia, with
a fleet of four harbour and ocean tugs.
1963
First vessel of the fleet is acquired.
1986
Marítima del Principado, S.A. is created, as a ship-owning company.
1990
Remolcadores de Vizcaya, S.L., is constituted as a tug-owning Company.
2011
WLA Ship Agents S.L is formed.
Our companies contributed to the enhancement and improvement of the maritime world in Spain and internationally, participating in the creation of associations for the defense and protection of maritime business: ANAVE, ANESCO, ANARE, European Tugowners Association, being active members of their boards and committees.
The effort and sacrifice of generations of seamen and maritime experts have succeeded in more than a century old history, with one goal: Continuous improvement of service to our customers.
OUR SERVICES
WLA Ship Agents is a well-experienced, world-wide capable, all-segments shipping agency house, with special expertise in serving the LNG segment.
WLA Ship Agents endeavours to offer a different service, based upon the real Voice of Client, with the aim of providing an operations-oriented, cost effective service, with tailor-made voyage solutions.
We provide around the clock world-wide agency attendance, as well as maritime consultancy, innovative agency solutions in all aspects of the logistics of a ship in port, with aim to achieve economies of scale for ship-owners, ship operators and charterers.
OUR CONCEPT
The Hub model has been replicated in different companies (with minimal variances) and is based upon an Operations supervision centre and a centralized accountancy.
This model lacks effective control on local agents (due to large amount of port calls) and is normally inconsistent in the attendance received in different ports. This model is also vulnerable to conflict of interests, based on a permanent choice of local offices and ultimately results in a remarkable administrative fragility.
We have developed a state-of-the-art new Control Tower concept, a new relationship changing the usual interface between ship-owner/operator/charterer, hub agents and local agents, to upgrade the agency attendance to the professional level required by clients, with full transparency and visibility.
OUR TEAM
Our team is formed by well-experienced professionals, with working experience in large multinational agency houses, having worked in multi-port environments in all segments of shipping industry.
Contact
WLA Ship Agents
Zurbano, 23 Bajo B, 28023 Madrid, Spain
PHONE: +34 91 051 21 80
FAX: +34 91 049 53 59
operations@wlashipping.com
