Western Australian ship builder Strategic Marine has signed a Sales & Service Agency agreement with UK-based marine and repair company Testbank Ship Repair Ltd.
This is the first in a number of Sales & Service Agents which Strategic Marine announced it was developing in February 2012. This partnership has been formed as Strategic Marine and Testbank work together to provide marine, ship repair and through-life support services to the emerging offshore wind sector.
"We announced a few months ago that we would be establishing a network of Sales & Service Agents to work with us in gaining new clients in Europe and supporting them," Chief Marketing Officer, Terry O'Connor said.
"In particular, we will be focussing on those clients operating within the offshore wind sector. Through our relationship with Testbank, we are demonstrating our commitment to the European offshore wind market, enabling us to add value to the vessels that we deliver into the region, by providing clients with turnkey shipbuilding, planned maintenance and ship repair services."
Testbank's Technical Manager Brian Needle said he considers the partnership a great opportunity for both companies to benefit from the synergies created by Strategic Marine's existing and future ship building contracts, and the world class network of ship repair facilities
Testbank operates in the UK. Testbank currently has facilities in Avonmouth, Portchester, Portsmouth and Southampton in the UK, with another US-based facility in Florida operated by sister company, Green Cove Springs.
"Testbank, in partnership with Strategic Marine, will be in a very strong position to provide shipowners and operators with the security of local support and planned maintenance, which will facilitate them in mitigating the costly risks associated with vessel downtimes," Mr Needle said. Strategic Marine recently signed contracts with Njord Offshore to build eight 20 metre offshore wind farm crew transfer vessels (including options). These vessels are currently under construction in Singapore and will be the company's first deliveries into the UK wind energy
market.