November 24, 2009
Despite a rapidly contracting global shipbuilding orderbook, the world’s
leading lifeboat and davit manufacturer, Schat-Harding, has secured a
healthy US$10.6m of orders for new equipment in the last three months.
The orders cover all types of shipping and offshore units, including
orders for new ferries, FPSOs, containerships and warships. The
contracts also have a good geographical spread as clients in Korea,
Singapore, Mexico, Norway, Germany and China have shown their confidence in Schat-Harding.
Per Einar Gjerding, Director Sales and Marketing, Schat-Harding, says,
“We see three reasons why we have been selected on many projects
recently. First of all, only the healthiest projects by the strongest
owners are being realised these days. They want quality. Secondly, it is
important for the shipyards, as our clients, to deliver quality to their
clients on the few projects they are awarded these days. They do not
gamble. And thirdly, we have worked hard internally with very dedicated
and hard working teams to ensure clients get what they need. Our
offshore team has been especially effective.”
In Korea, the single largest market for Schat-Harding, both Daewoo
Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering and STX Offshore & Shipbuilding have
placed orders. Two ferries building for Greek owner Blue Star Ferries at
Daewoo will have Schat-Harding MPC32 lifeboats and Stinger fast rescue
boats. At STX the FSU building for IOOC will have KISS system boats and
davits and also the Stinger fast rescue boat.
In Singapore, Modec has awarded the supply of lifesaving equipment to
Schat-Harding for its PSVM FPSO conversion project for BP. It will be
fitted with four KISS systems and the Stinger fast rescue craft. Otto
Marine Ltd has chosen Schat-Harding KISS systems for a multipurpose
vessel building for Norshore.
Mexico’s Pemex has recently ordered four more conventional lifeboat
systems for its Litoral Tabasco project. These will be built at
Schat-Harding’s dedicated Americas facility in Louisiana, USA.
Gjerding says, “This strong performance in a contracting and difficult
market vindicates our focus on quality, and also on post-sales support.
Owners need to know that the support and spares they need to keep their
lifesaving equipment in good working order will be there for the future.
It is also good to note that the strong orderbook contains a spread of
new products, such as our very successful Stinger fast rescue boat, and
also our tried and tested products such as the MPC32 cruise ship
lifeboat and the simple but effective KISS lifeboats and VIP davits.”
To download a hi res photo of the Stinger FRB at speed go to
http://picasaweb.google.com/Merlinclients/SchatHarding
Or e mail john@merlinco.com for other photos of Schat-Harding boats
l Schat-Harding is the world’s leading supplier of lifeboat and
evacuation systems for the cruise, offshore and shipping industries. It
is focussed on “Improving Safety at Sea”. With factories and offices in
Norway, the UK, the Netherlands, Germany, Italy, Panama, Singapore,
Spain, Canada, the Czech Republic, the USA and China, and agents or
service partners in thirty other countries, Schat-Harding provides a
global service and supply network. Brands now owned by Schat-Harding
include Watercraft, Viking Marine, Waterman, Fiskars, Davit-Company,
MASECO, Watercraft America, William Mills Marine, Schat, Harding, Mulder
& Rijke and the Beiyang Boatbuilding Co.