The head of Frisia Chartering, Gunnar Eisenecker, tells TradeWinds that his company is still open for business but recently relocated to a new office in Hamburg.
He says the shop, which specialises in the handymax and handysize segments, was forced to sever its 25-year relationship with Allied right before the Greek bulker operator ceased trading.
Eisenecker declined to comment on reports that Frisia was one of more than a dozen creditors that have filed claims against the Dimitris Marinis-led company in the US and Greece.
As we reported, in its prime Allied was fixing as many as 150 bulkers annually, moving more than five million tonnes of cargo year and boasted more than two dozen employees.
After falling on hard times and failing to secure an infusion from outside investors, bankruptcy is looking increasingly likely with its fate resting in the hands of the Hellenic courts, which are expected to decide on the next step in the days or weeks to come.
More than 20 lawsuits are believed to have been filed against Allied in Greece, a figure general counsel Alan Parr would neither confirm nor deny when contacted by TradeWinds yesterday.
Of the 16 lodged in the US all but one remains open. Forton Shipping, which launched a Rule B offensive in Illinois over a charter dispute earlier this year, withdrew its complaint on 21 August because Allied never responded and its assets couldn’t be found within the district.
At Frisia Chartering any unresolved issues with its former client have been overshadowed by the recent death of Meinhard Eisenecker, who co-founded the firm with Jorn Holm in 1984 before passing the reins to his son.
