By Stas Margaronis
In 2018, Atanas Atanasov returned to his native Bulgaria from the United States, where he had worked for the National Cargo Bureau for more than a decade. He came back to work at the Port of Varna for Cargill, at their Ocean Transportation division.
CARGILL
Cargill, Incorporated, is a multinational food corporation based in Minnetonka, Minnesota, founded in 1865. With reported revenue of $165 billion in 2022, it is the largest privately held company in the United States. Cargill’s major operations encompass trading agricultural commodities, livestock raising, and food ingredient production. As stated on their website, Cargill is a family-owned company providing food, ingredients, agricultural solutions and industrial products to nourish the world in a safe, reasonable and sustainable way.
In his 2025 letter to shareholders, Cargill CEO Brian Sikes reported: “As we enhance how we make your food, we’re also improving the transportation systems that move it. That includes our Seascale Energy joint venture, aimed at modernizing marine fuel procurement to reliably deliver high-quality fuel at competitive prices. And we’re expanding Cargill’s role in renewable transportation fuels – including our recent acquisition of SJC Bioenergia in Brazil.”[1]
Atanasov says that Cargill currently employs about 200 people at the Port of Varna, about 140 of which help oversee its maritime transportation operations. The office in Varna was opened in 2013, where the Ocean Transportation team runs the execution of Cargill’s global trade of vessel voyages and time charters, associated port calls, technical supplier and agency management using their extensive technical knowledge to optimize vessel performance. Cargill Ocean Transportation is a global shipping division that transports bulk commodities for both its own and third-party customers, including grains, iron ore, coal, sugar, fertilizers, and edible oils. Using a chartered fleet of over 600 vessels, Cargill handles millions of tons of cargo annually, focusing on sustainable and digitally optimized shipping solutions. They operate across all major maritime trade routes, working with shipowners, fuel producers, and port agencies worldwide.
PORT OF VARNA
The Port of Varna describes itself as follows: “… the Port of Varna is … well positioned on the west part of (the) Black Sea, Varna offers diverse maritime businesses, including ship building and repair, port and freight operations, covering cargo handling and logistics for various routes and container types through Port Varna, as well as grain export (which has expanded during last decade), ship agency and brokerage services, and maritime education and trainings at institutions like the Maritime Naval Academy, Technical University of Varna and Bulgarian Maritime Training Center. There is a full set of ship’s supporting services provided at the port too, like tugs/towage, pilots, surveys, bunkering, stevedoring, warehousing, and etc. In addition to these, several big vessels managing, operating, chartering and brokerage companies called Varna their main home – companies like Cargill Ocean Transportation, Luis Dreyfus, Koch, Oldendorff, Classic Maritime, Star Gate (K Line), Unity Ship Management, Easter Pacific Shipping, Summit Trading, VFS Chartering, SSY and many more along with the biggest Bulgarian Shipowner – NaviBulgar, found Port of Varna as best place to grow and do their business. There are also numerous maritime oriented startups providing innovative automation, digitalization and optimization solutions for the industry…”
The Port of Varna has two terminals:
- Varna East Port Terminal, which is situated deep into the Bay of Varna, at only 1 kilometer distance from the city center.
- Varna West Port Terminal – the most modern port facility at the northern Black Sea coast of Bulgaria. It is located at 30 kilometers west of Varna city, on the west shore of Varna Lake.
The Port of Varna can handle all types of cargo, including containers, general cargo, dry and liquid bulks. The Port provides services to passenger and cruise ships, scientific vessels and pleasure boats.
ESTABLISHING THE PORT OF VARNA PROPELLER CLUB
Atanasov had been a member of the Propeller Club of Northern California while he worked in the United States. He had seen how the Propeller Club had brought diverse members of the Northern California maritime community together not just to socialize but also to network in pursuit of new business opportunities and to assist projects that supported port initiatives.
He fondly remembers socializing with ship agents, truckers, terminal managers, shipping executives and port officials and thinking that a similar Propeller Club model would be good for the Port of Varna and the maritime community in Bulgaria.
Atanasov saw at Varna that various shipping and maritime associations existed but there was no venue for the diverse community to meet in one place and for that reason, he decided to establish the Propeller Club of Varna.
He reached out for help from the Propeller Clubs of Northern California, Piraeus and the International Propeller Club headquarters in Washington, D.C. to organize and incorporate the Propeller Club of Varna which was established in July 2023.
In an interview, Atanasov recalled that he established the core group of members with people that were his friends and colleagues from within his Cargill network and beyond: “That core group then worked to slowly expand with new members that have doubled the size of the club to 40 members in 2025.”
He says there are “terminals, tugboat companies, shipyards, maritime operators and other shipping companies who had no place to meet until we set up the Propeller Club. Also, the Propeller Club attracted more mid-level and operational employees than were present in the traditional associations. In one case, I talked to people from one company every day but had never seen them face to face until we started the Propeller Club.”
The first focus of the new Propeller Club of Varna was to host quarterly dinners in which there was networking with Varna maritime community members. At the dinners, a speaker would focus on issues of common concern to the Port of Varna membership.
The subjects included:
- The new generation diesel electric vessels of Vertom Group – the Labrax Type.
- Ballast Water Management: Past, Present and Future.
- HydroPen System by Viking LSE.
- Wind Assisted Propulsion Systems.
- Promoting Adopt-A-Ship program in Bulgaria.
- How AI is changing the Maritime Industry.
- “Maritime Business and International Trade” – Presentation of a new undergraduate program at University of Economics, Varna.
Atanasov noted that: “The presentation on HydroPen System by Viking LSE led people to realize that there was a major maritime safety equipment manufacturing facility in Bulgaria that many people were unaware of.
He added: “We try to keep up a monthly non-formal maritime gatherings/night-outs each third Wednesday of the month.”
In addition, he said: In 2025 we are proud to launch a new annual tradition — A dedicated day to recognize and celebrate the invaluable contributions of the maritime industry to our community. We are organizing a yearly gala dinner – Propeller Day, which we hope to turn to a Bulgarian Maritime Industry Day in the near future.”
The first Propeller Day took part as the third day of the International Maritime Forum “Global Compass” which took place on 3-4 September 2025. The 2025 forum’s theme was “Beyond Horizons: Advancing Maritime Innovation, Safety, and Responsibility”. It is organized by the Bulgarian Shipmasters Association (BSMA), “Shippossible” and Bulgarian Chamber of Shipping (BCS), and under the honorary patronage of the President of the Republic of Bulgaria and the Municipality of the City of Varna. The Forum is a premier gathering of maritime professionals, academics, and industry leaders committed to shaping the future of the maritime industry.”
COLLABORATION WITH VENICE & ITALY
Another development has been the collaboration between the Propeller Club of Venice and the Propeller Club of Varna. Atanasov says this has created more collaboration and interchanges between the Italian and Bulgarian ports: “They reached out to express interest in strengthening relations, citing the significant trade volume between Italy and Bulgaria, highlighting the importance of the maritime sector and the opportunities it presents.”
Propeller Day (2025) aimed to celebrate the enduring partnership between Bulgaria and Italy, recognizing the maritime industry as a cornerstone in strengthening economic and cultural ties.
Events included:
- Cruise onboard Barkentine “KALIAKRA” – a cruise across Lake Varna.
- Gala Dinner
An additional benefit, Atanasov says, is that “the Propeller Club of Varna is now a member of the Italian Chamber of Commerce in Bulgaria. This further enhances trade relations between Bulgaria and Italy thanks to the partnership between the Propeller Clubs of Varna and Venice.”
COLLABORATION WITH GREECE
Closer collaboration is also being planned between Greece and Bulgaria through joint efforts by The Propeller Club of Varna and the Propeller Club of Piraeus.
Atanasov says that there are plans “to strengthen the relationship with the Propeller Club of Piraeus, by organizing a special event, inviting to Varna a group of distinguished members of the Propeller Club of Piraeus, led by their President Costis Frangoulis. Mr. Frangoulis is slated to become the next International Propeller Club President at the Club’s annual convention taking place in Lyon, France in October 2025.”
FOOTNOTE
[1] https://www.cargill.com/about/2025-annual-report/2025-letter-to-our-stakeholders