The Franco Shipping Group was founded by Dr. Achilles Frangistas in 1948. He acquired his first ship in 1951 and by the start of the sixties he had managed to establish a healthy and expanding fleet whose performance was further enhanced through the addition of a substantial number of dry cargo ships, including fifteen war-built Liberty ships.-- --By the mid-sixties, Franco had gained substantial expertise concerning the international shipping business, enabling it to engage in new building projects. In a pioneering agreement with the USSR, a series of ten ships of various types were constructed at the Nikolayev Shipyards and subsequently came under the group's management.----The rapid evolution of Franco's maritime activities did not cease there. During the following five years, 20 dry cargo ships from the second hand market joined its fleet before Franco took delivery of two SD-14 ships built at Hellenic Shipyards, Scaramanga in 1971.-- --After a successful period of two and a half decades in dry cargo operation, the company's principals decide to start diversifying to include the bulk carrier section in order to meet the rapidly changing trends in world shipping. To underline itscommitment, a 26000dwt bulker was ordered and delivered from Namura shipyard in Japan in 1976. This was followed by numerous purchases of bulk carriers form the second-hand market over the following twenty-five years.-- --Today, Franco Compania Naviera S.A., is the operator of a continuously growing fleet of modern bulk carriers.--CREWING--The Crew Department is responsible for ensuring that each vessel is manned with capable and experienced seafarers always in accordance with national and international requirements and regulations. --The company appreciates the human element as being the most critical of all factors and in co-operation with independent manning agents select, provide and recruit competent, properly trained crew for the vessels. --Franco Compania Naviera S.A. values its employees and focuses in their training and well-being and maintains a pool of seafarers who work with us for over a decade.
