Looking back over 2013, it seems that OMA’s growth plans matched the good economic growth seen in West Africa as a whole.
Our headcount at OMA is now over 80 across the four offices and this year OMA staff handled over 1900 agency appointments – an increase of 25% over 2012.
OMA Benin lead the way with ISO 9001 accreditation and we are n
ow on track for both Ghana and Togo to achieve this in the first quarter of 2014 with Côte d’Ivoire to follow later in the year.
Côte d’Ivoire is a country under reconstruction after years of war, and we were perfectly placed to extend our network to include OMA CI by opening our Abidjan office in 2013. Strategically located 20 minutes from the international airport and 10 minutes from the port, in the six months since opening OMA CI is already establishing a reputation for efficiency and reliability for tanker, dry-bulk, liner, and offshore activities and we have an excellent team in place. The final team member – Julien Contie – joins as Country Manager in January.
To support LCL operations in the region, 2013 also saw us acquire bonded warehousing in Cotonou and Lome and enter into an agreement with a local partner in Ghana to provide managed bonded warehousing facilities.
And finally, we were delighted to achieve TRACE certification in Ghana, Togo and Benin this year with Côte d’Ivoire to follow in 2014.
I would like to personally thank all our clients, staff and partners for a busy and productive 2013 and to wish you a very happy Christmas and a prosperous 2014.
Gary Miller
Managing Director, OMA Group