Damen News 11

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DAMEN NEWS 11 NOVEMBER 2008 NEWS It gives me great pleasure to present our latest Damen News. The Damen Shipyards Group has been enjoying an exceptional period recently. Indeed, we have never been so busy. The unfolding credit crisis will have as yet unknown consequences for the shipbuilding industry, but Damen and its partners and suppliers will be working diligently on their large order portfolio. This Damen News describes an array of novel activities within the Group: the largest ferries ever built by the Damen Fast Ferries product group were transported to Turkey; a newly developed short sea cargo vessel was put into service; and a series of sophisticated offshore standby vessels took up service on the North Sea continental shelf. You will also learn more about the revitalised Services Department. Building top-quality boats is one thing, but just as important is to keep these vessels running. Damen Services can assist you with parts, repairs, maintenance and rebuild services. Despite the ever-uncertain future, we at Damen will continue to improve on what we are already good at: expanding our activities in the new shipbuilding centres of the world but still maintaining a top competitive product that is properly backed up by after-sales services. RENÉ H. BERKVENS Chief Executive Officer FOREWORD BIG, BIGGER, BIGGEST: 85-METRE DAMEN FAST FERRIES SEALIFTED TO ISTANBUL Cutter Suction Dredgers from Poland to Nigeria, ASD Tugs as deck cargo from Romania to Vladivostok, Fast Crew Suppliers sailing from Vietnam to Mexico… transporting ships from the building yard to destinations worldwide is nothing new to Damen. However, the deck transport of two catamaran fast ferries was quite an unusual operation even for our shipping specialists. The ferries were shipped from the building yard in Guangzhou (China) to their final destination Istanbul (Turkey), where they arrived in late September. The ferries are of Damen’s new and innovative Damen Fast RoPax (DFR) 8521 design, made of aluminium and measuring 85 metres in length and 21 metres in the beam. Damen used a semisubmersible heavy lift carrier continued on page 2

Transcript of Damen News 11

Page 1: Damen News 11

DAMEN NEWS 11NOVEMBER 2008

NEWSIt gives me great pleasure to presentour latest Damen News.

The Damen Shipyards Group hasbeen enjoying an exceptional periodrecently. Indeed, we have never beenso busy. The unfolding credit crisis willhave as yet unknown consequencesfor the shipbuilding industry, butDamen and its partners and supplierswill be working diligently on theirlarge order portfolio.

This Damen News describes an array of novel activities within the Group: the largest ferries ever built by theDamen Fast Ferries product groupwere transported to Turkey; a newlydeveloped short sea cargo vesselwas put into service; and a series ofsophisticated offshore standbyvessels took up service on the NorthSea continental shelf.

You will also learn more about therevitalised Services Department.Building top-quality boats is onething, but just as important is to keepthese vessels running. Damen Servicescan assist you with parts, repairs,maintenance and rebuild services.

Despite the ever-uncertain future, we at Damen will continue to improveon what we are already good at:expanding our activities in the newshipbuilding centres of the world butstill maintaining a top competitiveproduct that is properly backed upby after-sales services.

RENÉ H. BERKVENS

Chief Executive Officer

FOREWORD

BIG, BIGGER, BIGGEST: 85-METRE DAMEN FAST FERRIES SEALIFTED TO ISTANBUL

Cutter Suction Dredgers from Poland to Nigeria, ASD Tugs as deck cargo fromRomania to Vladivostok, Fast CrewSuppliers sailing from Vietnam toMexico… transporting ships from thebuilding yard to destinations worldwideis nothing new to Damen.

However, the deck transport of twocatamaran fast ferries was quite an unusualoperation even for our shipping specialists.The ferries were shipped from the buildingyard in Guangzhou (China) to their finaldestination Istanbul (Turkey), where theyarrived in late September. The ferries areof Damen’s new and innovative DamenFast RoPax (DFR) 8521 design, made ofaluminium and measuring 85 metres inlength and 21 metres in the beam. Damenused a semisubmersible heavy lift carrier

continued on page 2 ▼

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provided by specialist Dockwise to floatthe ferries on and off the deck on purpose-built cradles and supports. After thethrusters are reinstalled and the vesselsare recommissioned in Istanbul, they will behanded over to Istanbul Deniz Otobusleri(IDO) and commence operation.

IDO (www.ido.com.tr) is one of the largestfast ferry operators worldwide andmaintains an extensive route network

TRADE FAIRSEXPONAVAL 2008 2 - 5 Dec 2008 – Vina del Mar, Chile

INTERNATIONAL WORKBOAT SHOW3 - 5 Dec 2008 – New Orleans, U.S.A.

OFFSHORE SUPPORT JOURNALCONFERENCE24 - 25 Feb 2009 – London, U.K.

ASIAN SHIPPING & WORKBOAT 200924 - 26 Feb 2009 – Suntec, Singapore

MARITIME VIETNAM 200925 - 27 Feb 2009 – Ho Chi Minh City,Vietnam

OFFSHORE MEDITERRANEANEXHIBITION & CONFERENCE25 - 27 March 2009 – Ravenna, Italy

TIF392 - 12 April 2009 –Tripoli, Italy

WORK BOAT GULF 20096 - 8 April 2009 – Bahrein, U.A.E.

OFFSHORE TECHNOLOGYCONFERENCE4 - 7 May 2009 – Houston, Texas, U.S.A.

INTERSPILL 200912 - 14 May 2009 – Marseille, France

EUROPEAN TUGOWNERS ASSOCIATION13 - 15 May 2009 – Lisbon, Portugal

TUGNOLOGY ’0919 - 20 May 2009 – Amsterdam, TheNetherlands

NOR-SHIPPING 20099 - 12 June 2009 – Oslo, Norway

SEAWORK 200916 - 18 June 2009 – Southampton, U.K.

around Istanbul. In 2007, Damen delivereda series of 5 ‘Sea Buses’ to IDO of thesuccessful Damen Fast Ferry 4212 design,now operating on city and cross-Bosphorus routes. The Damen Fast RoPax8521, capable of carrying 600 passengersand 112 cars at service speeds of 22 knots,will be making half-hour crossings in thebay of Izmit. News on IDO’s experienceswith this very economical new design willbe published shortly.

TWO DAMEN FAST ROPAX 8521 ON DECK OF THE HEAVY LIFT CARRIER

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COMPANY PROFILESCAFI SOCIETA DI NAVIGAZIONE SPA

What are Scafi’s main activities?At the moment, Scafi’s main activities areharbour towage in three main Italian portsusing a modern fleet of ASD Tugs, almostall of them made by Damen. Damen builtthe first of the two successful ASD Tug3110 series and ASD 2810 Tugs for Scafi,the jewels of the Scafi fleet and Damenproduction. Scafi and Damen have had aclose relationship since 1992.

Where does Scafi operate?Scafi operates in the ports of La Spezia andSavona/Vado Ligure in northern Italy and inGioia Tauro container terminal in southernItaly. Scafi, a family-owned companyheaded since 1992 by Ms Bruna Cafiero,has a long tradition in the shipping industryand in the harbour towage and salvagebusiness.

How big is the Scafi fleet?Right now the Scafi fleet consists of 13 modern Damen ASD Tugs and fivetraditional single screw tugs.

The tugs operate at the following locations:– Four Damen ASD Tugs serving the mainMediterranean container terminal of GioiaTauro, one ASD 3211 and three ASD 3110;– Five Damen ASD Tugs, two ASD 3110and three ASD 2810, plus threeconventional single screw tugs serving the port of La Spezia;– Four ASD Tugs, one ASD 3211 andthree ASD 3110, plus two conventionalsingle screw tugs serving the port ofSavona/ Vado Ligure;– Four Damen ASD Tugs 3111 with Fi-Finotation with water spray are currently onorder and under construction at DamenShipyards Changde. The first wil bedelivered to Con.tug Gioia Taura (part ofthe Scafi group) by mid-January 2009.

Why do you only operate Azimuth SternDrive Tugs?We operate Azimuth Stern Drive Tugsmainly because they offer a good compro-mise between good sea/course keepingand manoeuvrability. According to our

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MR FRANCESCO CASO, TECHNICAL MANAGER OF SCAFI SOCIETA DI NAVIGAZIONE SPA

captains, the towing point is a safe distancefrom the propellers in case any ropes break,and manoeuvring is very easy, especiallywhen passing from one side of a ship tothe other.

The Damen ASD Tug 2810 ‘Isola del Tino’is a more standard vessel equipped withCaterpillar engines. What are its advantages?The advantages can be described in twowords: less and quick. Less noise andvibration, less F.O. and L.O. consumption,less maintenance and smoke. Quickmanoeuvring and response. These are bigadvantages for a tug boat.

What can you tell us about the buildingprocess at Damen Shipyards Changde inChina?Damen quality is maintained in every detail.People are willing to listen to the customer’srequirements. The shipyard is clean andhas been restructured. The steel work andoutfitting are up to the highest standard.

FRANCESCO CASO - TECHNICAL MANAGER

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CLOSE COOPERATION CRITICAL SUCCESS FACTOR

Vroon operates in a broad field, and itsfleet includes livestock carriers, offshoresupport vessels, dry cargo ships, containerships, car carriers and tankers. The offshoreservices sector has experienced particularlyrapid growth in the past few years. Vroonused to be known mainly for livestocktransport, but nowadays offshore servicesrepresent its most important business unitin terms of numbers of ships. To ensurethat its entire fleet stays up-to-date, Vroonhas embarked on a far-reaching renewalprogramme. ‘It’s a huge operation, bothin numbers and turnover,’ commentsTechnical Manager Eric Rikken. ‘We haveabout 150 ships in our fleet, and 100 ofthese are offshore vessels. Worldwide wehave 60 ships under construction, half ofthem offshore vessels.’

Ships deliveredDamen’s contribution to Vroon’s fleetrenewal programme consists of six offshoresupport ships. The last one was deliveredin September 2008. The ships are fourDamen Safety Standby Vessels 4711 andtwo Damen Platform Supply Vessels 7216.‘The hull of the Damen Safety StandbyVessels – which we refer to as EmergencyRescue and Response Vessels – was builtin Poland and completed by the Damensubsidiary Maaskant Shipyards Stellendam,’explains Eric Rikken. ‘Their most importantjob is to rescue offshore installationpersonnel in the event of an incident, andthey are naturally designed and equippedespecially for that purpose. Damen builtthe Damen Platform Supply Vessels inRomania. They will supply offshoreinstallations.’

Using every inch of spaceThe Damen Safety Standby Vessels arequalified to operate throughout the NorthSea. That means that their lay-out andequipment complies with the legal require-

ments set by several North Sea countries.It is not easy to build a ship that meets allthese requirements. The Dutch, Norwegianand British rules differ considerably fromone another – and sometimes they are evencontradictory. ‘We wanted to build a cost-efficient but relatively small ship,’ explainsEric Rikken. ‘It was a huge challenge todesign accommodation that met all thedifferent national requirements, despite thelimited space available. British regulations,for example, stipulate that there have tobe two lifeboats on board. In other words,the designers had to use every inch ofspace. It’s quite an achievement for Damenthat it was able to build such a small shipwhile still satisfying all the requirements.Damen also got the maximum out of theDamen Platform Supply Vessels. Despitetheir fairly small hull, they have quite alarge hold capacity.’

Vroon B.V. is a successful Dutch shipping company that has recently experienced rapidgrowth. It is currently upgrading its fleet and asked Damen to build six offshore supportships as part of this major operation: four Damen Safety Standby Vessels 4711 and twoDamen Platform Supply Vessels 7216. ‘The Damen Safety Standby Vessels satisfy all thelay-out and equipment requirements of the various North Sea countries for this categoryof vessel. Considering how little space the designers had to work with, that’s quite anachievement,' says Eric Rikken, Technical Manager at Vroon B.V.

MR ERIC RIKKEN, TECHNICAL MANAGER AT VROON B.V.

DAMEN BUILDS SIX NEW OFFSHORE SUPPORT SHIPS FOR VROON B.V.

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CooperationThe ships Damen has delivered to Vroonare no run-of-the-mill vessels. They arehighly specialist craft. Vroon and Damencooperated closely during their construc-tion, Eric Rikken says. ‘As a shippingcompany, we have the specific experienceneeded to build these exceptional ships.Close cooperation isn’t really required forbulk carriers, container ships or otherstandard vessels, but in this project it wascrucial.’ The cooperation with Damen wasflawless, he says. ‘Both Damen and Vroonappointed a key contact person for theproject, and that meant that communicationwas quick and efficient. The ships have allbeen commissioned by now, and thefeedback on them has been excellent. Inother words, we’re very satisfied.’

5COLOPHONDamen News is a publication of the Damen Shipyards Group intended for broad distribution The purpose of the newsletter is to provide interested parties with optimum information about the worldwide activities of our company. Damen News is distributed by controlled circulation to clients and business partners of the Damen Shipyards Group.

Editor and Coordination: PR department DAMEN. Texts: Heldere Taal, PR department DAMEN.Photography: Flying Focus, Van der Kloet a.o. Design: K E T E N. Lithography and printing: Grafisch Bedrijf Tuijtel.

For remarks / copy: Public Relations department, Phone +31 (0)183 63 98 68, [email protected]

© No part of this newsletter may be reproduced in any form, by print, photo print, microfilm or any other means, without written permission from the Damen Shipyards Group.

D A M E N S H I P YA R D S G R O U P

P.O. Box 1 phone +31 (0)183 63 98 68 [email protected] AA Gorinchem fax +31 (0)183 63 94 63 www.damen.nl

The Netherlands

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The new Damen Combi Freighter 7200is Damen Shipyards Bergum’s answer tothe growing demand for medium-sizedcargo vessels with a lot of capacity ondeck for high-volume freight. ‘That demandhas been growing in various regions,’relates Erik Schultz, ‘especially alongroutes between Northwest Europe, theCaribbean and Africa. We believe that wecan meet that rising demand with thisship. It’s also a good addition to our range.At 7,200 dwt, it fills the gap between ourexisting 3,850-tonne and 11,000-tonnevessels.’ Damen Shipyards Bergum, whichspecialises in building cargo vessels andtankers, began developing the ship in2004. The first hulls, built in Eastern Europe,were ready by late 2007. The ships will becompleted at Damen Shipyards Bergumin Harlingen, in the north of theNetherlands. The first Damen CombiFreighter 7200 was delivered this year.

High-volume and heavy deck loadcapabilitiesThe Combi Freighter 7200 has a uniquecombination of rock-solid features. Damenhas produced a modern design and taken

pains to make the ship economical inoperation. ‘The ship recycles the engineheat in various ways, for example to heat upthe heavy fuel oil. That means better fuelefficiency,’ says Erik Schultz. The DamenCombi Freighter 7200 is a tweendecker,with the lower deck being reserved forheavy cargoes. The upper deck is intendedfor high-volume, relatively light cargo suchas automobiles. The cargo hold hatchesalso offer considerable capacity on deck,for example for containers. ‘The shipcombines high-volume and heavy deckload capabilities,’ says Erik Schultz. ‘That’s precisely what the market is askingfor. It also has two cargo handling cranesoffering 40-tonne lift capacity. That meansit can unload itself.’

A comfortable, go-everywhere vesselThere are very few regions across the globewhere the Damen Combi Freighter 7200cannot venture. It is an Ice Class 1A ship,but it by no means needs to avoid highertemperatures. ‘We made sure that it’swell-insulated against heat,’ explains ErikSchultz. ‘So it’s more than suitable for thetropics. In terms of its geographical range,

the Damen Combi Freighter 7200 is adeep-sea vessel in every respect.’ Whetherthe ship travels through icy or tropicalconditions, the crew can always count ona comfortable voyage. ‘We really made apoint of that. We made sure that the hutsare pleasant, with spacious beds and a lotof natural light. The soundproofing on theship is excellent, and the noise level neverrises above 55 dB, well below the 60 dBlimit. So the crew can reckon on pleasantworking conditions.’

Successful maiden voyageThe Damen Combi Freighter 7200 wasdelivered in July to UniSea Shipping B.V., aDutch company. It has already completedits maiden voyage, to the Caribbean – quitea long trip for the first time. ‘The ship sur-passed expectations,’ reports Erik Schultz.‘The crew praised the ship and everyonewas impressed by its speed and fuelefficiency. In other words, we had a satisfiedcustomer. And that’s precisely why we dowhat we do as shipbuilders. We fully expectto deliver three or four Damen CombiFreighters 7200 a year.’

The new Damen Combi Freighter 7200 Ice 1A is a credit to its designation as a‘multi purpose vessel’. The tweendecker can transport both mixed cargo and projectcargo, is fuel efficient, and combines high-volume and heavy deck load capabilities.The Combi Freighter 7200 is an Ice Class 1A ship, but it also feels right at home inthe tropics. ‘All these features combined make the Damen Combi Freighter a power-house of a ship,’ according to Director Sales Erik Schultz of Damen ShipyardsBergum, responsible for developing and building the Damen Combi Freighter 7200.

JACK OF ALL TRADESDAMEN COMBI FREIGHTER 7200 ICE 1A

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NESTOIL GROUP OF NIGERIA ACQUIRES 15 DAMEN VESSELSNestoil Group recently acquired several Damen vessels for its NembeCawthorne Channel Trunk Line (NCTL)project. The multimillion-dollar NCTLproject involves pipeline/trunklineconstruction and replacement inextremely swampy terrain in Nigeriafor oil and gas giant Shell Petroleumand Exploration Company. The projectalso involves replacing pipelines thatcross major river beds.

ERNEST AZUDIALU – PRESIDENT / CEO NESTOIL GROUP

To ensure prompt, efficient and cost-effective completion of Shell-NCTL project,Nestoil Group added the following Damenvessels to its marine equipment fleet: 3 Damen Pushy Cats 1204, 2 Damen StanTugs 1405, 2 Damen Multi Cats 1506 and8 Damen Facs 540.These brand-new vessels were recentlydelivered to the Group to boost its fleet ofdredgers, tug boats, mega-tonne pullinglay barges, houseboats, swamp excavatorsand other equipment. Nestoil’s marineand other equipment complies withinternational standards and can easily bedeployed on projects anywhere in theworld. The group is also currently exploringnew markets in the United States ofAmerica.

Nestoil Group is among the top three localoil and gas services companies in Nigeria,with unequalled expertise in pipeline/trunkline construction. The Group’s servicesinclude integrated engineering servicesand consultancy, equipment procurement,fabrication and installation, pipeline/flowlines construction, maintenance andrepairs.

What are your company’s mainachievements and the keys to your success?The main achievement of Nestoil Group is that it has developed from a smallinspections company 13 years ago into astrong EPC Group, thanks to its leadershipfocus and human capital development.Many years ago, the company’smanagement identified key growthopportunities in the Nigerian oil and gassector and decided to tap into them.Today Nestoil has become a leading EPCcompany in Nigeria. The company is thesole owner of one of the best fabrication

facilities in Nigeria. In addition, it hasinvested heavily in equipment and todayranks as first among other local EPCs inNigeria in terms of equipment and facilitiesownership in the oil and gas industry.

What plans do you have to elaborate onthese developments in future?With the benefit of its pedigree as a multi-faceted oil and gas services company,Nestoil intends to diversify upstream intothe exploration and production sectorand produce crude oil within the next twoyears. It will also diversify downstream andbecome a very active major importer offinished crude products.

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MR ERNEST AZUDIALU, PRESIDENT / CEO NESTOIL GROUP

MR ERIK SCHULTZ, DIRECTOR SALES DAMEN SHIPYARDS BERGUM

DAMEN COMBI FREIGHTER 7200 ICE 1A

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Company profile PB Towage. What are itsmain activities?Harbour towage, currently focused onAustralian east coast liner ports but certainlylooking for opportunities to expand. Wealso have four vessels on charter in theharbour and contract towage areas whiledeveloping emergency response andsalvage capability across the fleet.

When and how did PB Towage come intocontact with Damen?Pacific Basin Shipping and their jointventure partner Anglo Ports immediatelyset about investing in the business, havingacquired the former six tug AMS businessin late 2007. Damen had new-build vesselsavailable in the short to medium term,which fitted the PB Towage expansion plan.Given the Damen reputation for quality anddesign, orders for six vessels were soonconfirmed (four Damen ASD Tugs 2411and two Damen ATD Tugs 2412).

Why did PB Towage select Damen assupplier? One key reason at the time, not havingspecified, supervised or monitored theconstruction of the initial order, wascertainly the quality of the vessels producedby Damen, whose reputation as a leadinginternational tug designer and builder iswell deserved. Other primary

considerations were value for money,after-sales support and future partneringwith Damen as the fleet expands.

What do you think of the building processfor the ATD Tugs 2412 at Song CamShipyard in Vietnam?To the uninitiated, the presentation,organisation and efficiency of the yard inVietnam comes as a big surprise. This is anendorsement of the Damen businessmodel, constructing European standardvessels in Vietnam by working very closelywith the shipyard, with the sameexperienced Damen personnel on sitethroughout the build to oversee everyaspect, ensuring Damen quality is furtherenhanced with every vessel.

Do you have any plans to expand intoother markets or other activities besidestowage services (e.g. pilot services)?PB Towage will continue to build its fleetand coverage around the Australian coastwith a focus on the core harbour towagebusiness and with an eye on the chartermarket, while developing emergencyresponse and salvage capability. Our sistercompany PB SeaTow (New Zealand) ismore involved in the contract towage andoffshore market sectors.

Background: visit www.pbtowage.com

COMPANY PROFILETONY COUSINS – CHIEF EXECUTIVE

PB TOWAGE AUSTRALIA PTY. LTD.

MR TONY COUSINS, CHIEF EXECUTIVE PB TOWAGE AUSTRALIA PTY. LTD.

DAMEN ATD TUG 2412

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IDEAL COMBINATION OF RELIABILITY, SPEED AND MANOEUVRABILITY

‘Our new Damen Interceptor 1102 combines reliable technology with good sea-going behaviour and high speeds. It’s ideal for intercepting fast-moving targets.’These are the words of a proud Jaap Gelling, High Speed Craft Product Director, whowas closely involved in the Damen Interceptor 1102’s development. ‘The DamenInterceptor 1102 reaches a top speed of 57 knots. That’s an excellent performancefor a professional craft in this category.’

The need to protect the world againstsmugglers and other undesirable elementsat sea has generated a growing demand forinterception boats. The fast-moving DamenInterceptor 1102 is Damen’s response tothis demand. ‘The Damen Interceptor1102’s small size makes it highly suitableas a launch for larger patrol boats,' saysJaap Gelling. ‘You can store it on board anduse it when it’s required. Patrols stationedalong the coast can also use it stand alone.At the moment we’re also designinglarger Interceptors, again in response to a growing demand.’

AffordabilityThe Damen Interceptor 1102 is a small, light-weight craft, and that makes it inexpensive,not only in terms of the purchase price, butalso in terms of fuel consumption. There isone other factor that keeps the cost of theDamen Interceptor 1102 low, says JaapGelling. ‘One big advantage of the 1102’ssmall size is that it can be transported bycontainer. The only thing that needs to bedone is to disassemble the roof and part

of the fendering. That means it can betransported anywhere economically andat short notice.’The Damen Interceptor 1102 features arefined combination of technology andmaterials. The boat is equipped with twinVolvo diesels (370 hp) and Duoprop stern-drives, making it highly manoeuvrable. The

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DAMEN INTERCEPTOR 1102

MR JAAP GELLING,HIGH SPEED CRAFT PRODUCT DIRECTOR

structural design uses advanced carbonand glass composites. The Interceptor haspassed a stringent set of tests with flyingcolours, says Jaap Gelling. ‘The resultswere excellent and show just how solid theDamen Interceptor 1102 is. We expect todeliver the first boats in the series in early2009.’

DAMEN INTERCEPTOR 1102:

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DAMEN SERVICESNEW INTEGRATED WORKING METHODS FOR TOP QUALITY AND SPEED

Damen Services offers the full spectrum ofafter-sales activities. Customers come toDamen Services with their warranty claimsand for maintenance, damage and otherrepairs, inspections and inspection reports,parts supplies and commissioning. Damen Services also undertakes specialprojects, for example conversions, theconstruction of docks, slipways and quaysand the installation of mooring systems. Inshort, Damen’s service department is readyfor any and every request for service orsupport.

All-round approachTo ensure that it can continue to giveDamen’s customers the best possibleservice, Damen Services is overhauling itsorganisation. ‘Damen Services hastraditionally been divided into separatedepartments, for example for parts,warranty claims and special projects,’explains Heino Westdijk. ‘That’s okay insmaller organisations, because the lines of communication are short anyway. Butthe system doesn’t work any more in abigger company like Damen. An integratedapproach has become indispensable,because it means we can quickly andefficiently coordinate the different customerrequests for service or support. In January2009, Damen Services will become anintegrated organisation in which all thedepartments work together closely.’

Multidisciplinary service teamsDamen Services will integrate its existingdepartments by setting up five multi-disciplinary teams. Doing so will bringtogether all of Damen Services’ serviceand support areas: parts, special projects,warranty & field services, and the extensiveservice it provides during ship delivery.‘There’s a huge advantage to the new

multidisciplinary working method. The teammembers will be multi-skilled, so althougheach one will have his or her own area ofexpertise, they can fill in for one anotherand help each other out. That means wecan always assist a customer, even if acertain team member is temporarilyunavailable.’ A regional service managerwill be appointed as the main customercontact person for every team. The servicemanagers will field the customer requestsand quickly pass them on to the rightperson on the team. ‘That way we makesure that customers have quick and easyaccess to our services,’ says Heino Westdijk.

Regional focusThe service teams, which will beginoperating in 2009, are not only multi-disciplinary in nature but also have aregional focus. There will be a total of fiveteams, each one dedicated to a specificworld region: the Americas, Europe, theMiddle East, Africa and the Asia Pacific.The regional approach will offercustomers clear advantages, emphasisesthe manager of Damen Services. ‘Ourservice teams are based in the Netherlands,but they have strong ties with their region.Team members regularly visit the region,know the culture and – if possible – speakthe local language. So they are capable ofcommunicating clearly with customersand have no trouble identifying with theirsituation.’

New premisesDamen Services’ new integrated workingmethods will be reflected in its accommo-dation. The existing departments are nowdispersed across various locations, butthat is set to change in January 2009, whenDamen Services and all its separatedepartments move into a new building.

MR HEINO WESTDIJK,DIRECTOR SERVICES

‘Starting next year, we’ll have all our officesconcentrated in the same place,’ saysHeino Westdijk. ‘We can keep the lines ofcommunication short and use our premisesto help us create an organisation in whichall the service and support disciplines worktogether closely. We even have room inour new building for the permanentrepresentative of our ship engine supplier,so that we can quickly make arrangements.That too will speed up our response time.In other words, we’ll soon be fully equippedto provide our customers with the highestpossible level of service.’

The Damen Shipyards Group is experiencing strong growth, leading to a rapid risein the demand for after-sales services. That is the responsibility of Damen Services.Against this background of strong growth and the aim of providing outstandingservice, Damen Services is modifying its working methods. ‘Starting in 2009, we’llbe working in multidisciplinary, regional service teams,’ says Director ServicesHeino Westdijk. ‘That way we can offer our customers the quickest response timesand the best quality.’

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TOP TO BOTTOMSIGMA NAVAL PATROL 9113INDONESIAN NAVY TNI-AL / INDONESIADAMEN FAST CREW SUPPLIER 3507NICO MIDDLE EAST / DUBAI, U.A.E.DAMEN MULTI CAT 2611HERMAN SR. B.V. / THE NETHERLANDSDAMEN RIVER LINER 1145EMRS VAN VIERBERGHE AND MR DE WINTER / BELGIUMLIMITED EDITIONS AMELS 171

TOP TO BOTTOMDAMEN ASD TUG 2810WAGENBORG SHIPPING B.V. / THE NETHERLANDSDAMEN CONTAINER FEEDER 800HS SHIFFAHRTS GMBH & CO. / GERMANYDAMEN HEAVY LIFT VESSEL 1800JUMBO SHIPPING / CURACAODAMEN SAFETY STANDBY VESSEL 4711VROON OFFSHORE SERVICES / THE NETHERLANDSDAMEN STAN TUG 2909SOCIALIST PORTS COMPANY / LIBYA

TOP TO BOTTOMDAMEN ASD TUG 2411PETERSEN & ALPERS GMBH & CO. KG / GERMANYDAMEN COMBI FREIGHTER 7200 ICE 1AUNISEA SHIPPING B.V. / THE NETHERLANDSDAMEN FAST FERRY 3007RET / THE NETHERLANDSDAMEN STAN PATROL 4207ALBANIAN COAST GUARD / ALBANIADAMEN STAN TUG 2208A.R. SINGH CONTRACTORS / TRINIDAD & TOBAGO

RECENT DELIVERIES

RECENT DELIVERIES, A SMALL SELECTION

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LATEST NEWS

LIMITED EDITIONS AMELS 212

Following the recent public introduction of the design for the exciting 65.70-metre LIMITED EDITIONS AMELS 212, the shipyard has sold the first two in this all-new semi-custom series. The yachts, designed by Tim Heywoodwith interiors by Andrew Winch, are under construction at AMELS’ Vlissingenfacility and Damen Schelde Naval Shipbuilding. They are set for delivery in 2011 and 2012.

MAJOR AMELS REFIT

In October 2008, AMELS completed a major refit of a 68.50-metre Italian-builtmotor yacht. The Owner’s Rep commented: ’I am extremely happy with thework, carried out to the highest possible standards; with the skills of the peopleinvolved; and with Amels’ managers, who were exemplary in seeing that thework was done as planned, as promised, and on time.’

DAMEN TRADING SUZHOU (DTS)

Damen Trading Suzhou (DTS) opened its new offices on 2 September. The officialopening ceremony was performed by landlord Perry Rikkers (General ManagerDamen Marine Components Suzhou), DTS customer Leo Lips (General ManagerDamen Anchor & Chain Factory) and Frank Koppelaar (General Manager DTS).DTS is fully operational and if we can support any of our Damen sisters withpurchasing in China, please don’t hesitate to send an e-mail to [email protected]

NEW NAME SAME COURSE

The year 1875 saw the birth of a new shipyard, the name of which would becomesynonymous with high-quality, state-of-the-art shipbuilding. The company, whichbecame known to its international customers as Royal Schelde, built a largenumber of naval and commercial vessels, many of which helped shape history.In 2000 it became part of the Damen Shipyards Group, the largest shipbuilder inthe Netherlands. Together with its sister companies, it is continuously improvingand expanding a complete range of naval and patrol vessels ranging from 10 tomore than 200 metres. In recognition of the uniqueness of its portfolio and its133 years of shipbuilding excellence, the shipyard has been given a new name.Starting on 20 October 2008, Schelde Marinebouw B.V. will henceforth be knownas Damen Schelde Naval Shipbuilding.

LATEST NEWS