Why we do this Three motivations drove creation of TransTech in 1979 and remain at the core of the company today. 1) Healthy shipping is a worthy challenge. A healthy merchant fleet is essential to the economic security of any country. Yet, in many developed countries, including the U.S., the international fleet has been in decline for many years, whereas, in many LDCs, strong motivations exist to build up a national or sovereign fleet. Supply chain management is focusing new attention on transport as a factor in production. However, only the very largest multinational corporations possess in-house, specialized expertise on maritime transport economics, technical ship design and finance to enable proactive management of this cost center. Emergence of new ship technologies like high-speed passenger / freight ferries, shallow draft container-bulk carriers, Arctic tankers, LNG carriers and other exciting developments are opening up new opportunities in shipping that require specialist planning, design, management and finance skills. 2) Shipping can provide above average financial returns. Risk-tolerant capital can achieve exceptional returns from shipping via: Market Timing The market for shipping services is volatile and cyclical, directly affecting the value of some classes of vessel assets which are actively traded between ship owners, traders, brokers and speculators. Introduction of Superior Shipping Technology Introduction of technologically superior tonnage can stimulate growth in some trades. Premium pricing and expanded market share among high value shippers provide accelerated earnings to the high-service ocean carrier. Financial Engineering: Ships are leverageable and fungible assets. Judicious employment of debt, accompanied by credit enhancement when available, will significantly magnify the return on equity in successful asset-based and cash flow defined ship finance structures. An investment in shipping may be in the form of discrete tangible assets in the case of a private company. It may be in the form of traded shares, traded debt, derivatives or an index (as proxy) in the case of a public company. Earning consistent high returns from shipping requires the diligent application of expert knowledge and tools, a worldwide network of competent, reliable fellow professionals and superior instincts. Humility also helps. The sea is neither loyal nor entirely predictable. Its vagaries are constant companion to the financial rewards that shipping can provide. 3) Shipping is "… in the blood …" Shipping has many traditions, among them families spanning generations in the industry. It is said to be "… in the blood…: and so it is. TransTech's founder traces his own family's involvement in shipping back to his great-grandfather who owned a trading house in Gothenburg, Sweden. His grandfather authored two books on navigation, was awarded a U.S. patent for inventing an improved ship's position plotting chart and founded Uttmark's Nautical Academy. His father went to sea as a young man. TransTech continues the tradition. Geoff Uttmark went to sea at age seventeen, is formally educated in ship design and ship finance, holds a limited Master Mariner's license and continues the family tradition of imparting knowledge through consulting, publishing (view published papers) and teaching (view professional education courses). A family shipping tradition is not required to engage TransTech or to work with us. However, profound respect for the sea and all who are connected to it is required. We hold our clients, some of whom are venerable names in shipping, others passionate newcomers to this arcane industry, to the same standard. The sea accommodates all ships. There is room in shipping for all who come to the industry with respect, sound ideas and seriousness of purpose.