Prosperity at Spanish ports rises

The company has created an operations department to increase efficiency at the two ports and two rail subsidiaries. A new health, security and safety department reflects COSCO Shipping's emphasis on safety, Sun said.

Sun worked at Greece's COSCO-managed Piraeus Port for five years and has a lot of experience with port management. He said they will focus first on improving traffic volume and then develop intermodal transport services－smoothly moving containers between different modes of transportation－to turn their facilities into hubs offering comprehensive services.

That type of operation will enable the company to fully "take advantage of the economic benefit from northern Spain", he said. "It will take time. We have just started, and the priority is to build a team and establish our corporate cohesion."

Sun said that if the company can offer a promising future, employees will be inspired and loyal. He expects the company will handle 3.7 million TEUs this year, which after last year's 3.3 million TEUs would be a more than 12 percent increase.

Juan Orti Llatas, commercial and business development director for Noatum Ports, said local employees are happy with the new management. "In a company, when the future is bright, you should be happy," he said.

Orti, from Valencia, spent years working for a South Korean shipping company before joining Noatum Ports a year ago. He sees himself as a link between Eastern and Western culture.

"At first employees need to adapt to the new culture. But we Spanish people are open-minded, and employees here are very professional. … Ninety-five percent of our employees are already getting used to the change, and the rest of them will soon adapt to it," he said.