Leif Hoegh Co News

Leif Hoegh & Co. Ltd., a primary insider of Hoegh LNG Holdings Ltd., purchased 67,060 common shares in Hoegh LNG Holdings on 15 March for a price of NOK 91.50 per share.   Following the transaction, Leif Hoegh & Co. holds a total of 31,933,849 shares in Hoegh LNG, representing 41.56 pct of outstanding shares, and 287,500 common units in Hoegh LNG Partners LP ("HMLP"). Leif Hoegh & Co is indirectly controlled by Leif O. Hoegh and by a family trust under which Morten W. Hoegh is the primary beneficiary and is represented on the Board of Directors of the Company by Morten W. Hoegh (Chairman) and Leif O. Hoegh (Deputy Chairman) due to its ownership stake in Hoegh LNG.   Reporting By Ole Petter Skonnord

Greek firefighters extinguished a fire aboard the U.S.-flagged car and truck transport ship Alliance Norfolk early today while it was anchored in the Port of Piraeus, the Greek Coast Guard said. The operation involved two fire-fighting boats, 30 firefighters, a unit of the Greek Emergency Rescue Squad and a coast guard rescue boat, the coast guard said on its website. The crew of 23, all foreign nationals, and five passengers are all safe and unhurt; one injured fireman was treated in hospital, according to the statement. No indication of damage was given. The ship belongs to Hoegh Autoliners AS, a unit of Oslo- based Leif Hoegh & Co., according to the company’s website. The ship was destined for Saudi Arabia and had docked at Piraeus for an insurance inspection.

The reefer market has proved successful for A&P Falmouth throughout recent months with a total of six bookings for reefer ships from two separate owners. Falmouth is ideally located for the reefer trades on the ballast route from Northern Europe to loading ports in South Africa, Canary Islands and the Caribbean. Amer Shipping's 13,312 grt vessel the Amer Choapa was the first to enter the shipyard during July. Work completed during the 9 day docking included blasting and painting, steelwork repairs, hatch cover repairs, main engine survey and overhauls to the rudder and tailshaft. Following the successful completion of the Amer Choapa, the 9,070 grt Amer Whitney arrived during early August for similar works covering a 10-day period.

HUAL AS was named as a General Motors Supplier of the Year for its overall business performance in providing GM with parts and services. The award was given during ceremonies Saturday, April 3 in Prague at the Hilton Prague Hotel's Congress Hall. "HUAL is representative of the type of company we want to grow with as we drive to be the best worldwide," said Bo Andersson, vice president, GM Worldwide Purchasing Production Control & Logistics. "The company has a balanced focus on performance and behaviour that supports GM's priorities. "HUAL is very honoured to have been selected by GM as 2003 Supplier of the Year for Ocean Carrier Services, " said Karl A. Terjesen, HUAL's president. "Receiving this important and prestigious award from the world's No.

J. Lauritzen bought Cool Carriers AB for $35.4 million from Norwegian shipping group Leif Hoegh & Co. ASA, a step in consolidation of the reefer vessel market. "The acquisition will be financed through a capital injection of 215 million crowns ($25.5 million) from the parent company J. Lauritzen Holding," it said. Reefer vessels are equipped with refrigeration facilities to transport perishable foodstuffs. The takeover of the Swedish-based group, effective January 1, 2001, would create the world's leading specialized reefer vessel operator in a new company to be named Lauritzen Cool AB, it said. "With the establishment of Lauritzen Cool the first step towards the long sought-for consolidation of the global reefer market has now been taken," it said.

Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering Co., has won three orders worth a combined $600m to build six ships for three companies in Russia, Africa and Europe. Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering will construct two crude oil carriers for Sovcomflot Group, Russia's largest shipping company, two tankers for a company in Liberia and two car carriers for Leif Hoegh & Co., a Norwegian shipper. The ships will be delivered to the companies by January 2011. Source: Business in Asia Today

Leif Hoegh & Co. ASA announced plans to buy the remaining 50 percent of reefer operator Unicool, in which it already holds a 49.8 percent stake. Final negotiations for the deal re expected to take place next week. The price of the deal is to remain confidential, officials said. Unicool is the world's biggest operator of refrigerated ships and has 68 vessels.

Leif Hoegh & Co., who owns 49.8 percent of Unicool, has signed an agreement to purchase the 50 percent shareholding in the company owned by South African Marine Corp., effective early January 2000. Unicool, through its two subsidiaries Cool Carriers and Arctic Reefers, is a worldwide operator of reefers with a fleet of 68 vessels, of which Unicool owns 16.

Norwegian shipping group Leif Hoegh & Co. last Wednesday forecast continued gains in operating profits in 2000 after a leap in the first quarter. Operating profits rose to $16.79 million in the three months to March 31 from $9.26 million in the same period of 1999. Leif Hoegh swung to a net profit of $6.22 million from a loss of $41.53 million.