“Full Ahead” for Blohm+Voss in the superyacht sector
Hamburg, June 2015 – Fred van Beers, the newly appointed CEO for Blohm+Voss in Hamburg addressed all 1,100 Blohm+Voss employees in June to announce details of an aggressive new investment plan that has been prepared over the past few months in conjunction with Star Capital and the Board of Directors.
Fred will be implementing a number of noteworthy changes over the next 12 months, all designed to ensure that the business is fully optimised and efficient in meeting the needs of the diverse marine markets in which the company operates.
The company boasts a build portfolio of nearly 1,000 vessels across its 138 year history as well as an impressive track record of complex refits and conversions on yachts, cruise liners and oil & gas platforms. However, it is the unique and iconic superyachts that have really brought the brand to prominence in recent years. Much of the new investment and development work will be focused on the superyacht sector in order to strengthen the company’s position as the world’s pre-eminent builder and service provider of custom yachts over 80 m.
The key developments in this area include:
Creation of a dedicated superyacht division
Historically, new construction projects (Blohm+Voss Shipyards GmbH) were managed independently from refit and repair activity (Blohm+Voss Repair GmbH). The full integration of both areas will ensure that clients benefit from a wider range of expertise and sharing of knowledge as well as a far more comprehensive offering throughout the lifecycle of the yacht.
The yacht division will be based in Hamburg with the aim to bring all of the unrivalled naval architecture, ship theory, project management and engineering expertise together in one location. The goal is to offer customers the possibility of a true ›one stop shop‹ centre of excellence for the whole lifecycle of their yacht.
Further investment in the BV80 project
The brand new 80m yacht designed by Eidsgaard Design generated huge interest in the market. The tank testing, class approvals and detailed engineering phase have all been completed and the first vessel is now ready to begin construction. The next step will see significant further investment in steel and major components to ensure new clients are able to take delivery of a top quality, customised 80m yacht in just 30 months from the contract date.
Introduction of Superyacht Lifecycle Management & Lifetime Warranty
Development of a comprehensive new lifecycle service is already well under way. With vast experience in the construction, maintenance, repair and operation of commercial vessels, Blohm+Voss is in a unique position to help clients reduce operating costs considerably through the integration of continuous monitoring equipment into new yachts and the remote management of maintenance and repair schedules. Combined with a lifecycle maintenance agreement, Blohm+Voss’ build quality also means that clients will be able to benefit from a lifetime warranty, available on all new yachts.
Sales team to be strengthened with additional representatives
In conjunction with these investments, Fred will be further strengthening the sales team and the overall representation of Blohm+Voss in the market. This will see the appointment of several, new senior positions and a comprehensive recruitment drive, both internally and externally, to ensure the optimum levels of staff and expertise for the superyacht sector and to facilitate future growth.
Fred van Beers, Chief Executive Officer at Blohm+Voss stated:
Star Capital supports our long term plans to invest in Blohm+Voss and to ensure we continue to meet the changing needs of clients in the large yacht sector well into the future. Our strong financial position, combined with this further investment clearly reinforces a strong confidence in the business and our ability to build truly exceptional superyachts.
We will continue to reinforce our unique position as builders of exceptional, iconic yachts with an uncompromising attitude to quality. This is our simple philosophy which we want to extend with the development of comprehensive lifecycle support for our clients. Our shareholders are fully committed to investing in this strategy, thereby ensuring true customer satisfaction which in the end is the basis for our long term growth and success.
Customer satisfaction is not limited to a quality product alone. Swift, open and service minded communication and performance in all phases of the customer interaction process are equally important.
SOURCE: Blohm+Voss