We will have the last laugh

Nov 13 2007 by Kevin Shakesheff for the Evening Gazette

FOLLOWING the recent absurd Channel 4 knock at Middlesbrough - naming the town as the UK’s worst place to live in its Location, Location, Location show - I’m still rocking with anger.

But I’m convinced that Teessiders are going to have the last laugh.

I was recently crowned in Singapore as the international chairman of the Institute of Shipbrokers.

Without doubt China is now controlling the world by way of exports and Shanghai is now the largest port in the world.

Every one of us is going to buy more and more goods from China and they all have to be moved, shipped and carried.

Did you know that there are 120 gigantic ships being built worldwide and together with them 12,000 giant containers needed for their day-to-day life?

And that’s where we are perfectly poised here in Middlesbrough and Teesport to take advantage of this massive market.

PD Ports is working hard on the Northern Gateway project and the facilities that will be needed to welcome these vessels. They are eagerly awaiting ministerial approval and by Christmas it should be go, go, go.

I am currently chairman of Middlesbrough Shipbrokers Casper Shipping which has its head office in the Cleveland Business Centre right in the heart of the town.

My own firm currently specialises in liquid, dry bulk and steel.

I think that when expansion takes place my own firm will be in a good position to take advantage of it. We might have to shift our emphasis as well towards containers.

I plan to bring the message of the special nuances the Institution can provide to the world over the next two years and I am determined to pack the message of wonderful Teesside in my suitcase.

My experience of global travel is already enormous and I have identified that we suffer from an enormous identity problem.

The trouble is that everyone knows about Teesport but no one has any idea where Middlesbrough is.

Yes, they have heard about the football team but ask someone to point us out on a map and they are flummoxed.

There is simply no connection between the two with most people I have met.

Obviously my Institute duties must come first but afterwards I will take any opportunity to tell the world about this magical part of Britain we live in.

I certainly won’t upset people from the other centres nationwide and overseas I deal with, but what an opportunity I will have – a roving ambassador for the Boro and all that goes with it!

You can’t get much better than that.

I am now waiting for a message from the office of Middlesbrough Mayor Ray Mallon to discuss my overseas campaign.

Middlesbrough Council has already provided me with a toolkit to use abroad to prove that Middlesbrough is not all at sea after the recent comments.

I feel it will be the place to be - given the Northern Gateway success down on the river.

Kevin Shakesheff is a chartered shipbroker and chairman of Middlesbrough-based Casper Shipping.