In announcing the move Intermarine CEO Andre Grikitis stated 'We see a great deal of opportunity in the region outside of Venezuela and feel that establishing a regional presence in Bogota best fits our plans for growth. I believe Fernando's experience and knowledge of both the South American market as well as our clients' needs in the region will help us to develop new opportunities in our traditional scope of services and take us into new market segments.' Grikitis continued, 'Anchored by our strong presence in Venezuela, the Caribbean basin has been our strongest and most consistent trading lane.' We continue to be 100% committed to Venezuela and our successful staff, operations, and offices there.'
Intermarine will maintain its present Venezuelan offices and staff in Caracas, Guanta, and Maracaibo. Mr. Maruri will continue to direct Intermarine's Venezuelan efforts which will be locally led by Admiral Jose Manuel Leon Lara (ret.).' Regular commercial activity in Venezuela will continue to be handled by Mrs. Libia Chacon Rumbos with Mr. Juan Ignacio Lopez' assistance.
Mr. Maruri stated 'My 15 years in Venezuela have been truly rewarding and it has been fantastic to be a part of our growth and success with Intermarine and LNP. The experience has provided both me and the organization with the knowledge and capability to expand our position as we look to broadening our South American presence. In addition, it allows us to better serve our clients and search for new opportunities.'
Mr. Maruri joined Intermarine in 1994 and worked in traffic, operations, sales, and chartering. He went on to open Intermarine's first Venezuelan office in Caracas in 1996 to develop the activity generated by Venezuela's robust project cargo market. After launching Intermarine's direct presence in Venezuela, he also directed the establishment of Linea Naviera Paramaconi'S.A., a Venezuelan flag operator of tugs, barges, and other equipment that services the offshore and energy sectors.
