In a keynote speech at the GenPro breakfast networking event on the 7^th June, themed ‘Sustainable Partnerships – The Only Way Forward’, Acting Managing Director, Maria Theodosiou, stressed the importance of developing sustainable partnerships.

More than 100 people from 50 different companies were at the event where Theodosiou explained that the last two years had only served to emphasise how important it is to choose the right business partners, companies which share the same business philosophies and ethics as yourselves and have similar goals. “We have always referred to our suppliers as partner suppliers and that is very important to us. We take time to get to know each other, understand processes and challenges – something which will continue going forward.

“When selecting our partners we ask what is in the core of the company? Who are its people? How do they overcome challenges? How do they deal with adversity? We need partners who have resilience, flexibility and agility, those who will still be here tomorrow.”

The company believes that together with partners they can identify opportunities and share experiences and data, so that together they can ensure a better, more profitable and greener future. With the current global situation it is necessary to address issues head-on and be resourceful in finding solutions.

For Maria Theodosiou, it is clear that the right tools already exist if people change their mindset and take a fresh look at the industry. “Sustainability is key in our developments, not only in our processes, it is a driving force and has been part of the GenPro DNA since the very beginning. It is our contention that through cooperation we can achieve more, and faster, and because we bring all that is the best within us and our suppliers together, we are able to drive in value with services that are not only data driven but also sustainably driven. We also want anyone we do business with to benefit from the relationship, seeing improvements in their own processes and see a real return in value. To ensure this happens we optimise supply chains, reduce operations costs, monitor competitiveness and monitor our clients’ utilisation of contracts. Transparency is key, honest communication and the formation of strong business relationships allow us to operate procurement with purpose.”

GP General Procurement Company Limited (GenPro), which was established in 2018, is an independent maritime and commercial procurement company with presence in Cyprus, Singapore and India. The company boasts a 1,000 vessel pool, representing reputable and globally positioned clients and includes more than 260 contracted suppliers on its platform.

GenPro capitalises on the best practices and strengths of its clients, which are ship management companies and shipowners. This is achieved by merging requirements thereby optimising the procurement of products and services. The company offers a unique value proposition by driving additional value to its client’s procurement processes, via a truly sustainable approach.