ICM Group directors, Mark Byrne, Chris Allix and Sarah Fry, joined senior staff Martin Kennaugh, Kim Dent, Angie Deady-Fiddler and Simon Roberts in Jersey to celebrate the first anniversary of subsidiary company Dominion Crew Solutions (Jersey) Ltd.

The occasion was celebrated with a drinks reception at The Grand Hotel in St. Helier on Wednesday 9th October. The Jersey office was set up in 2012 for the administration of Dominion Crew Solutions’ yacht crew employment and payroll services. Since then the company has gone from strength to strength and the team now looks after 800 crew working on 150 of the world’s most prestigious superyachts. Simon Roberts, Head of Dominion Crew Solutions (DCS) on the Isle of Man, told us the DCS team in Jersey had doubled in size over the last six months: “It has been an exciting year for us. Not only have we almost outgrown our Jersey office, but we were also the first company there to receive Maritime Labour Convention (MLC) accreditation by Lloyds Register.

From the very outset we planned for our crew management operations to be aligned with MLC requirements, but it was important to get official recognition of that. Darla Fraser and her team have also been working closely with the Flag State administrations so that our Seafarer Employment Agreements conform with their high standards. It was great to join the team to celebrate DCS Jersey’s first anniversary, along with our directors, local contacts, and colleagues from the Isle of Man. The Champagne Lounge at The Grand Hotel was a perfect venue for a party.” DCS (Jersey) was audited by Lloyds Register in June 2013 and verified to be in compliance with regulations A1.4 and B1.4 of the Convention. With these new MLC requirements, the employer must be able to prove it runs an efficient and well regulated seafarer recruitment and placement system. This also forms part of the yacht's MLC inspection, during which the yacht captain must provide evidence to both the Flag State and inspector that the employer conforms to these regulations. The Certificate of Compliance issued by Lloyds Register assists the yacht captains and owners to complete this part of the process. Chris Allix, director of the ICM Group and Dominion Marine, which looks after 300 yachts and superyachts, added:

“Darla and her team in Jersey have done a fantastic job and it was good to celebrate their success. They are dealing with people’s livelihoods on a daily basis so it is important they deliver on time and to a high standard. It is clear from the growth we have seen over the last six months that Darla and her colleagues do just that. I know the superyacht industry can be a very demanding one and the DCS team in Jersey has coped incredibly well with the pressures they are under from yacht owners, captains and their crew.”