Yanmar Marine Appoints Julio Arribas to Head SW Europe
Yanmar Marine Internationalhas appointed Julio Arribas as its South West European Regional Manager, a position that encompasses the roles of General Manager of both Yanmar Equipment Iberica, S.L. and the newly-established Yanmar France SAS.Arribas will spearhead the launch of Yanmar’s strengthened distribution operation and selective dealer network in France after the leading engine and propulsion specialist opened a new sales and customer representative office in La Roche-sur-Yon in September to provide dedicated local support.Currently the General Manager of Yanmar Equipment Iberica with responsibility for Spain and Portugal, Arribas…
Japanese Shipbuilders Discuss Business Integration
Kawasaki Heavy Industries Ltd. and Mitsui Engineering & Shipbuilding Co. began preliminary discussion on potential business integration, Japan Times reported. The two companies are expected to take multiple integration formats into consideration, including an outright merger. But sources told Japan Times that some wariness remains within the firms about any form of integration that could cause the talks to undergo several twists and turns. Integration would attempt to place the companies closer to their Asian rivals in terms of orders, an area many Japan shipbuilders have been lagging in during the industry’s hard times. “If the integration goes through…
Brazil Shipbuilding: A Forecast
The rise and fall of the Brazilian shipbuilding market is well-known, having plummeted from the top of the world list in the early 1980s to the bottom by 1999. Today, Brazil is storming back, an amazing revival of the nearly defunct shipbuilding industry driven by the sudden influx of orders from major offshore oil & gas players, namely Petrobras. Today the shipbuilding market in Brazil has in excess of 100 firm orders for ships in a variety of shapes and sizes, in addition to a large number of drill rigs and production unit orders. In addition, companies from around the globe are flocking to Brazil to set-up shop and engage in the industry’s renaissance.
RoRo Shortage Hits Car Trade
While the Chinese automotive sector is experiencing double-digit growth, Chinese finished vehicle exporters are facing stiff competition and ongoing logistics challenges in getting their products to foreign markets because of a lack of RoRo ships, according to a report on http://www.cargonewsasia.com. Zhang Xiaoyu, vice-chairman of the China Machinery Industry Federation said that while the number of China's vehicle exports has increased sharply, many of these cars lay in transit at ports because shipping companies simply do not have enough vessels to transport them. According to China Custom's figures, the mainland exported a total of 340,000 cars in 2006 - double that exported in 2005.
Japan: Advanced procedures sustain industry in turbulent markets
Japan retains its perch atop the world commercial shipbuilding heap, although its position grows increasingly precarious with the continued emphasis on shipbuilding market share by its Korean competitors, and the emergence of low-cost, hungry start-ups in China and the former Eastern bloc nations. The challenges facing the Japanese shipbuilders and ship equipment suppliers are not unlike those faced by its European counterparts during much of the past decade. While Japan's strong suit continues to be its ability to mass produce tankers and bulk carriers in a very efficient and profitable manner, its technical prowess and continually refined manufacturing procedures can only take it so far in what continues to be a labor intensive process.
