Evergreen and BSY Associates hit 40-year mark working together

HOLMDEL, NJ -- In the public relations agency business where long-term relationships are a rarity, Barbara Spector Yeninas and her company, BSY Associates Inc., are marking the ongoing 40-year partnership with Taiwan-based global ocean carrier Evergreen Marine Corporation and its U. S. -based agency, Evergreen Shipping Agency (America) Corporation (Jersey City, NJ).

"Retaining a solid long-term client-agency relationship is a delicate process," says Yeninas, who founded her business-to-business firm in 1974, now headquartered in Holmdel, NJ. "From the start, we understood the brand and over the years, we have it in our soul." Starting with just four newly built containerships serving the Asia-U. S. East Coast trade, Evergreen Line now operates more than 200 vessels in every world trade across six continents.

The secret, she says, is to deliver fresh ideas, thought leadership, creativity and responsiveness that mean bottom-line results for Evergreen, now one of the largest ocean carriers in the world. "That includes how to best allocate budget dollars. We will not recommend projects for the sake of our own bottom line. We believe in partnership before profit. It also means we manage expectations with trust. Honesty prevails. Our client must be clear about what they expect and we must be truthful about what we can deliver."

Captain S. Y. Kuo, now an Evergreen Group Vice Group Chairman, notes that from the beginning, "Barbara understood our goals and our sense of family and loyalty to our customers and our vendors. Her maritime journalism skills and entrepreneurial style helped present our story clearly and with integrity over the years, both for our Taiwan headquarters and here as well," he says. "We celebrate this anniversary along with the BSYA team."

Captain Kuo was there on that July day in 1975 when the contract was signed. And in 2008, he made the presentation when Ms. Yeninas was awarded a Lifetime Achievement honor by the Containerization & Intermodal Institute, an industry organization. Over the years, Yeninas has visited the Taiwan headquarters a dozen times, collaborating with the organization on many levels, including Evergreen Group Chairman Dr. Y. F. Chang, who founded the company in 1968 and remains its leader.

Ms. Yeninas notes that longevity has been the hallmark of her company. "At present, in addition to Evergreen, we have one client with us since 1980 and another since 1985. These long-term connections cultivate a synergy that cannot be replicated."

Considered one of the world trade and transportation's premier agencies over the years, BSYA opened its doors when the maritime industry was considered a male bastion. Women have since found open doors in the industry. Having built her reputation as a maritime editor for the long-defunct Newark Evening News, she found that her company was accepted early on and over the years has represented some of the top brands-from ocean carriers to international ports to trucking lines, freight forwarders, technology companies and myriad industry organizations, for whom the company does marketing communications, and event planning. "We have represented many entities that were not within this niche as our talent is in what we do and I believe we do it well." But the art of moving cargo and globalization has long captivated BSYA. "We like to say: If you use the sea, see us."

About Evergreen: Evergreen (www.evergreen-marine.com) offers global exporters and importers a wide variety of options to move containerized cargo in all-water service to and from all six continents using a state-of-the-art fleet of some 200 containerships. Customer-centric, the ocean carrier has been acknowledged for its ocean and customer service and its environmental achievements. Founded in 1968, Evergreen Line commenced its containerized ocean shipping service in 1975 and has grown to be one of the largest such companies in the world. Its U. S. agency (www.evergreen-shipping.com) is in the New York area in Jersey City, NJ.

About BSYA: Headquartered in Holmdel, NJ, BSY Associates Inc. is an award-winning marketing agency offering marketing communications, public relations, advertising, out-sourced marketing consulting, corporate communications and promotional services to companies worldwide. Started by Barbara Spector Yeninas in 1974, BSYA continues to lead -- exceeding expectations for clients attracted to the agency's expertise and entrepreneurial style. Ms. Yeninas is the recipient of many honors, including Top 50 Businesswomen in NJ by NJBiz Magazine and in 2000, NJ Businesswoman of the Year.