MH Bland Group of Companies

You won't want to miss this! 👇

📢 Breaking News: Tablita Night Announcement 📢

It's that time of year again and we’re super excited! 🎉

🗓️ Date: Thursday 29th Oct 2026

⌚ Time: 6pm

📍 Venue: Manchester Utd Supporters Club Gibraltar Branch, Wellington Front

£30 per team (of 2 pax) 100% donated to Cancer Relief Gibraltar and the Cancer Relief Centre

Team enrolment includes: Welcome drink & snack

Join us for a night of classic Gibraltarian fun with friends and family of all ages, expect lots of laughs, friendly competition (sometimes passionate 😉), raffles and amazing prizes 🎁, all in support of Cancer Relief 💛.

Sign up and help spread the word in support the wonderful work carried out by Cancer Relief.

IMPORTANT: Click on the link to pay for your team then email [email protected] with your team name and if you can bring your own tablita board.

👉 Payment Link https://gateway.universaltp.com/button/x1YDfC1VQUXZ

An exciting opportunity to join our team in Cartagena 👇

🚨 We’re Hiring - Port Agent Cartagena 🇪🇸🚨

We are looking for a Port Agent to join our Operations team in Cartagena!

The role: Coordinate vessel calls, liaise with clients, suppliers and port authorities, and help ensure smooth port operations.

What you’ll need:

✔️ Ideally, 1+ year of maritime Port Agency or Operator experience

✔️ Fluency in English and Spanish; Catalan is an advantage

✔️ Strong communication and organisational skills

✔️Clean Category B driving licence, own vehicle and swimming ability

✔️ Flexibility to work weekends and public holidays on a rota

📍 Location: Cartagena, Spain
🕒 Hours: Full time, 40 hours per week
📅 Apply by: 25 October 2026

Ready to take the next step in your maritime career? Join the MH Bland team! 🤝

👉 For more information, visit https://www.mhbland.com/?post_type=job-vacancies&p=14384&preview=true

📩 To apply, send your CV to [email protected]

Cargo shipping is changing, from the types of goods being transported to the technology, regulations and risks shaping how those goods move around the world. 🚢🌍

Here are 8 key things to know in 2026:

1️⃣ Cargo is becoming more diverse

Containerised cargo, dry and liquid bulk, breakbulk, Ro-Ro, re**er, livestock and project cargo all require different handling, equipment and expertise.

2️⃣ Technology is transforming cargo handling

Automation, IoT sensors, AI and digital platforms are helping improve cargo visibility, handling and operational decision-making.

3️⃣ Sustainability is increasingly important 🌱

Environmental priorities are influencing vessel operations, port infrastructure, fuel choices and the wider cargo supply chain.

4️⃣ Compliance is becoming more complex

From customs and safety requirements to cargo documentation and verified container weights, accurate information and preparation remain essential.

5️⃣ Re**er and temperature-controlled cargo continue to grow ❄️

Food, pharmaceuticals and other temperature-sensitive goods require reliable monitoring and carefully controlled conditions throughout their journey.

6️⃣ Cargo risk is evolving

Weather, geopolitical disruption, theft, damage and cyber threats can all affect cargo movements, making effective risk management increasingly important.

7️⃣ Real-time visibility is becoming the expectation 📡

Shippers increasingly want to know where their cargo is and what is happening throughout its journey, not just when it reaches its destination.

8️⃣ Multimodal transport is becoming more important

Sea, road, rail and air are increasingly being integrated to create more flexible and resilient supply chains.

For port agents, these changes are felt directly on the ground.

Every cargo vessel arriving in port brings together a network of people, authorities, terminals, service providers and local stakeholders , all working to keep the port call moving.

From coordinating arrival formalities and cargo operations to managing documentation, husbandry requirements and unexpected challenges, port agency sits at the centre of many of these moving parts. ⚓🤝

As cargo supply chains continue to evolve, the importance of local knowledge, communication and operational coordination remains just as strong.

At MH Bland, our Port Agency teams support vessel calls across our network, providing the local expertise and 24/7 operational support needed to help keep ships moving.

MH Bland Port Agency, local knowledge, wherever your vessel calls. 🚢🌍

📩 For a full list of our contact emails, visit our website https://www.mhbland.com/contact-us/

After winning the £200 prize in the MHB World Cup sweepstake, our IT Technician, Chris Jenkins decided to give his winnings back to a cause close to his heart, donating the full amount to Save Gib Street Cats. ❤️ 🐱

Save Gibraltar’s Street Cats feeds and cares for more than 350 street cats across Gibraltar every day. The charity also runs a local cat sanctuary and works to find loving homes for as many cats as possible. 🐾🏠

Thank you, Chris, for turning your win into a win for the cats! 👏 🐾

👉 To find out more about the amazing work they do for cats in our community, visit their page: https://www.facebook.com/SaveGibStreetCats

🚢 Cruise Season in Gibraltar 🇬🇮

Over the summer and in recent weeks, Gibraltar has welcomed a steady stream of cruise ships and behind every arrival is a carefully coordinated port call.

For our Gibraltar Port Agency team, cruise calls involve much more than meeting the vessel at the pier.

Before the ship arrives, our team submits the necessary advance electronic notices and coordinates with the relevant authorities. Once alongside, our agents meet local authorities at the pier and coordinate the required onboard inspections for customs, immigration and health clearance. ⚓🤝

It’s a process that requires preparation, communication and close coordination between the vessel, authorities and everyone involved.

And with cruise ships operating to tight schedules, getting the details right matters. 👌

📍 Gibraltar Port Agency
⚓ One Network. One Solution

📩 For services in Gibraltar, email [email protected]

⚓ Port of the Week, Valencia 🇪🇸

This week, we’re taking a slightly different look at our Valencia team, because behind every port call are people with their own passions, interests and stories outside of work. 👏

From fitness and cooking to endurance sports, our Valencia team certainly knows how to stay active!

💪 Lucas Sanchez enjoys spending his free time at the gym, and recently swapped the weights for the Roman Festival in Cartagena.

🥘 Vicente Poveda is a passionate cook, with paella among his specialties. When he’s not in the kitchen, you’ll find him hiking in the mountains with his dog. 🥾🐕

🏊‍♂️ Dani Montesinos has a real passion for endurance sports, from triathlons and trail running to swimming, his favourite sport since he was just six years old.

🚴‍♂️ David Saus, a former triathlete, has traded competition for a new mix of challenges, enjoying cycling and taking part in HYROX races during weekends and holidays around the world. 🌍

It’s always great to see the interests and personalities that make up our teams, because the people behind the operations are what make our network what it is. 🤝

📍 Valencia is one of the key ports in our network, supported by a team that brings its own experience, energy and local knowledge to every operation.

📩 Calling at Valencia?
For port agency support, contact us at [email protected].

Over the summer, our Bilbao team has supported dozens of oil and gas related vessel calls, providing local port agency expertise across a busy period for the port. 🚢

From cargo operations and husbandry requirements to the day to day coordination that keeps a vessel call moving, our team has been supporting clients throughout each operation.

One recent call involved a gasoline loading operation, where we acted as Charterers’ Agents, while also coordinating several husbandry requirements on behalf of the client.

The call presented an additional challenge, with swell making operations more demanding. Despite the conditions, our Bilbao team maintained close coordination and delivered detailed, timely reporting throughout the call.

It’s one example of the experience our team has built through supporting a high volume of oil and gas calls in Bilbao, combining local knowledge, communication and attention to detail to support our clients on the ground. 🤝⚓

📩 Calling at Bilbao?
For port agency support, contact us at [email protected]

📸 Photos by Jon Ander Larrañaga

Happy Heart Day! ❤️

Today, we’re marking World Heart Day and shining a light on the importance of heart health and the work being done in our community. ❤️

You may have spotted some of the Calypso Tours buses around Gibraltar carrying a very special livery, featuring a heart in support of the Gibraltar Cardiac Association.

It’s a simple symbol, but one that carries an important message: supporting heart health and raising awareness within our community. 🇬🇮❤️

Today, we’re proudly celebrating everyone working to promote heart health, raise awareness and support those affected by heart conditions.

❤️ Happy World Heart Day.

During a recent vessel call in Algeciras, our MH Bland team coordinated two significant repair operations alongside the vessel’s other requirements. 🚢🔧

🛠️ Vessel crane repairs
A shore crane fitted with a personnel platform was deployed to safely lift technicians approximately 30 metres from the quay to the vessel’s crane boom, allowing the repair work to be carried out.

💧 Ballast water tank repairs
Welding works were carried out inside the ballast water tank, followed by the required NDT inspections.

Alongside these operations, our team also coordinated several supplies and crew changes throughout the call.

What made this operation particularly successful was the coordination behind the scenes, from obtaining the necessary permissions from the relevant authorities, to quickly arranging additional repair requirements that arose after the vessel’s arrival.

It brought together the vessel, authorities, technicians, suppliers and our operations team, all working closely to keep the port call moving smoothly.

A great example of what careful planning, clear communication and strong cooperation can achieve. 🤝⚓

Well done to everyone involved! 👏

📩 For operations in Algeciras, email [email protected]

⚓ World Maritime Day 🌍

Today, we celebrate the people and organisations that keep the maritime industry moving.

Every vessel calling at port is part of a much bigger network, connecting countries, businesses and communities around the world. Behind every successful port call are crews, agents, port authorities, suppliers, service providers and countless others working together to keep operations moving. 🚢🤝

At MH Bland, maritime has been at the heart of what we do for more than two centuries. From our roots in Gibraltar to our growing network across the Mediterranean and beyond, we continue to support vessels, their crews and our customers wherever their operations take them.

Today, we recognise everyone who plays their part in keeping the world's maritime network connected.

Happy World Maritime Day! ⚓🌊