With this "travel blog," we aim to showcase SAR’s activities at all our locations along the coast, from Hammerfest in the north to Stavanger in the south. Our journey will also highlight the benefits of the excellent cooperation between our departments to best assist our customers in creating value from their waste. We have now reached the end of our journey, concluding in Tananger. In addition to service and operational activities, Tananger houses SAR’s headquarters.
TANANGER
In an era where sustainability and eco-friendly solutions are increasingly crucial, SAR stands as a leading player. With our headquarters located in Tananger, SAR represents more than just a company dedicated to waste management; we are also drivers of circular and environmentally conscious solutions, driven by a combination of social responsibility and technological innovation.
Operations and Services
From the left: Walid Kassab - Branch Manager (SAR Tananger), Espen Maldal - Warehouse Operation Manager (SAR Tananger), Tore Moe – Warehouse Operator (SAR Tananger), Guntis Brants-Sermelis – Operations manager for drivers (SAR Tananger) and Julius Cibas - Operator (SAR Tananger).
At SAR Tananger service, our operations and services rely on a skilled and dedicated team. Walid Kassab, who leads the service operations in Tananger, has been with the company for 27 years! Walid's journey began in 1997 as an operator. After a few years, he became a driver, then a transport coordinator, and later an operational manager.
For the past six years, he has been the department head of Tananger service. With his extensive experience and deep knowledge of waste management, he is a key person in ensuring safe and efficient operations. According to Walid, the key to success is understanding "the big picture" when working with waste. He emphasizes the importance of experience and knowledge sharing to provide excellent service to our customers.
Walid also highlights the strategic location of the Tananger department. With its proximity to both major offshore clients and a wide range of industrial customers, the department is at the heart of Norway's energy industry. This gives SAR a unique position to offer efficient and customized waste solutions to a diverse customer base.
Control, Sorting and Logistics
The work at Tananger service is varied and requires careful attention to detail. The process starts with receiving control, where the waste and accompanying documentation are thoroughly checked. Then the waste is sorted, packaged, and prepared for further transport to treatment facilities. The waste arrives by both ship and truck, meaning different types of carriers must be inspected, cleaned, and then returned to the customer.
The work processes require both precision and efficiency. Operator Julius Cibas, who starts his workday at 7:30 am, is always ready to receive work orders from his Warehouse Operation Manager, Espen Maldal. Espen has overall responsibility for warehouse capacity and downstream solutions. He ensures good communication with the operators and the logistics department to avoid bottlenecks and ensure smooth operations.
Julius praises the good work team and highlights it as one of the reasons for his over ten-year career at SAR. For him, the collegial environment is one of the biggest advantages of working at the company.
Safety, Transport and Good Cooperation
Magnus Stenhaug is the foreman for the drivers in Tananger and takes his responsibility seriously. He ensures that the vehicles and equipment are always in order to avoid delays. The work requires careful planning, including guidance and practical review of the tasks in advance. To ensure efficient transport and good flow in the logistics process, Magnus works closely with his transport manager, Guntis Brants-Sermelis, the customer service center, the drivers, and the other operators.
A meaningful Workplace
Next year, warehouse operator Tore Moe will celebrate his 10th anniversary with SAR Tananger service, and his time with the company has taught him that there is always something new to discover. Tore ensures to keep health, environment, and safety (HSE) in focus every single day, which gives him security in his workday.
When asked what makes him enjoy his job, he highlights the opportunity to work outdoors as a significant advantage. Tore also appreciates the good atmosphere created by helpful and friendly colleagues. The variety in work tasks and robust support functions that are always available when needed are also factors that contribute to Tore feeling at home at SAR.
"It's common to walk over 10,000 steps a day, so I get the health benefits as well," - Warehouse operator Tore Moe.
Walid, Julius, Magnus, Espen, Tore, and Guntis are all part of a larger team consisting of all our departments. This ensures that SAR is well-equipped to handle complex operational tasks and continues to deliver high-quality services with a focus on HSE.
SAR - The Strength Behind Sustainability
SAR was the first company in our industry to achieve ISO 14001 certification back in 2001, underscoring our unwavering commitment to protecting the environment. With clear goals, SAR has set the standard for sustainable waste management in Norway for decades. We spread knowledge and increase environmental awareness through courses and advisory services, working closely with authorities to ensure safe and environmentally friendly waste management.
Health, Safety, Environment and Quality
SAR handles several thousand tons of hazardous waste annually. Health, safety, environment, and quality (HSEQ) are the most important prerequisites for SAR. SAR's Sustainability department offers advisory, courses, and training both internally and for our customers. Our experienced and skilled environmental advisors provide the expertise and knowledge our customers need and demand for environmentally friendly, safe, and cost-effective waste management. They have gained knowledge through both formal education and practical experience. A broad and varied knowledge base enables SAR to customize solutions for different customers, waste types, and waste streams. Link to Environmental Advisors Contact
Under the leadership of Karen Aanestad, the Sustainability Department has played a central role all these years. The department’s services and contributions both internally and externally to our customers constitute the core of our operations related to safety, environmental, and sustainability perspectives.
“Safety is deeply embedded in our culture” – Karen Aanestad, Director HSEQ & Sustainability.
From left: Karen Aanestad (Director HSEQ & Sustainability) and Alisa Smerdova (IT & Digitalization Manager).
Diversity as a Source of Innovation
A distinctive feature of SAR is the diversity of our workforce. With employees from various countries, cultural backgrounds, and expertise, SAR sees this as a source of innovation. This diversity provides the company with a range of perspectives and ideas, leading to new and exciting solutions. A concrete example of our innovative capability is the product "CapOil," which is the result of recycling oil from drilling fluids and creating a new product.
Read the whole article on CapOil here!
Leadership with a Focus on Sustainability
Our vision is to shape the future through one team - for safer, innovative, and circular waste solutions, creating a sustainable and environmentally friendly future. At SAR, we live by our core values:
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Serious
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Structured
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Innovative
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Flexible
We commit to Seriousness in our work by maintaining high standards and consistently delivering strong results. We believe in Structured processes, enabling us to achieve our goals efficiently. We foster a culture of Innovation by embracing creativity, encouraging our employees to think outside the box and explore unique solutions to waste challenges. Furthermore, we recognize the importance of flexibility to adapt to changing circumstances and embrace new opportunities.
“At SAR, our mission is turning waste into value, thereby contributing to the development of traditional waste management in a safe and robust manner, through collaboration to achieve our goals (UN17) both internally at SAR and within the value chain we operate in to create sustainable value.” – Tor Olav Schibevaag, CEO SAR.
Read more about Sustainability at SAR!
One Team Shaping the Future for Safe and Circular Solutions
Tor Olav Schibevaag (CEO) in an eager dialogue with Christine Lervik Palm (Chief Strategy Officer).
SAR is committed to creating a world where waste becomes a thing of the past, and all materials can be reused. Through collaboration, innovation, and an unwavering commitment to sustainability, SAR works towards making this vision a reality. With a clear vision and a strong team, SAR is ready to lead the green wave sweeping over us. Whether you are curious about future sustainable solutions or want to be part of the change, SAR is definitely a company to watch.
Sustainability Goal No. 17 – Partnership
In the future, SAR plans to increase capacity by treating more waste in our own facilities. Additionally, we will expand the range of waste fractions and introduce new treatment methods. This is possible thanks to solid partners throughout the value chain.
We will also have better control over the products we receive through even more transparent waste streams. Just as consumers want to know what they are buying; we will also demand greater transparency about the products coming to us. We will continue to strive for economic sustainability, as we know this is crucial to maintaining our mission and creating lasting value for all stakeholders.
Moreover, we will continue to invest in our employees and build a strong and collaborative team. It is important to us that our employees feel safe at work and know that their ideas and suggestions are heard. Our leadership principles - bold, curious, and responsible - form the foundation of our culture, where trust and openness are always in focus.
“We are just seeing the beginning of the green shift, and we are determined to have more open dialogues with both customers and our ecosystem to ensure that we are on the right track.” – Tor Olav Schibevaag, CEO SAR.
Social Responsibility and Safety
Social responsibility and safety are important priorities for SAR. Our commitment extends far beyond the company's boundaries. As a leading member of the Norwegian Clean Seas Association for Operating Companies (NOFO), SAR has a significant responsibility for waste planning in the event of accidents in the North Sea. At Mongstad, we operate Norway's largest water treatment plant for hazardous waste, highlighting our dedication to safety and environmental protection.
At SAR, we prioritize safety! "We Care" is the mantra of SAR. The company has zero tolerance for accidents and places a strong emphasis on safety for both employees and customers.
Digital Opportunities – SAR is “on the ball”
SAR stands at the starting line of a very exciting digital journey where we see enormous opportunities to digitize and thereby streamline our waste processes. By using technology, we can reduce human error, improve our customer service, and make waste management more sustainable, efficient, and accessible.
SAR's digital department, led by Alisa Smerdova, is deeply involved in identifying areas for improvement that can be solved digitally. We always prioritize safety and see opportunities to enhance this important area through digitalization. Several applications have already been developed and implemented at SAR.
" is about developing effective digital solutions to ensure that sustainability, environment, and safety are taken care of" - Alisa Smerdova, Head of SAR Digital.
Collaboration from the Head Office in Tananger
From our head office in Tananger, we manage large offshore contracts, many of which are operated across several of our locations. To ensure effective collaboration, we have established several common meeting points, and some support functions are allocated to operational departments.
To promote good collaboration and share learning and experiences among each other, we have established several cross-functional expert groups. We have also launched a competence enhancement program through the SAR school, which includes a common leadership training that will make us even more robust in the future.
The previous stop on our journey was SAR Risavika. We have now reached the end of our journey in Tananger. Sign up for our newsletter to catch our entire journey.
