Duarte
Vivas & Asociados, C. A. (DVA) was incorporated in Caracas,
Venezuela in 1977 by Andrés Duarte Vivas. The firm’s initial offerings
were in the areas of commodity brokerage, representation of foreign
companies, and consulting services.
Since its inception, bulk commodities have been at the core of DVA’s commercial activities. More than thirty years down the line, there are few international raw material markets in which DVA has not had involvement. As the company grew, it shifted its efforts away from brokering, and towards trading, acting increasingly as a principal in international transactions. DVA has since acquired considerable experience in the sourcing, financing and supply chain management of base metals, coal, cement, grains, minerals, petroleum, petroleum products, steel, sugar and vegetable oils. Throughout this same period of time, DVA has also been involved in the commercial representation of foreign companies, always keeping this second sector as an independent entity operating under the same roof.
In 1985, DVA manifested its long held desire to integrate vertically
by entering the maritime shipping market. This was done through the
establishment of two ship owning companies: Naviera Caribana, C. A.
and Naviera Pacifico, C. A. For 16 years, The DVA group owned and
operated a fleet of four vessels. This provided a platform for further
involvement in maritime logistics and transportation, and became the
first of a series of investments in key assets throughout the raw
material supply chain.
In 1991, DVA –along with a conglomerate of Venezuelan
investors- headed the successful bid for the management of an abandoned port in
the Maracaibo bay, in Western Venezuela. Subsequently, the port of La
Ceiba was rehabilitated and operated for a couple of years, before being
sold off to Cementos Argos C.A.
In 1992, DVA increased its exposure to the
shore based side of maritime logistics through its acquisition of
well established ship agency Victor H. Selinger C.A. (founded in 1953
and senior member of BIMCO in Venezuela). Through this strategic acquisition,
DVA was able to bring all aspects of port logistics and customs clearance
in-house. Selinger has since become a source of invaluable synergies
with DVA’s commodity trading activities. Today, the Selinger Group
has offices in all major Venezuelan ports, offering services in the
area of ship agency, customs clearance, stevedoring, stowing and land
transport.
In 1998, The DVA group re-entered the terminal
management business through its successful bid on a Venezuelan government
tender for a 15 year lease on the commercial fishing port of Guïria.
Petroleum services were added, and for 7 years the port operated as
a support base for offshore drilling operations as well as an industrial
fishing terminal. Unfortunately, the port concession was terminated
pre-maturely in 2006 due to a change in government policy.
In 2001, the DVA group acquired Almacén Terminal Santana (ATS), located inside Puerto Cabello, Venezuela’s largest port. The terminal’s facilities included a dedicated dock, significant storage facilities for both dry and liquid cargoes (namely, grains, vegetable oils and fertilizer), and in-house truck-weighing scales. This same year, DVA entered into a joint venture to establish Cementos Elefante in Ecuador. Cementos Elefante imported and distributed Chinese and Thai cement throughout Ecuador until 2005.
As an organization that prides itself on being nimble and
flexible, DVA has entered into other ventures and projects that extend
beyond the scope of its traditional business. Not one to shirk commercial
opportunities when they present themselves, DVA has also been involved
in the import and export of paper and pulp, heavy machinery, textiles
and bank machinery. Additionally, The DVA Group has been involved in
tolling operations, whereby –through partnerships with local industries–
raw materials are imported into Venezuela, processed, and re-exported
as finished or semi-finished products.
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