Schat-Harding Takes Over Mulder & Rijke

Lifeboat and davit specialist Schat-Harding has taken over Dutch lifeboat builder Mulder & Rijke. Schat-Harding will continue to manufacture Mulder &Rijke lifeboats for the cruise and ferry market and will provide a global after sales service for all Mulder &Rijke SOLAS products. The production of Mulder & Rijke totally enclosed lifeboats for the merchant shipping and offshore industry has been discontinued. "This is a great opportunity for Mulder & Rijke clients, who can now benefit from Schat-Harding's world wide service network," says Ove Roessland, Schat-Harding group managing director. "Mulder & Rijke have supplied about 6,000 boats over the years, most of which are still out there somewhere, so it is a major boost for our service business. And we can now rationalise production of the new boats at our ultra-modern plant, while greatly strengthening our already leading position in the high quality and very demanding cruise and ferry market." The Mulder & Rijke order book for the cruise and ferry market mainly consists of large orders for the Italian Fincantieri group, which is building a series of cruise vessels for the Holland America Line. The HAL order is the single largest order for lifeboats currently in the market, for four ultra-large cruise ships plus two options. The 120/150 persons Passenger Tender Lifeboat, PTL1100, as well as the 9.5 metre 150 persons Partially Enclosed Lifeboat have been especially developed for this market and will now as from the third cruise vessel of this series be built by Schat-Harding at its plant in Norway. The UK office of Schat-Harding will manage after sales and service for all Mulder & Rijke SOLAS products and sales and service will be carried out by all Schat-Harding offices and agents worldwide. Future newbuildings and service of Mulder & Rijke designed Rigid Inflatable and Fast Rescue Boats as well as the Spurt Workboat range are not included in this takeover. Damen Group, the present owners of M&R, are taking responsibility for all Dutch employees of M&R and are continuing the RIB, FRB and Spurt Workboat business for which a new brand name will be launched early 2003.