BISX-listed APD Limited (Arawak Port Development), owner and operator of the Nassau Container Port and the Gladstone Freight Terminal, has announced that it has been certified by ABS Quality Evaluation, Inc. as having met the requirements set forth by ISO 9001:2015 and ISO 14001:2015 as of June 12, 2019. The Standards are established by the International Organization for Standardization. APD is the first commercial port operator in the Caribbean region to earn these prestigious designations.
The International Organization for Standardization (ISO) is a world-renowned, independent, non-governmental international organization with a membership of 164 national standards bodies. Through its members, it brings together experts to share knowledge and develop voluntary, consensus-based, market relevant International Standards that support innovation and provide solutions to global challenges.
ISO 9001:2015 sets criteria for quality management systems and is the most current standard for which certification can be achieved. By earning this distinction, Arawak Port Development has set itself among the top international companies within the maritime sector in terms of global product and service quality standards. ISO 14001:2015 provides practical tools for companies that are focused on improving their environmental performance. This can include refining waste management systems, reducing energy usage, and other forms of managing the impact that the company has on its natural environment. Both certifications consider port and terminal operations, including the provision of container, break bulk and bulk cargo handling, heavy equipment and facilities maintenance and warehousing services.
“We’ve been refining our processes in anticipation of earning these certifications since early 2018,” said Yvette Rahming, Assistant Vice President, Legal Counsel, and Head of Safety at APD. “This project was extremely important to us – not just to support our performance as an international player in the industry, but to help us to manage our impact on the environment as a supportive community partner. Employees at every level of our company were involved in making this happen. We were also fortunate to be able to bring in two students from the Small Island Sustainability Studies program at the University of The Bahamas to assist our team in meeting the requirements under the 14001:2015 standards for an effective environmental management system. Their knowledge and research went a long way to support the efforts of our employees to make this possible.”
Michael J. Maura, Jr., Chairman of APD, congratulated his team on achieving these internationally recognized standards. “Our staff members have gone above and beyond to attain these certifications. Throughout the review process, we challenged and inspired each other to dig deeper, think bigger, and truly take ownership of how we work. This achievement belongs to every single person working at APD. APD Limited is now instantly recognizable as a “best-in-class” organization that consistently maintains the highest quality in service and environmental management standards, which makes our company, and doing business in The Bahamas, highly attractive to international partners.”
Richard McCombe, Assistant Vice President of Operations and Facilities, reflected on the way the certifications will affect the performance of the company. “ISO certification motivates us to continuously consider all partners and stakeholders that we work with. Our suppliers, tenants, licensees and community members will have to be similarly aligned in the way they manage the quality of their products and services and their impact on the environment as they collaborate with us. We’ve already engaged some of our tenants as a part of this process.” Yvette Rahming, who served as ISO Lead Implementer, indicated that to be recognized as meeting the requirements for ISO Standards, companies are required to implement processes that support the framework of the requisite standard. There are some 21,740 ISO Standards available.
Dion Bethell, President and CFO of APD, complimented the entire team stating that “all team members were fully engaged and vested in this initiative and the end result shows the level of commitment of our team.” The new certifications will also affect management of upcoming initiatives within the Nassau Container Port community including the Electronic Single Window customs initiative and other projects aimed at improving safety within the Nassau Container Port and Gladstone Freight Terminal communities.
APD Limited is the first commercial port operator in the Caribbean to earnISO 9001:2015 and ISO 14001:2015 standard certifications in Quality Management Systems and Environmental Management from ABS Quality Evaluation Inc. These prestigious designations are earned upon meeting criteria established by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO), an independent, non-governmental international organization with a membership of 164 national standards bodies.