Interview with
Mr. Kimon Konstas
Managing Director
Who are the owners of the company, and when did you establish it?
The owners of Spirit Liner Services SA are myself and Mr. Mike Spyridakos.
Our company was established back in July 2023 when I had the opportunity and had returned from a short business cycle in Dubai.
I have noticed that you are active as a shipping agent in Greece. How do you go about ensuring that shipowners know about you and nominate you as their agent when in port? Are you a member of any global networks in this regard?
Correct, we are shipping agents in Greece mainly for container liner companies without limitation though.
In the respect of shipowners finding out about Spirit Liner, we have a system of approaching shipowners that might need our services or we know that they are looking to perform a direct or indirect call in our region. To be clear, by indirect I mean that shipowners of container ships operate lines by their own boxes with 3rd party feeder operators, and we handle these boxes within our region.
Of course, personal relationships play a major role in trusting our company with their boxes or ships, and through these personal relationships we also find new business. Trust is a major aspect in our business. We are not a member of any global network yet as I understand there is only 1 such network that is operating, but it does not give any differential advantage.
Greece has a number of ports and is famous both for culture, history and of course shipping. Which ports in Greece would you say are the ones mainly used for project cargo?
Piraeus port is the main gate for 50%+ of our population and is also the gate for the industrial zone of Attica and Peloponnese. Volos port is located in the middle of our country serving the industrial zone around the port. Heraklion is the gateway for Crete Island, and last but not least is the port of Thessaloniki which is located in the north of the country. Apart from the gateway for the zone in the north, it is the gateway for the Balkan countries, ie. Bulgaria (Sofia Area) N. Macedonia – Kosovo – even the south of Serbia can be served via Thessaloniki.
Are you also able to provide logistics services for inland transport or transhipment via ports in Greece?
With the experience of our team, we can provide any kind of transport solution and logistic services. We have done project cargo in the past and have the knowledge.
How is the economic situation in Greece at the moment, and how do you regard the shipping market for the rest of this year?
The economic situation in our country is good at the moment. After more than 10 years of recession and IMF intervention, we have managed to start growing. The estimate for the economy is a growth of 2.3% for 2025 which seems to be above the average of the EU.
As far as the shipping industry is concerned, the geopolitical situation makes any prediction very difficult. We see that the Suez Canal is still under pressure and not having any improvement in sight. The Panama Canal also has difficulties. The wars that are going on have disrupted the supply chains around the world. My prediction is that it is going to be an interesting coming 3 years with turbulence but also opportunities.
Do you currently represent any regular lines or even breakbulk or tramp operators coming to Greece?
Yes, we represent 2 liners and an NVOCC, and soon maybe we will be happy to announce a 3rd liner that will trust their services to our company. For the coming period, we will focus on expanding our presence in the Balkans as well as exploring the opportunities for cross trade.
How would it be best for our readers to get in touch with you?
Our website is www.spirit-liner.gr
My details are: kimon.konstas@spirit-liner.gr and direct line +30 213 0907790
