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PREVENTING MARITIME TRAGEDY IS PURIO'S PASSION
Walter Purio, ’92, takes pride in the philosophy of P and H Marine
Associates, Inc., the company he cofounded in 1993. The motto,
“understated competence”–which Purio translates as “don’t tell
me how good you are, show me”–is the guiding principle of his
$2 million marine safety audit firm.
“Our mantra is action,” he says. “We are providing a service to
mariners worldwide. If we can save a life, we have done our job.”
Preventing tragedy on maritime vessels through safety and quality
management is what P and H does every day. For the firm, taking
action means developing programs that help ensure shipboard management
and operating systems are not in violation of mandatory international
safety codes. While promoting compliance, the company not only
performs internal assessments of the ship’s safety management
system, but also develops systems procedures and provides extensive
training for all personnel.
For Purio, 41, combining marine experience and management seemed
like a logical step after leaving the GSB. As a 14-year-old living
on the east coast of Florida, Purio developed a fascination for
the sea that failed to ebb as he grew older. This passion led
him to the Merchant Marine Academy at Kings Point in Long Island,
New York, after high school and then to the U.S. Navy, where he
began piloting A-6 Intruders until leaving the service in 1985.
With a desire to go back to sea, Purio began working for American
Overseas Marine Corporation, a division of General Dynamics, serving
as a deck officer on military cargo ships used in U.S. rapid deployment
exercises around the world.
“I have sailed the major oceans of the world,” Purio says, noting
that his years at sea have brought him to the Mediterranean region,
Middle East, Asia, and Australia, where he met his wife, Fern.
His time aboard ships in every corner of the world has given him
plenty of opportunity to witness the unforgiving nature of poor
safety practices.
“A ship can be a lethal weapon,” he says. Poor safety practices
inevitably lead to accidents, and on a ship, accidents are likely
to be tragic. While observing safety issues on board, Purio became
more aware that procedures established by shipping executives
in boardrooms were not always conducive to actual practices on
the vessels. Knowing his experience was primarily shipboard operations,
Purio thought business school could help him better manage his
dual role supervising shipboard crew while working closely with
senior management. In making the decision to attend the GSB, Purio
left American Overseas Marine Corporation and moved from Australia
to Hyde Park in 1989 with Fern and their two children. And while
Chicago seems as far as you get can from any ocean, Purio says
it was a positive experience.
“I love Chicago, it’s a wonderful city,” he says, adding with
a laugh, “at least it has a sea horizon, not a land horizon.”
Attending the GSB proved to a good decision as well. Purio credits
behavioral science, industrial relations, and writing courses
with making him aware of the logical process of implementation
and the importance of structure–lessons that now help him close
the gap between the boardroom and ship. Although the Gulf War
disrupted his education for nearly a year–he served as master
on military cargo ships in the Persian Gulf–Purio returned to
Chicago and completed his M.B.A. in 1992. Not long after graduation,
he teamed up with Rich Horne, a former Merchant Marine Academy
classmate, and established P and H Associates, Inc. Their first
order of business was assisting government-contracted companies
in a series of plans for the U.S. Maritime Administration’s Ready
Reserve Force. The company incorporated in 1993, with Purio expanding
the business to assist maritime organizations in developing safety
and quality management systems.
Shortly after the incorporation of P and H, the International
Maritime Organization adopted the International Safety Management
(ISM) code. A company soon sought out P and H for help in implementing
the ISM code, and P and H worked exclusively with this company
for one year,
conducting audits while learning more about the business. When
the ISM code became mandatory in May 1994, requiring passenger
ships, ferries, tankers, and vessels carrying hazardous and bulk
materials to meet uniform standards by July 1998, P and H’s niche
was nicely carved out.
With the July 1998 ISM code compliance deadline past, Purio has
shifted his focus to developing new clients and serving existing
client needs. In the five years since the corporation served its
first customer, P and H has seen its client list grown to twenty-seven
major firms, including Marathon Oil, Mobil, SeaRiver (Exxon),
Canada Steamship Lines, and Purio’s former employer, American
Overseas Marine Corporation.
While he is interested in gaining new clients, Purio is expanding
cautiously. Because an audit of one ship can take five to ten
days, and auditing a corporate fleet can take as long as fifteen
months, Purio insists on limiting the number of new companies.
“That’s something Chicago taught me, not to jump at every opportunity,”
he said.
In addition to carefully expanding its client base, the corporation
increased its services as well. P and H now offers a safety management
assessment report and training program designed to accommodate
a company’s shipboard management system and the operating system
of each vessel. P and H also has helped develop a quality management
software program that reduces the time and expense of complying
with mandated safety codes.
Today, Purio serves as president of the New Hampshirebased company,
overseeing ten to fifteen subcontractors and eight full-time staff
members, including his wife, who is a senior associate. The couple
has witnessed growth on the home front as well, with their crew
now numbering six children ages 4 to 14.
What’s new on the horizon? In addition to offices in Portsmouth,
New Hampshire, and Perth, Australia, Purio expects to open a third
office in New Orleans. It looks like Purio and P and H are going
full speed ahead.–Roxane Geraci
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