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January 2005 23 moved up the company ladder to his present position of Director of Marine Operations. This diverse background was of assistance when Spirit effectively overhauled the way in which it approached the hiring and retention of its crew. "First, we had to look at how the boats were crewed and staffed," Captain Hanchrow said. "We had to develop a complete staff matrix, looking at the positions which were the most difficult to fill, that being the captains and mates. The company considered it imperative to create several corporate management slots, executive level career paths for the captains and mates, and Captain Hanchrow notes that of the current crop of six permanent captains, five started out as deck hands with Spirit. For mates, the company offers full time employ- ment and benefits, and has successfully legitimized the positions by doling out considerable responsibility and stability in the form of a defined career path. "We had to develop a plan that gave them room to move up," Captain Hanchrow said. An example: though it is not required, mates are give fire fighting training as a means to show them that the company is interested in their profes- sional development. Captain Hanchrow is a good example of this success as well. He recently received a "huge honor" when he was selected for the delivery crew aboard the M/V Chenega, the new Derecktor-built, Nigel Gee-designed fast ferry built for Alaska Marine Highway. He recently completed his GMDSS training at MITAGS in Baltimore in order to be fully qualified for the 23-day delivery run, and cites his company allowance to participate in the delivery as a part of the bridge team as further proof to Spirit's commitment to ensuring the professional growth of its team. Much of this is made possible by the fact that Spirit City Cruises is a part of a much larger corpo- rate structure, and advantage in a market filled with small operations. In fact, he cites the corporate culture as to why the implementation of all of the new mar- itime security regulations has been rela- tively seamless. "Our corporate struc- ture made it (the implementation of new security rules) easy, but if you talk to the 'mom and pop' guys down the block, they think it's a disaster." Circle 233 on Reader Service Card YOUR WORLDWIDE SOURCE FOR QUALITY CARGO SECURING AND SPECIALIZED MATERIAL HANDLING PRODUCTS AND SYSTEMS PRODUCTS A FULL SERVICE MANUFACTURER 180 Division Ave West Sayville, NY 11796, USA Tel.: 631-589-2510 or 800-488-7325 Fax: 631-589-2925 www.peckhale.com sales@peckhale.com DEFENSE x Aircraft Carriers x MSC & MARAD Ships x Ammo/Cargo Vessels x Amphibious Crafts MARITIME x Container Ships x Ro-Ro Vessels x Multi-Purpose Ships x Specialty Vessels x Container Lashing x Web & Wire Tiedowns x Hi-Shock Chain Tiedowns x Vehicle Aircraft Tiedowns x Sling & Nets x Camlocks x Corner Castings x Quick Release Hooks x Complete Product Line x Engineering & Design x Worldwide Network x Technical Services x Over 50 Years Experience * Mention this ad for a special promotional discount 2-PART PAINT AND EPOXY DISPENSING Ashby Cross Co. 28 Parker Street, Newburyport, MA 01950 USA ¦ (978) 463-0202 ¦ FAX (978) 463-0505 www.ashbycross.com Automatic or manual portable metering systems for accurately proportioning and dispensing 2-part paint, epoxy, urethane, polysulfide, and silicone Ashby Cross manufactures a wide range of metering pumps for all types of 2-part materials Circle 246 on Reader Service CardCircle 207 on Reader Service Card MR JANUARY 2005 #3 (17-24).qxd 1/6/2005 5:20 PM Page 7
