
Why Dole owns container ships - mhb
https://www.flexport.com/blog/why-dole-owns-container-ships/
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abricot
Sounds like the answer was: Because their ships have their own cranes and can
go to smaller ports in developing countries.

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masklinn
Also

* because Dole imports from the tropics which have a limited concept of seasons, so the ships rarely if ever sit unused (therefore it makes sense to own or lease)

* because Dole moves products from places way outside major shipping lanes and ports, hiring ships would be inconvenient

* even more so because Dole needs refrigerated ships making #2 worse

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bkor
Your last item is not totally accurate: Refrigerated ships are the ones where
the entire vessel is temperature controlled. What Dole needs is lots of power
connections ("reefer plugs"). That's uncommon but not the same as a
refrigerated ship. Last I knew, other companies partly use reefer ships
(bananas in bulk) combined with loading into containers.

The benefit of a big refrigerated vessel is mostly when you have a big company
importing ("importers") in huge quantities and then selling it to other
companies. A single container is huge, but it is way less than a whole
refrigerated vessel. Part of the reason why more bananas have been shipped in
reefer containers is due to companies cutting out the importers.

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SyneRyder
Possibly related episode of 99% Invisible, about the invention & design of
temperature controlled containers, to speed or slow the ripening of fruit
while in transit so they're in peak condition on arrival:

[http://99percentinvisible.org/episode/reefer-
madness/](http://99percentinvisible.org/episode/reefer-madness/)

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kejaed
Came here to say the same thing. Feel like this guy
[https://twitter.com/Andrew_Jarvis/status/674028991792070656](https://twitter.com/Andrew_Jarvis/status/674028991792070656)

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Theodores
Compare and contrast with BP, an oil company that owns a large fleet of
tankers. The BP fleet never has the BP logo showing anywhere lest there be
some Exxon Valdez scenario or some hijacking.

With bananas the local wildlife would probably be rather pleased if there was
a 'banana spillage'.

Point being that there are other reasons for a ship having company logos on
it.

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Shivetya
Are they direct holdings or are they kept in a separate subsidiary of Dole?
Would be interesting to note if they haul non direct competitor goods, there
have to be other fruits and vegetables in the ports they frequent that Dole
doesn't sell. Curious if they transport much back

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DiabloD3
I would be surprised if they were not a separate subsidiary of Dole.

There is usually no reason to have completely unrelated industries (especially
when you depend on many companies in said industry to make your primary
business function) as part of your main company, especially when, yes, as you
stated, the non-related-industry sub-company will usually look for work to
optimize its cash flow, ie, to not have idle assets that could be making money
instead.

An example we're more use to: Amazon's AWS is a separate company that works
for competitors to Amazon's other services (Netflix vs Prime Video, one of the
Spotify customers (can't remember which) vs Prime Music, etc.

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ape4
I thought bananas shouldn't go in the fridge.

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acveilleux
Reefers can be set to whatever temperature they need to be at. Here's what a
major container line has to say about that:
[https://www2.nykline.com/liner/cargo_advisory/chill_cargo.ht...](https://www2.nykline.com/liner/cargo_advisory/chill_cargo.html)

Bottom-line, 13 degrees centigrade is what you're aiming for along with 50
m3/h of airflow (50 cfm in US units.) Airflow because bananas ripen in the
presence of ethylene and ripening bananas release ethylene. That's the reason
putting bananas in a paper bag ripens them faster.

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aaronharnly
Interesting, thanks. I'm surprised how many of those are at or near freezing!
Or for apples, actually below freezing.

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iveqy
The real question here is why Dole owns container ships and Chiquita doesn't.
What differs Chiquitas needs from Doles?

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EwanToo
It seems simply financial engineering - Chiquitas sold the ships, then leased
them back on long term contracts, but freed up a bunch of short-term cash

[http://news.thomasnet.com/companystory/chiquita-completes-
sa...](http://news.thomasnet.com/companystory/chiquita-completes-sale-of-
ships-522844)

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user3141592653
When major players are consolidating (CMA CGM and NOL, Cosco and CSCL) it
makes no sense to have a four ship fleet.

Any company could easily accommodate their needs (refer capacity, cranes,
etc)even cheaper given the fact that right now the dry and container market is
at the lowest point ever.

This is the era to charter a vessel and not own one.

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alricb
It's just four ships on the West Coast, though. In total, Dole owns 19
vessels:
[http://www.doleoceancargo.com/vessels.html](http://www.doleoceancargo.com/vessels.html)

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giarc
>Follow @DoleCargo

I'm amused that the Cargo fleet has it's own twitter account.

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nkassis
It's even funnier that it seems someone hooked up the account to a social game
and is playing with it broadcasting their score ;p

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rasputhin
Not sure about the US but those containers are great for adaptive use in
retail and housing in many parts of Asia.

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thedogeye
Never heard of refrigerated containers being used for retail or housing. Got a
link?

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HeyLaughingBoy
I don't think they keep the refrigerators. A couple of feed stores around here
use containers for storage. Gotta be hotter than hell tossing 50lb bags of
cattle feed in one of those things in middle of summer!

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grendelt
Del Monte has their own banana ships. I know some of them call port in
Galveston.

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swehner
flexport ~ y-comb

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unics
Yes! We Have No Bananas.

