OLS looks after customers’ extraordinary needs

THE REQUIREMENTS of cruise liners calling at Walvis Bay are often not readily available locally. A piano has to be tuned or a group of passengers aboard want 20 red roses for a special occasion.
“You don’t find the answers to those requests on hand in Walvis Bay,” says Katja Gloditzsch, general manager of Ocean Liner Services (OLS), an industry major in the provision of ships’ agency services to the vessels.
“Roses don’t grow here. Piano tuners are few and far between. But finding the solutions is our task and we’ve always managed to answer the call. Our company letters - OLS - are fondly known as ‘Only Lekker Service’ in this region. And we make sure we live up to it.”
The services provided by OLS date back to 1924 when the partnership of Maertens and Woker was formed, later changing to Woker Freight Services.
In 1995 Manica Group Namibia was established and immediately decentralisation of the various divisions saw the founding of what is now OLS.
“The year 1995 was, in fact, quite a traumatic one for us,” she says. “The change from Woker Freight Services Ship’s Agency to OLS was a major project. Customers had to be notified, new stationery designed, a logo was approved and this exciting trend has continued up to today.
“It’s everything from cruise liners to tramp steamers that fall within our ambit. They all require supplies in some form or another and we are here to make sure they get them.”