Broader Product News

A new carbon neutral product - the first of its kind in the industry - is being piloted with select Maersk customers who are highly engaged in sustainable solutions for their supply chain. H&M Group is the first company to trial it as part of the shift towards carbon-neutral transportation.The biofuel in the pilot project is the same blend of used cooking oil and heavy which has been tested and successfully validated in a trial driven in collaboration with the Dutch Sustainability Growth Coalition (DSGC), and Shell his year.

Advanced drive train technology specialist The Switch said it has seen a sharp jump in growth over last year, increasing its net sales from $43 million to more than $78 million, and returning to profitability after several years of losses. “The Switch financials finally started to improve briskly in the right direction,” said Dag Sandås, The Switch CFO. “We are no longer dependent on just one big client, but we have more clients in different parts of the world, from Asia to Europe.

The Switch, a technology specialist of advanced drive trains, announced its acquisition of Wärtsilä’s marine drives business that encompasses specialized megawatt-class power drives targeting marine applications. The Yaskawa-backed investment gives The Switch a stronger foothold in its growing marine business area. Together, The Switch and the Norway-based marine drives business aim to benefit from a number of inherent added-value synergies, including a stronger machine and drive package offering, a broader product range and a wider market access. As part of the deal, The Switch will gain part of Wärtsilä’s Electrical & Automation (E&A) business line’s test center and the manufacturing facilities in Stord, Norway, that are associated with its marine drives.

Singapore, 29 February 2016 – Vard Holdings Limited (“VARD”, and together with its subsidiaries, the “Group”), one of the major global designers and shipbuilders of offshore and specialised vessels, today announced its financial results for the fourth quarter ended 31 December 2015 (“4Q2015”), and full year ended 31 December 2015 (“FY2015”). With its core market for offshore oil and gas related vessels showing continued signs of weakness in the short term, VARD also announced highlights of its new diversification strategy, aimed at reducing its dependency on the offshore business during the industry downturn. Focusing on other engineering- and technology-intensive parts of the shipbuilding market…

W&O, a global supplier to the marine and upstream oil and gas markets for pipe, valves and fittings, valve automation, and engineered solutions, announced a new OEM partner, Tranberg. A member of R. STAHL Technology Group, Tranberg offers offshore, marine and helideck lighting control solutions. W&O will assume exclusive distribution responsibilities in North America for Tranberg’s nonhazardous lighting to include helideck and navigation. In addition, W&O will also offer Tranberg’s Circle and H systems and other marine lighting systems to the maritime industry. “W&O has been looking to offer marine lighting for some time,” said Michael Hume, President & CEO of W&O.

In 2010, VIKING Life-Saving Equipment, global manufacturer of safety equipment for the maritime, offshore and fire industries, once again generated growth in both its top and bottom lines. Despite difficult market conditions, VIKING Life-Saving Equipment secured a slice of the emerging  upturn of the world market in 2010: the Group succeeded in achieving a record turnover of well over DKK 1,250 million, representing a growth of approximately 11% on 2009. Last year's strategic focus areas – to increase the product range and expand the service solutions – thus had the intended effect…

While the Port of Liverpool may never return to the position it once held as one of the world’s most important ports, recent developments have seen a welcome revival in shipping activity in the area, marked by increased cruise line activity and a flood of investment in new dock and cruise terminal facilities. Viking Life-Saving Equipment Ltd., the U.K. subsidiary of the well-known safety equipment manufacturer, has seen the trend. The company has announced the official opening of a Liverpool branch office on 1 December 2009, taking over from its local agent to provide a broader product and servicing portfolio to VIKING customers passing through the port.

Trombetta Motion Technologies and Camdec Corporation have completed their April 2001 announced merger. All operations are now fully integrated into one location in Menomonee Falls, WI. Greg Bartolutti, VP –Operations said, “ The two organizations coming together has shown what dedicated, loyal, and extremely productive work forces were in place. Jeff Beischel, President & CEO added, “The combining of the two companies has already directly benefited our customer base in many ways. The sharing of technology know-how between the two engineering disciplines has significantly enhanced our level of engineering services for our customers.

Consolidation in the maritime industry is not something new. In the past five years, oil majors such as Exxon and Mobil, and BP, Amoco and Arco have all consolidated. Shipyards haven't been immune to mergers, either; as Halter was purchased by Friede Goldman; and Litton Ingalls consolidated with Avondale. But, when equipment manufacturers begin to consolidate, the effects aren't quite as obvious. In the past five years, Caterpillar acquired MaK and, more recently, Sabre. And Rolls-Royce has joined the buying frenzy with such zeal and aggression, it's almost easier to list companies not owned by the propulsion giant. Part of the ambiguity of the merger between equipment manufacturers is, typically, the existing product line is still maintained; just owned and distributed by the new company.

A recent clutch of 'Rolls-Royce' shipboard equipment and technology contracts in Norway arising out of specialized, capital-intensive newbuild projects testified to the U.K. group's march into the commercial marine domain. For sure, the emergence of the engineering group's name in new mercantile circles is the outcome of last year's acquisition of Vickers, and its Vickers-Ulstein Marine division, rather than the result of U.K. home-grown product diversification. But the new proprietor of the former Ulstein and Vickers' interests intends to build on the platform and integrated system opportunities offered by ownership of the industry's most extensive global network of marine equipment production.

Despite a fall in the overall number of vessels forecast to be delivered from shipyards until 2007, the value of the propulsion systems installed in newbuilds is expected to show a rise from 2004, reaching nearly $5-billion by 2007 on the strength of increasing power requirements. A new business study entitled The World Marine Propulsion Report 2003-2007* predicts that newbuild deliveries measured by tonnage will grow by four-percent over the five years, against a fall in vessel numbers of 10-percent. However, the propulsive power embodied in the newbuild influx should increase by eight-percent compared with the 1997-2002 period. The market for main engines…