Local office will help strengthen Idwal’s relationships within this important region and provide quicker and more direct reaction to customers’ requirements

 Idwal, a global leader in vessel inspections, has announced the opening of a representative office in Tokyo, Japan, headed by experienced maritime professional, Mr. Kempu Arisawa. The expansion of its representation in Japan is the latest in a series of growth strategies as the UK business capitalises on its recent market gains, strong technology foundations, and lengthy maritime experience.

Mr. Arisawa has worked in the maritime industry for almost 40 years, most recently as president of AR Corporation Ltd., a company he founded in 2014 to offer maritime consultancy services to an array of maritime clients. Prior to this, Mr. Arisawa worked for Japanese ship owners as president and also director, and, before this, he was employed by trading House Nichimen Corporation (now Sojitz) for over 20 years.

Mr. Arisawa commented: “I am very pleased to open a representative office for Idwal in Japan. As most people know, Japanese shipowners and financial institutions control a vast quantity of tonnage in the global shipping markets and are very active participants in global second-hand markets where Idwal has a market leading position. These are exciting times as the Idwal Pre-sale and Condition Inspection services are being widely accepted by Japanese clients.”

Additionally, there has recently been a change in the way Japanese financial institutions approach asset finance, which focuses on the collateral value of the financed ship. For financial institutions structuring asset finance, the vessel is the collateral itself and condition surveys are essential to monitor the state of the ship. “This is a growing area for Idwal and having a team on hand, to support our customers where the activity is happening, is vital as demand grows”, said Idwal’s CEO, Nick Owens.

Idwal plans to expand its sales, technical and operational teams in Japan over the coming months and years as it grows its unique inspection service. Idwal deploys a rigorous and standardised inspection process, underpinned by a digital methodology, to deliver market-leading inspection reports. All reports feature the Idwal Grade^®, a number between 1 and 100 showing the integrity of any maritime asset or investment whilst enabling easy benchmarking and comparisons at a glance.

Idwal grew from Graig Shipping PLC which is still a major sponsor and shareholder of the business. Idwal was formed in 2010 to develop services for the ship inspection market.