We started our co-operation with Stargate more than 10 years ago, initially on a trial basis, as the second manning agent in Romania. Over the years the pool of seafarers recruited for us by Stargate grew and currently this is our main manning source in the country. It has been a pleasure working with Ionut Rusu and his team all these years. It is nice and easy to work with professional and dedicated people whom you can trust, who understand your needs and try to meet all your requirements, being prompt and attentive at all times. We are particularly impressed by how much care and personal attention the Stargate staff endows on their seafarers, treating them as members of a big family. This is the main reason why Stargate enjoys steady growth and good reputation.
We have been working with Stargate Crewing for almost 10 years. They are one of our principal crew suppliers from Europe. I have personally known Ion Rusu (General Manager) for a fairly long time and we get along very well both at professional and personal level. Not only do they bring us highly competent crew, but we have a wonderful working relationship with all his staff. Stargate’s employees are great to work with because they are dedicated, client focused and quick to respond. We can go to them with any kind of problem and they will find us a satisfactory solution in no time. Ion has a very competent team working with him and they are an asset to any vessel operator.
Stargate knows the Romanian supply market like few other agencies. They remain at the top of the game with their hard work and dedication to client satisfaction. I can safely vouch that Stargate is one of our most reliable partners and we hope to work with them for many years to come.
Our business relationship with Stargate goes back to the year 2007, when we started recruiting the first Officers for our managed fleet via them. During the following years a fruitful cooperation has developed, and we managed to expand our pool to over 130 active Romanian seafarers for whom Stargate was able to maintain a high retention rate.
Their office staff is competent and assists us promptly with our recruitment requirements as well as in keeping a close contact with seafarers and their families. It is noteworthy that in 2016 we did not have a single Drug&Alcohol policy violation involving seafarers recruited via Stargate and also the performance reports received for crew employed via Stargate, show a good level of education and the right business attitude, particularly in these difficult economic times. We believe that the Romanian market has further expansion potential and we expect to do more business there in the future – supported by Stargate and their local team.
We have a fairly long standing professional association with Stargate, which started in 2004. In the beginning the crew-figures were small for some years, but meanwhile they are one of our principal crew suppliers from Europe. During the extensive growth of our fleet and thanks to the support of Stargate we were able to recruit more and more professional Romanian crew. Specifically we like to point out that Stargate is able to strictly follow our company-requirements in regards to recruiting and employing crew, they are successfully publishing vacancies – especially in the senior ranks – and to rise interest in Romanian crew for NORD. Once they join our fleet, Stargate is maintaining the crew-pool informing about career paths, promotion plans and development options for each individual seafarer – always in close cooperation with our crew-department/NORD. When the seafarers are on board, we have direct access to them – and if they are at home, we can always rely on Stargate to keep the seafarers informed about the NORD-Strategy and anything that is important for the seafarer at home.
Seafarers, mainly senior officers, coming from Stargate have proven to be very professional, punctual about returning to the next assignment, very communicative and sober when required to take unannounced Drug and Alcohol tests. One very big advantage of working with Stargate is that Romanian Nationals do not have any difficulties when sailing on Singapore Flag vessels, considering that more than half of our fleet comes under the Singapore Flag. We benefit form being in close touch with their staff, and if we need crew a short notice, we can organise a briefing and induct the officer in shortest time possible. All in all, we are very satisfied and the results speak for themselves. We consider Stargate to be innovative and very responsive towards the requirements of Owners like us.
Saltgate Shipmanagement and Stargate Crewing have enjoyed a good working relationship since 2010. Ionut Rusu and his team in Constanta are competent and have a very good insight into the shipping industry in general, and developments regarding Romanian seafarers in particular. They are working hands on and react promptly, in a friendly and efficiently manner, to any requirements received from us, and they are not shy to offer alternative solutions.
We first started working with Stargate when we had a requirement to place EU crew on one of our DP II diving support vessels. We were not sure about what to expect from a Romanian vendor and Romanian crew. Stargate impressed us with their professionalism and the carefully selected candidates they proposed, which soon made us decide to use Romanian crew also on our other vessels. Our relationship has strongly developed and know that we can rely completely on their ability to meet our requirements.
We are working with some fine electricians, fitters and general maintenance teams from Romania on regular basis. At every instance, I was most impressed at the way these people conducted themselves and went about doing their work – as if no problem was too difficult to handle. All tasks undertaken are professionally completed on time. Their attention to detail and speed of delivery was second to none. I would like to personally thank Stargate for their wonderful workmanship and hope we can continue our association in the future.