European Headquarters News

Singapore-based offshore wind vessel firm Cyan Renewables said Friday it had acquired its first vessel from DEME Offshore NL - the Service Operation Vessel (SOV) Groenewind, for an undisclosed fee.The Groenewind is a SWATH vessel used to service offshore wind farms. The vessel hull is designed and optimized for safe transfers of service technicians to offshore wind turbines in all weather conditions.It can accommodate 24 service technicians in spacious single cabins and with large modern lounge areas allowing for social interaction for the service technicians and vessel crew"In its first years of operation, the vessel set new standards for transferring service technicians allowing them to access turbines in more than 3 m significant wave heights…

Negotiations began on Monday between U.N. officials and Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Vershinin on a possible extension to a deal allowing the safe export of grain from Ukraine's Black Sea ports, the Russian diplomatic mission in Geneva said.The Black Sea grain initiative, brokered between Russia and Ukraine by the United Nations and Turkey last July, aimed to prevent a global food crisis by allowing Ukrainian grain blockaded by Russia's invasion to be safely exported from three Ukrainian ports.The deal…

Mercury Marine, the marine propulsion systems division of Brunswick Corporation, announced multiple job moves and promotions within its global leadership team, effective immediately.Will Sangster is promoted to President, Mercury EMEA. Sangster has been General Manager of ANZP since 2014 and added responsibility for the Asia region in 2019. Under his leadership, Mercury APAC has continued to grow revenue and market share. Sangster will relocate to Mercury’s European headquarters in Petit-Rechain…

China’s Vice President Wang Qishan visited the HHLA Container Terminal Tollerort (CTT) at the Port of Hamburg.Wang was greeted by the Chairwoman of the Executive Board of Hamburger Hafen und Logistik AG (HHLA), Angela Titzrath, Hamburg’s First Mayor, Dr Peter Tschentscher, and representatives of the Chinese container shipping company Cosco Shipping Lines. Wang headed a 40-strong party of high-ranking Chinese government officials, and the terminal operator said the visit emphasizes Hamburg’s importance as a global trade gateway.The largest container vessels of Chinese shipping company Cosco Shipping Lines are handled at the facility of Container Terminal Tollerort every week. On Thursday, for instance, the Cosco Shipping Aries was docked at the CTT quayside.

American corporation XPO Logistics, led by multi-millionaire Bradley Jacobs, agreed to acquire French transport services and global logistics solutions provider Norbert Dentressangle, led by multi-millionaire Norbert Dentressangle, for US$3.53 billion including debt, according to Bloomberg. Dentressangle will sell the 67 percent of his family’s ownership in the company for €217.50 (US$240.58) per share. XPO will then start a tender offer for the remaining stake at the same price. A binding agreement has been received from  Norbert Dentressangle and his family for their entire 67% stake in the company and XPO will launch an all-cash tender offer for the remaining shares on antitrust clearances in the US and Germany.

Holland America Line revealed the name of its new 99,500-ton cruise ship slated for delivery in February 2016 will be ms Koningsdam. While the name pays homage to the company’s rich heritage and deep roots in the Netherlands, it also reflects a new era with a bold name that is an original in Holland America Line’s 141-year history. Fincantieri’s Marghera shipyard. Since 1883 every Holland America passenger vessel has borne the “dam” suffix, and ms Koningsdam carries on that tradition. The word koning means “king” in Dutch, and the name celebrates the majestic new ship. The name also pays honor to His Majesty King Willem-Alexander, the first king of the Netherlands in over a century. Holland America Line has a long, proud history with the Netherlands.

Over 70 Greek shipowners supported the Korean Register of Shipping’s (KR) 5th Hellenic Committee meeting held in Athens on October 15. Chaired by Adam Polemis, this important gathering meets annually to discuss KR’s performance and to guide the classification society to further its twin aims of ensuring quality shipping and safeguarding the natural environment in which its vessels operate. Senior representatives from the Athens shipping community heard how KR’s classed fleet had continued to grow year-on-year and had now reached 38.2 million gt comprising 2,393 vessels. At the same time, the quality of the KR fleet had also improved significantly.

Southhampton-based marine outfitting company MSC (Europe) Limited has signed a letter of intent that will lead to a thirteen million pound conversion contract to transform the EX Dronning Ingrid into a state of the art hospital vessel for Mercy Ships. MSC (Europe) Ltd., one of Maritime Services Corporation’s eleven offices worldwide, secured the contract amid strong competition by being able to deliver a complete turnkey package for the owners within the projected eighteen month period. The works comprise of the following: interior and structural design; engine, steel and tank works; electrical generation and distribution; air conditioning and sprinkler systems; fresh water and sewage systems; cabins and public rooms; and hospital areas. The works will take place at the Ex.

According to the annual report of the Dutch organization of rail operators container transport by rail was constant in 2001. Within the Netherlands it declined with 2 percent to 225,000 TEU. On the one hand the bankruptcy of operator Deltalogic played a role, on the other hand the start of the Shortline shuttle Rotterdam-Eindhoven had a positive effect. International transport was practically constant: 560,000 TEU. Volume especially rose on the destinations far away such as Italy. This compensated the decline of maritime containers. On the short distances, for example Rotterdam-Antwerp, rail experiences fierce competition from inland shipping. Koole Tankstorage Pernis is going to expand its terminal for storage and distribution of edible oils and fats.

Climax Portable Machine Tools, Inc. a global leader in comprehensive, on-site machining solutions for the power generation, shipbuilding, industrial and engineering sectors, announced that Scott Simmons has joined the company as the Vice President of Manufacturing and Brian Harris as Vice President of Sales. Simmons is an expert in lean manufacturing and will assist Climax in streamlining the workflows and shipment of their machine tools. Harris will assist with worldwide sales management, new product development and promoting Climax services to international customers and prospects. Simmons’ previous experience in manufacturing, quality and engineering management with Columbia Machine and The Boeing Company have allowed Simmons to hone his extensive skills in the area of lean practices…

Climax Portable Machine Tools, Inc., announced the expansion of its two headquarter facilities in Oregon and Düren, Germany. At its worldwide headquarters in Newberg, the company broke ground on an expanded facility that will house assembly and rental equipment operations as well as double its training capacity. Climax also announced the official opening of its new European headquarters facility in Germany, where building and construction began last year. To commemorate this significant global expansion, Geoff Gilmore, president and CEO of Climax Portable Machine Tools, Inc., Congressman David Wu (D-OR), and Tom Fox, business development officer for the Oregon Economic Development Department, held a groundbreaking ceremony for the new 14,000-sq.ft.

A Military Sealift Command-chartered ship, MV Tor Futura, arrived in Szczecin, Poland, on March 9 to off-load nearly 20,000 square feet of Slovakian army cargo. Slovakian troops served in Iraq until January. While in Szczecin, Tor Futura also loaded nearly 85,000 square feet of Polish army cargo including trucks, trailers and various containers of combat equipment. This cargo is bound for Afghanistan where Polish troops are serving on the front lines of the global war on terrorism. Military Sealift Command (MSC), the U.S. Navy’s sea transportation command, continues to support coalition troops engaged in Operations Enduring and Iraqi Freedom. Soldiers from the U.S. Army’s Surface Deployment and Distribution Command (SDDC), MSC’s sister organization under U.S.