Maritime services provider Harbor Star Shipping Services, Inc. (HSSI) has secured its contractor’s license, allowing the company to undertake construction contracting projects, including the building of marine facilities.
HSSI in a disclosure to the Philippine Stock Exchange said it secured its contractor’s license from the Philippine Contractors Accreditation Board last August 10.
“The license authorizes Harbor Star to engage in the construction contracting business in the Philippines under the principal classification of general engineering and general building,” HSSI said.
The company applied for the license in line with its amended secondary purpose so it can engage in the businesses of construction, rehabilitation, and repair of marine facilities—including piers, ports, jetty, terminals, walkways, bridges, buoys, fender systems—as well as dredging and reclamation works.
HSSI chief information officer Ignatius Rodriguez told PortCalls in a text message that the company will primarily go into the construction and repair of marine facilities, but “part of our diversification strategy is to enter into general construction and engineering businesses.”
In 2014, HSSI’s Board approved the amendment of the Second Article of the company’s Articles of Incorporation seeking to change the firm’s primary and secondary purposes to pave the way for the expansion of its business activities.
In September last year, the company created a diving and marine maintenance unit to further develop and strengthen its business line.
It also incorporated a wholly owned subsidiary, Harbor Star Subic Corporation, which will offer marine-related ancillary services such as harbor assistance, towage, lighterage, oil-spill response, and underwater marine services to vessels and terminals operating within the Subic Bay Freeport Zone.
This year, HSSI signed an agreement with Guam Industrial Services, Inc. to establish a joint venture company that will operate several floating dry-dock facilities in the Philippines, with initial operations to start in the middle of 2017.
The marine services provider also purchased a waterfront property in Batangas to serve as its future marine base where its vessels can go for parking and repair, in a move expected to cut operational costs for the company since the vessels no longer have to queue in other ports to load crane, among others. The marine base will be open to other operators as well. – Roumina Pablo
HSSI’s services currently include harbor assistance, lighterage, towing; salvage, marine repair and maintenance works; and other marine services.
The company manages a fleet of 37 domestically and internationally classed tug boats, five barges, a cargo vessel, an oil-spill response vessel, and an anchor-handling tug supply vessel. It operates in 69 ports within the Philippines, of which 14 are base or hub ports.
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