Andrew Whittick doesn’t see himself as the owner of Kinnes Shipping – rather, the latest “custodian” of the historic Dundee firm.
The 39-year-old always hoped the family business, which played a crucial role in the city’s jute industry, would prosper.
He grew up watching his parents work around the clock and tales of colourful sea captains and their hardy crews were his childhood bedtime stories.
However, after losing his beloved father and mother four years ago – just weeks apart – he is more determined than ever to honour their legacy.
“I won’t let the business my family set up go down on my watch and will do all I can to build it up for the next generation,” said Broughty Ferry-born Andrew.
“It is important to me to honour the legacy of my parents, who were both directors of the business.”
From timber to textiles
Kinnes Shipping Ltd is a ship agency, freight forwarding and customs business headquartered at the Port of Dundee.
Based in an unassuming, single-storey office unit, the team of four work with huge organisations and public bodies across the globe and must ensure someone is available 24/7.
When ships arrive into Dundee, Perth, Montrose and Grangemouth, they must be on hand to assist with any of the captain’s needs – some of which, Andrew later explains, can be serious and some more “unusual whims”.
They also ship freight of all sizes and quantities, from timber, animal feed, fertiliser and offshore equipment to textiles, cosmetics and magazines – and even piggy banks.
The company can be traced back to the Age of Sail, with Robert Kinnes and Sons founded in 1883 as a trading company of the Tay Whale Fishing Co. Ltd.
Meanwhile, Captain Charles Barrie, a veteran sailor, started his own ship management office in 1881 on returning to Dundee after a successful career at sea.
In 1891, Barrie purchase the Juteopolis, then Dundee’s largest sail ship, followed by a stream of successful ships before becoming a ships agency in 1908.
In 1966 Charles Barrie and Sons merged with B.L. Nairn, a shipowner in Dundee, to form Barrie and Nairn.
30 years later, in 1999 Jill and Graeme Whittick of Barrie and Nairn purchased Kinnes Shipping from Barrie Kinnes and merged the companies.
Kinnes Shipping boss started out as a PT
After working as a personal trainer in his twenties, Andrew joined the business in 2018 and is now managing director.
His parents, he explained, were keen he didn’t feel pushed into the job.
He said: “I am the fourth generation of my family to work for the business, the first was my maternal grandfather’s father.
“I always knew what was going on in the business growing up but my parents were keen that I didn’t feel pressured to come on board.
“I was encouraged to do something else first. My family wanted me to get experience elsewhere to ensure that if I did join, it was what I really wanted to do.
“I was a personal trainer for a few years after university, where I studied sport, health and exercise.
“I could always run fast so I thought I would try the fitness route.”
Andrew started at the bottom, boarding ships and speaking to captains and stevedores, before taking on more logistical jobs.
Double family tragedy
His father battled with multiple sclerosis for many years before his death in November 2020 aged 65 and was latterly less involved with the day-to-day running of the business.
His mother, who kept good health, handled the finances until the say she died very unexpectedly in January 2021 from a blood clot – aged just 61.
“It was a very difficult time and my memories of it all are quite blurry as I was grieving both parents,” Andrew said.
“The business had to go on and I was determined to make that happen, despite it all.
“I had to quickly work out everything my mum did, as she died suddenly and did all the finances. I am lucky that the team around me were so great.”
The father-of-one, whose daughter Madeline is two-and-a-half, added: “Losing my parents in the way I did made me reassess my priorities.
“Family has always been important to me but it is even more so now. I don’t take my days for granted.
“My job is not a regular 9-5 but I make sure I spend quality time with my wife and daughter whenever I can.”
Since taking the helm, Andrew has grown the freight forwarding side of the business – which sees them assist individuals and firms in sending items around the world.
Brexit red tape has benefitted Kinnes Shipping
Acting for the customer, Kinnes Shipping ensure all documentation is correct, book transport by road, air and sea and manage customs.
Brexit has benefitted the business, as firms are keen to utilise their expertise in import and export clearance.
Andrew said: “I am keen to get the message out to more people about everything we do and how we can help them.
“I hope I can continue to grow the business and explore as many avenues as I can in both the local area and further afield.”
He continued: “Surprisingly, a lot of people still don’t know ships come into Dundee.
“For a company that has been around such a long time, a lot of people don’t know who we are. We are tucked away in a little corner of the port.”
Kinnes Shipping is also looking at how it can become more efficient and environmentally friendly – and is keen to offer customers “greener” options, where the carbon footprint of an item is reduced.
Andrew said: “Shipping has always been quite a traditional industry and we want to look at ways to modernise the areas we work in – and make them greener.
“We can never promise to, and would not want to, offer a service like Amazon. However, we are keen to develop a modern, full tracking system.
“In terms of shipping, we can help with anything from a single box to 20 containers a week.”
Ship captain requested wife’s underwear
The firm’s ship agency arm still handles hundreds of vessels each year.
It is this side of the business that has brought Andrew some of his most memorable working days.
From sailors being arrested on arrival for drunken behaviour to having to find a new rudder for a giant foreign tanker that was leaving the next day, Kinnes Shipping gets some “unique” requests.
Michael shared: “There was a time when I had to deliver $10,000 cash in low value notes to a vessel for crew wages.
“When I got on board I was locked in a room with four of the crew while they counted it – four times. I was crossing my fingers the bank hadn’t made a mistake.
“Another time, one of my staff members was asked to develop two rolls of film by a crew member… the local Boots store refused to develop due to the ‘private nature’ of the images and we were barred from developing pictures there again!
“We have also had to manage the very urgent delivery of a package from Belgium to Dundee – with the strict instructions to take it on board without delay.
“It turned out to be a particular pair of silk underwear the captain couldn’t do without and had his wife send it over from home.”
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