What We Do TransTech Marine is a consultancy formed in 1979 to assist government entities, shipowners, shipbuilders and investors to research, design, finance and operate profitable maritime enterprises of all types. Since shipping is the collective word for many different businesses sharing a common ocean, opportunities to derive exciting returns from stratology abound. The end product of TransTech's work is typically a bankable strategic business plan on which ship design, construction, acquisition, finance, deployment and management decisions are based. Ships are capital-intensive, long-lived assets. Well-designed, properly financed and correctly deployed and managed, they can operate profitably for many decades. Poorly conceived or acquired at the wrong time or with the wrong capital structure, they can go straight from the building yard to the breakers. TransTech offers a trio of services to clients to realize the attractive returns that are possible in shipping while minimizing the risks: 1) Research on Request Client-specific Research on Request includes: Detailed research on shipping markets, including coastal, regional and intercontinental liner trades, dry, liquid and gas bulk shipping, U.S. domestic "Jones Act" trades and specialty shipping markets. Measure / project seaborne trade flows by direction, composition, tons, value, key shippers, growth rate(s) Profile of competitors by country, region, sector, service Identify trade entry point, including assessment of potential acquisition candidates vs. "start from scratch" Develop detailed project funding and action plan Development of financial metrics on all maritime transport technologies, ranging from standardized ship types in any trade / sector to specialty and one-off designs. Survey suitable tonnage for the project, including conversion candidates For newbuild / conversion, estimate vessel acquisition / conversion cost using Rapid Estimating Technique Prepare complete pro forma financial projections, including dilution analysis for new investors Assess competitiveness / profitability analysis using quantitative measures (BELF, DACPUT, TCE, WS, TE) 2) Superior Tools for Better Solutions (view TTMC software) Uncertainty is the bedfellow of all investments. In shipping, uncertainty increases volatility of the markets. This can raise or ravage investor returns, which are further magnified by the amount of leverage employed in any given project. FOREX gains / losses can also impact returns. TransTech employs proprietary tools to rationally manage uncertainty: Economically superior ships are achieved by design. Our ship design models build the complete project financial analysis into the ship design process to ensure maximum competitiveness (view "BSDS - A Complete Management Empowerment Tool") Modeling demand can improve timing. Modeling operating costs improves managing them (view Econometric models) Project capital structure must match objectives of investors, including time horizon and liquidity. (view Financial Models) 3) Ship Finance Advisory Services TransTech merchant shipping financial advisory services cover all strategies to build, acquire, convert or charter-in/out commercial tonnage of all types in all shipping sectors, including specialty markets. Our role is to create value by leading or supporting identification of the opportunity in shipping and in the preparation/presentation of well-documented projects to capital providers, primarily equity investors including venture capitalists, investment bankers, private equity groups, angel investors and others. TransTech maintains working relationships with providers of all other components of shipping capital structures, including government credit enhancement programs, debt providers, leasing companies, vendor finance, mezzanine financiers and others. Our objective is always to achieve the lowest capital cost structure consistent with a project's funding needs, business and market risks, conditions in the capital markets and other factors.