wire Shipping celebrated the official opening of its Lae office on 19 February 2021, strengthening its commitment to customers and communities in Papua New Guinea (PNG) and the region. Conveniently located at Milford Haven Road, the new office will provide customers and partners with easy access to the Lae Port which is less than a kilometre away.
The opening ceremony was officiated by Mr Alistair Skingley, Country Manager for Swire Shipping in PNG, and attended by Swire Shipping’s customers, partners and employees. Guests enjoyed a traditional dance performance by a local group over food after viewing the newly furnished office. Mr Skingley said, “Swire Shipping has been trading in PNG since 1941 and we are delighted to celebrate the official opening of our new office in Lae today. The Lae Port is PNG’s busiest port and our vessels make regular port calls there. We wanted to be situated nearby so that we can be closer to our partners and better serve our customers and the community.”
To encourage collaboration and idea generation, breakout spaces are available for staff to have a meal, bond with their colleagues or hold informal meetings. Workstations are also fitted with new, ergonomic desks and chairs to enhance overall employee experience and wellbeing.
“We are all very excited to be moving into this new space, and we have designed the office to promote interaction and improve communication between the different teams. In doing so, we hope to be able to shorten the turnaround times for customer requests and save our customers’ time,” said Ms Isabel Maguire, Branch Manager for Swire Shipping’s Lae office.
Ms Maguire added, “People are our greatest assets and we strive to provide a good working environment for all our employees. Swire Shipping’s purpose is to enrich lives by connecting customers with communities in the Pacific, and we can only achieve this with the help of our people.”
PNG is one of the key markets for Swire Shipping and the company is focused on connecting global supply chains to the communities there. In 2020, Swire Shipping upgraded its North Asia Express (NAX) and Southeast Asia (SEA) services to boost connectivity to PNG. The company also donated to the Port Moresby Nature Park after learning about the Nature Park’s struggle to survive during the COVID-19 pandemic.
