In 2008, MOL shipped more than 57 million deadweight tons, making it the world’s largest carrier in terms of tonnage.

Illinois-based MOL (America) Inc. uses the diverse global resources of its parent company Mitsui O.S.K. Lines, Ltd. – one of the world’s oldest and largest global multimodal transportation companies – to de­liv­er value to its customers. While MOL (America) Inc. is the U.S. contain­er division, MOL operates various types of ships, including dry bulk and car carrier – to transport clients’ pro­ducts around the world.

“We have a network to reach all over the world – almost everywhere,” MOL (America) Inc. President and CEO Noboru Kitazawa says.

MOL’s liner network of routes covers the world with approximately 70 weekly services, including 12 weekly transpacific services via the U.S. West and East coasts, and all-water services via the Panama and Suez canals. MOL meets diverse customer needs with more port calls than any other shipping company.

The company specializes in maritime transportation, carrying essentially “any kind of goods,” Kitazawa adds. “We include many goods, like liquid gas and iron,” he adds. The company attracts clients by selling its space for reasonable rates, focusing on customer service, and pursuing higher operating efficiency.

MOL stays on top of its game by constantly innovating to provide the best services possible through its 329 companies. “We are very much diversified.” says Tomo Suzuki, vice president of yield management and corporate communications. “We are trying our best to give our customers more services.”

For example, MOL’s container division also operates container terminals in Japan, the United States and Thailand. This includes terminals in Los Angeles and Oakland in California and Jack­son­ville, Fla.

In September, MOL announced that would establish a new joint terminal operation company in Cai Mep, Viet­nam.

For many years, MOL has developed and introduced ground­­breaking envir­on­­mental tech­­no­logies of its own accord that are a step ahead of the times. Most recently, MOL announced that it formed the concept for its next-generation vehicles, the first of which is an environmentally friendly car carrier known as the ISHIN-I. The ISHIN-I further de­v­elops the use of renewable energy for conventional car carriers and realizes zero emission by adopting large-capacity solar-power panels and re­chargeable batteries.

“We also invented and adopted the propeller boss cap fin system, which re­covers energy loss in the vortex generated be­hind a ship’s propeller,” Kita­zawa says.

Although the entire ocean carrier industry is in a downturn, Kitazawa says that MOL’s container division has been staying busy. “All we have to do are reduce our costs to a greater extent and improve efficiency,” he states. “In order to meet demand, we are trying to adjust our capacity through the scrapping of vessels or returning the charter vessels to the owner. Sometimes we have to make some vessels idle.”

And from time to time, MOL (America) Inc. also teams up with Cali­fornia Multimodal LLC (CMI) to provide retailers with drayage and distribution services tailored to their needs.

Shipping Success
Founded in 1884, MOL leads its worldwide competition in terms of tonnage – last year it shipped 57 million deadweight tons. “In var­ious areas of the in­dustry, we rank No. 1 to No. 2 globally,” Kitazawa ex­plains.

MOL’s containership fleet includes about 100 vessels, ranging in size from 450 TEUs to 8,100 TEUs.
“[We offer] stable, mass-volume transport of dry bulk cargo,” the company states. “We meet various customer needs with a range of specialized carriers de­signed and constructed for each cargo's characteristics and conditions at loading/unloading ports. These vessels in­clude iron ore car­riers that have be­come successively larger, coal carriers tailored to the needs of specific ports, and wood chip carriers that transport light­weight, high-volume shipments to the worldwide paper industry.

MOL explains that its variety of bulk carriers gives it the flexibility to meet different customer needs and provide top-quality service. “We also operate heavy lifters that carry massive cargo such as large-size machinery and plant equipment that are indispensable for industrial growth and cannot be moved on conventional vessels,” it says.

Because it tran­sports some po­tentially ­dangerous ma­terials, MOL knows it has to have top-notch safety technology and technical capabilities. In addition to the company’s safe practices, a 1996 international treaty states that all newly built tankers must have a double hull to prevent cargo oil leakage in the event of a collision or grounding.

“While expanding our fleet, we focus on enhanced seafarer education and train­ing, making safety a top priority on both the hardware and software sides,” the company explains. “MOL has taken the initiative to replace all kinds of tankers with double-hull vessels and completed replacement of all single-hull crude oil tankers.

“In another move to enhance the safety and environmental friendliness of our tanker fleet, the fuel tanks of all very large crude carriers completed since May 2005 feature a double-hull structure well ahead of the deadline. We established a ship management company exclusively for tankers to better concentrate operational know-how and enhance safety and efficiency. In addition, we offer a unique seafarer education and training that includes simulator training of tank­er operation and cargo loading/discharging, at our exclusive training centers.”