Advanced Polymer Coatings (APC) has recently appointed Stephen Jarvie as the MarineLINE® Global Customer Care Manager for their industry-leading MarineLINE® cargo tank coating system. With almost 20 years of experience in sales, customer service, and technical roles, Stephen brings a wealth of knowledge to this position. Before joining APC, he worked for PPG and AkzoNobel and has been serving as European Sales Manager for APC since 2019.
In his new support role, Stephen will focus on building lasting relationships with new and existing customers to ensure that APC remains a reliable partner beyond the initial sale process.
Captain Onur Yildirim, APC Global Marine Manager, states, "In our early conversations about building out the MarineLINE® Customer Care Department, we initially crafted an arm of our business where APC could effectively operate customer success from our home office in Avon, OH. As business dictated, and our reach grew globally, we quickly learned that a wider breadth of support was needed to offer the level of support we envisioned for our customers." He further expressed his confidence in Stephen's appointment, stating that "with an extensive background and high level of customer service acumen, Stephen was a prime candidate for the position."
One of Stephen's primary goals is to provide customers with the information they need quickly and efficiently to enable them to stay in operation longer and maximize the return on investment of their MarineLINE® Coating System. To achieve this, APC will continue to strategically place personnel across different time zones to ensure that customers can always connect with someone who can help.
"Our customers are everything. We want to invest as much into our customers as they do us. We want to be there for them when they need us most and in it for the long term. They're dealing with enough in their daily operation, from regular operational routines, the ever-changing market demands, crew safety, you name it. There's just so much that goes on to ensure a proper voyage. We want to ensure them their tank coating will always be in check and performing at maximum capacity while allowing them to focus on day-to-day operations and trading."
Through the enhancement of the APC Customer Care Department, plans have been set to create a customer portal where customers can access all their vessel information, project reports, and technical reports, adding even more value to their partnership with APC.
"We want to be available to our customers. Plain and simple. Many queries are cargo carriage requests – 'Okay to carry' requests. Often, the customer will contact us with only 10-12, perhaps fewer, hours' notice before needing to know if they can carry the next profitable cargo. Time is money, and a huge perk of our MarineLINE® Coating is the extensive catalog of cargoes that can be carried, coupled with the availability to switch grades more frequently. We want them to get their answer quickly, correctly, and efficiently to maximize their investment."
Stephen remarked, "Long-term, I see great potential in providing our customers with everything they need whenever they need access. We already have access to this information, and allowing access for our customers to these documents in one central location allows both parties to keep track and stay connected on what's going on and when their tank coating will need to be serviced next. This will ultimately be most helpful for our customers whose vessels need servicing or recoating. APC can proactively work with the customer to coordinate recoating location and get the process completed more efficiently."
APC Vice President of Sales and Marketing Matt Sokol commented, "we're thrilled to move Stephen into this new role and are confident that his experience and vision for APC Customer Care will take our business to the next level." Sokol envisions a "white glove service" for APC's customers, and Stephen's appointment is a significant step towards achieving that goal.
