We never, ever sell dreams

Providing services to a large geography with offices in Singapore, Rotterdam and finally Dubai, Zeymarine Co-Founder Gürkan Kösemen said, "Our sine qua non as a company is honesty and fast response. We always offer alternative scenarios to our customers, making it easier for them to make decisions. The fact that we are accessible at any time and hour is also a plus for us. On top of that, the fact that we do not make small calculations and always keep our vision wide plays a big role in our steady growth."

Gürkan Kösemen, Founding Partner of Zeymarine Gemi Acenteliği ve Hizmetleri A.Ş., who graduated from the economics department at the university after his college education, is a sailor who stepped into the maritime sector as a post fixture for a coaster shipowner thanks to a close friend during his student years. Kösemen said, "In this 30-year adventure, I have worked in chartering, operations and agency positions. In 2015, I decided to leave a well-known and experienced company in the sector, where I had served for about 16 years, and to establish my own company. This is how the story of Zeymarine began. We are now a big family in this journey that I started alone and with this name I chose inspired by the name of my daughter Zeynep. This makes me both excited and very happy every day."

Continuously expanding our service network

Giving information about Zeymarine's agency services and the regions it serves, Kösemen said, "Zeymarine mainly fulfills port, strait crossing, protective, shipyard, shipowner and offshore agencies. Our service network, which started with the shipyards region in the beginning, has now expanded to all Turkish ports, Far East, Europe and the Arabian peninsula. Our Singapore office, which we established about 4 years ago, serves both Turkish shipowners and our customers who are satisfied with our services in Turkey and prefer us in Singapore. Our Rotterdam office, which we established at the same time with the Singapore office, has started to operate again after a short period of time and has been able to serve its customers. Our current main goal is to expand our service network in that region with our latest Dubai-based office. We also continue our offshore activities by taking part in the project in Sakarya Gas field."

A visionary approach

Commenting on the momentum achieved by Zeymarine, which shows a steady development, Kösemen said, "The synergy and excitement that our company has achieved is primarily due to the fact that we are a family. We are all part of a team within the company and I see this as the main factor in the performance of all our friends. We adopt a macro business approach instead of a micro business approach. We invest in people and technology. Our sine qua non as a company is honesty and quick response. We always provide our customers with alternative scenarios to facilitate their decision-making. Thanks to our London-based insurance policy from the very beginning, we are always under the insurance umbrella against the risks of material damage to our customers. Of course, this is also a factor for our customers to prefer us. As an agency, we unfortunately do not have the luxury of out-of-office hours or weekends. The fact that we are accessible at any time and hour is also a plus for us. Of course, beyond these, I think that not having a narrow perspective that prioritizes short-term interests, always keeping our vision wide, and our steady growth also play a big role."

Our goal is to grow in a planned manner

Speaking about their plans and targets for the future, Kösemen said, "To tell the truth, we are making a very intense effort to maintain our standards due to the ruthless competitive environment we are in and the high costs we face. At the same time, since we always aim to grow in line with our vision, we are exploring and trying all avenues. I am a firm believer that stagnation of growing companies is the beginning of the end. Of course, it is obvious that uncontrolled growth is suicide."

Never try to be a hero

Explaining the principles he cannot give up in his professional life, Kösemen said, "We have a few red lines. The first of these is absolute honesty, regardless of the consequences. Mistakes can happen, of course, but trying to cover them up by giving false information is the biggest mistake that can be made. Apart from that, we have always adopted the following motto with our friends. Never try to be a hero. You present alternatives to the customer, let the customer decide and you implement them. We are a family that aims to be a painkiller instead of a headache for the customer. And of course, we never, ever sell dreams."