Who we are
Since 1975 we are working as experts in the fields of transport, cargo handling, storage packing etc., for renowned Insurance Companies, Underwriters and Insurance Brokers. Since 1986 we are average agents for VHT (formerly VHA/VBS) in Hamburg. Soon afterward we were appointed for Moscow, Novosibirsk, Minsk, Prague, Bratislava and Warsaw. Thus there is a geographical emphasis on Eastern Europe, where, after frontiers were opened, we established Branches, either ourselves or with partners. We have surveyors working for us over there, whom we know in person and whom we have trained over the years to meet our requirements. Close co-operation exists, of course, with partners world wide. Here, too, we mainly work with surveyors known to us in person.
Over the years we have specialised in many fields. We have members of staff, who, beside their all round capabilities, have acquired special skills and knowledge. These include: Products of vegetable origin as coffee, cocoa, tea, animal feed, cereals, fruit and vegetables as well as refrigerated goods foodstuffs meat and meat products. Moreover technical plant, machinery, electric and electronic devices, personal effects, objects of art and antiques. Apart from that bulk cargoes as fertilisers, crude oil and petrochemical products, paper and wood pulp, steel and construction part. Draft surveys of seagoing vessels and river craft, approval of seagoing vessels and processing of hull damage cases of yachts on river craft are also within our domain. Apart from that we are specialists in supervision of loading and discharging operations concerning construction parts and heavy lifts.
Key areas of our activities are: Loss prevention, mitigation of loss through salvage sales of damaged goods, supervision of cargo handling operations, inspections of packing, risk analyses, training courses, consultative advice and above all processing of damage claims from the assessment of damage extent and investigation of the cause of damage right to safeguarding recovery actions.
We have a crew of experienced surveyors, who will take care of your problems. Complementing our own experience we are drawing on the knowledge of specialists from technical colleges, institutes and laboratories, to ensure that investigations of cases are as comprehensive as possible. In close co-operation with our principals and their insured clients we work out survey reports enabling all parties concerned to gain a precise insight into a damage case or to assess a given risk correctly.
Requirements in the market of insurance of goods in transit have changed greatly during the last couple of years. Underwriters more and more often are looking for complete solutions, i.e. processing of a claim from the assessment of the damage to recovery actions right through to adjustment. To be better prepared to meet these requirements, in 2005 we have established a co-operation with Messrs Lampe & Schierenbeck-Claims Services of Bremen, in order to be able to offer exactly such solutions. Our partners are looking back on decades of experience as average agents and in the field of recovery actions. Therefore it appeared natural to bundle the know-how of our two companies. Our co-operation agreement on the one hand ensures the independence of both partners, on the other hand our clients have access to an even wider range of experience and knowledge.
