Home: Issue 4 2009 › Cuting edge dredges
Cuting edge dredges
03/11/2009 | Channel: Shipping, Manufacturing
VOSTA LMG has recently unveiled a new modular dredging technology that comprises different sizes of dredges in one design
Netherlands-based VOSTA LMG is an international engineering and contracting company that serves the dredging industry. As a global leader in its field, the company provides self-propelled and stationary dredges, dredge component packages and additional services such as engineering, consultancy, and so on. It is represented in many countries and, in addition to its two main offices in the Netherlands and Germany, it also has subsidiaries in the US, China, India, Singapore and the UAE.
Sales director of VOSTA LMG, Carsten Schwen, explains the layout of the company: “Our company essentially has two headquarters, which are in Amsterdam and Lübeck. These offices are divided by product, Amsterdam deals with stationary dredges, whereas Lübeck is responsible for handling our self-propelled dredges. Both offices also handle the corresponding components and technology relating to the respective type of dredge. Between these two offices we have over 100 staff working for us.”
One major aspect of VOSTA LMG’s business strategy that differs it from others in its industry is the fact that it does not have any of its own production facilities. Carsten elaborates on the benefits that such a system can provide: “This was a deliberate measure taken because we believe that, ultimately, it will suit the project of the customer best if we can decide, case-by-case, where to build the customer’s product. For example, for Chinese customers, we can build in China and for Vietnamese customers we might build in Vietnam. We can build all over the world – wherever suits the project best. This does not necessarily mean that we always build where the customer is, but it gives us that option.
“This manner of operations means that we have a lot of international flexibility, as well as an inherent independence from shipyards. Many of our competitors have their own shipyards, which means their first choice will be to use their own capacity. We are not restricted by that mentality, because we will go to whichever yard is most suitable for the project.”
Of VOSTA LMG’s many customers, a huge market lies within the so-called ‘Big Four’ of the dredging industry, based in the Benelux region; which are Jan De Nul, Van Oord, Royal Boskalis and the DEME Group. The company also has major customers elsewhere, however, as Carsten highlights: “The market is changing all the time, and so are our clients. One very active region for us at the moment is South East Asia, particularly Malaysia and Singapore. We are also growing in China, and carried out major work for Egypt, too.”
The Egyptian project Carsten refers to as an example involves providing a large suction hopper dredge to the Suez Canal Authority, which was built in conjunction with Mitsubishi Heavy Industries in Japan. Constructed in 2007, this was one of the largest dredges ever built in Japan, with a hopper capacity of 10,000 cubic metres and a maximum dredging depth of 35 metres. The dredger employs a state of the art dredge control and monitoring system, which was also developed by VOSTA LMG. Equipped with consoles on both wings of the bridge, this system serves to control the suction pipes. The central console can then monitor and control all dredging process conditions, including the dredged soil, the dredge pump, the piping system and the overflow system.
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More recently, VOSTA LMG has developed a new modular hopper design, presently built at the German shipyard Sietas in Hamburg-Neuenfelde, for Josef Möbius Bau-AG. When completed, the project will involve the production of two different sized suction dredgers – one with a loading volume of 7350 cubic metres and the other with a loading volume of 5550 cubic metres. Carsten discusses this project: “The dredges being designed here will all utilise the same design but can be extended to increase capacity. This is a very cost efficient system for the producer and it is a very interesting tool for customers, because the common design means they can all be operated in the same way.”
Continually designing such advanced solutions requires extensive research and development, which is vital to the company’s success, according to Carsten: “It is absolutely essential to all of our operations. Given the keen competition in this market, staying ahead of all the latest technological trends becomes a very important selling point. Dredging technology has always been a rapidly developing area. In 2001, we supplied a 32,000 cubic metre hopper dredge that was, at the time, the largest in the world. This has long-since been surpassed, however, as dredgers continue to become larger and the automation behind them has become more advanced. This increases overall efficiency and reduces operational costs.”
VOSTA LMG will also be participating in this year’s Europort exhibition, as Carsten reveals: “This will be a good chance for us to meet with many of our customers together under one roof, demonstrating our recent developments. We normally get involved with up to ten exhibitions every year, and we feel that Europort 2009 will be very important for us.”
Whilst Carsten argues that most of VOSTA LMG’s activities are promoted by word of mouth and that the importance of exhibitions can often be over-estimated, he also believes that, in the midst of the global recession, they can certainly help boost business: “Between 2006 and 2008, we had a complete sellers market, whereby the buyers would come to us. Now, the tables have turned, and we more pro-actively sell our products. This means enhancing market activities and taking part in exhibitions that would have been less important in times of boom.”
Overall, VOSTA LMG has been very well-prepared to cope with the financial crisis, says Carsten: “When the company was formed under its current structure in 2002, our aim was to have a company that was large enough to take advantage of the economical peaks, but also small enough to ride through economic crisis without too many problems. This was done by resisting the urge to hire many staff over the past couple of years when we could have done but, instead, outsourcing certain engineering works. As a result, when there is less work to be done it is much easier to reduce capacities whilst still keeping our own knowledge base and in-house competence. We expect a lower order intake in 2009 and 2010, but we have the flexibility to adjust capacity for that.”
Such careful planning will allow VOSTA LMG to maintain its strong position in the dredging market for many years to come, and Carsten is already planning for the future. He concludes: “Our aim for the next five years is to keep a steady growth. Our industry has naturally seen some impact of the recent economic turmoil but, being a niche market, it has not been affected as badly as many others. We have been fortunate, and now all that remains is for us to stick to our business model and enhance our operations, by looking at potential markets for future growth, such as South America, the CIS and other countries within South East Asia.”
Sales director of VOSTA LMG, Carsten Schwen, explains the layout of the company: “Our company essentially has two headquarters, which are in Amsterdam and Lübeck. These offices are divided by product, Amsterdam deals with stationary dredges, whereas Lübeck is responsible for handling our self-propelled dredges. Both offices also handle the corresponding components and technology relating to the respective type of dredge. Between these two offices we have over 100 staff working for us.”
One major aspect of VOSTA LMG’s business strategy that differs it from others in its industry is the fact that it does not have any of its own production facilities. Carsten elaborates on the benefits that such a system can provide: “This was a deliberate measure taken because we believe that, ultimately, it will suit the project of the customer best if we can decide, case-by-case, where to build the customer’s product. For example, for Chinese customers, we can build in China and for Vietnamese customers we might build in Vietnam. We can build all over the world – wherever suits the project best. This does not necessarily mean that we always build where the customer is, but it gives us that option.
“This manner of operations means that we have a lot of international flexibility, as well as an inherent independence from shipyards. Many of our competitors have their own shipyards, which means their first choice will be to use their own capacity. We are not restricted by that mentality, because we will go to whichever yard is most suitable for the project.”
Of VOSTA LMG’s many customers, a huge market lies within the so-called ‘Big Four’ of the dredging industry, based in the Benelux region; which are Jan De Nul, Van Oord, Royal Boskalis and the DEME Group. The company also has major customers elsewhere, however, as Carsten highlights: “The market is changing all the time, and so are our clients. One very active region for us at the moment is South East Asia, particularly Malaysia and Singapore. We are also growing in China, and carried out major work for Egypt, too.”
The Egyptian project Carsten refers to as an example involves providing a large suction hopper dredge to the Suez Canal Authority, which was built in conjunction with Mitsubishi Heavy Industries in Japan. Constructed in 2007, this was one of the largest dredges ever built in Japan, with a hopper capacity of 10,000 cubic metres and a maximum dredging depth of 35 metres. The dredger employs a state of the art dredge control and monitoring system, which was also developed by VOSTA LMG. Equipped with consoles on both wings of the bridge, this system serves to control the suction pipes. The central console can then monitor and control all dredging process conditions, including the dredged soil, the dredge pump, the piping system and the overflow system.
')";>More recently, VOSTA LMG has developed a new modular hopper design, presently built at the German shipyard Sietas in Hamburg-Neuenfelde, for Josef Möbius Bau-AG. When completed, the project will involve the production of two different sized suction dredgers – one with a loading volume of 7350 cubic metres and the other with a loading volume of 5550 cubic metres. Carsten discusses this project: “The dredges being designed here will all utilise the same design but can be extended to increase capacity. This is a very cost efficient system for the producer and it is a very interesting tool for customers, because the common design means they can all be operated in the same way.”
Continually designing such advanced solutions requires extensive research and development, which is vital to the company’s success, according to Carsten: “It is absolutely essential to all of our operations. Given the keen competition in this market, staying ahead of all the latest technological trends becomes a very important selling point. Dredging technology has always been a rapidly developing area. In 2001, we supplied a 32,000 cubic metre hopper dredge that was, at the time, the largest in the world. This has long-since been surpassed, however, as dredgers continue to become larger and the automation behind them has become more advanced. This increases overall efficiency and reduces operational costs.”
VOSTA LMG will also be participating in this year’s Europort exhibition, as Carsten reveals: “This will be a good chance for us to meet with many of our customers together under one roof, demonstrating our recent developments. We normally get involved with up to ten exhibitions every year, and we feel that Europort 2009 will be very important for us.”
Whilst Carsten argues that most of VOSTA LMG’s activities are promoted by word of mouth and that the importance of exhibitions can often be over-estimated, he also believes that, in the midst of the global recession, they can certainly help boost business: “Between 2006 and 2008, we had a complete sellers market, whereby the buyers would come to us. Now, the tables have turned, and we more pro-actively sell our products. This means enhancing market activities and taking part in exhibitions that would have been less important in times of boom.”
Overall, VOSTA LMG has been very well-prepared to cope with the financial crisis, says Carsten: “When the company was formed under its current structure in 2002, our aim was to have a company that was large enough to take advantage of the economical peaks, but also small enough to ride through economic crisis without too many problems. This was done by resisting the urge to hire many staff over the past couple of years when we could have done but, instead, outsourcing certain engineering works. As a result, when there is less work to be done it is much easier to reduce capacities whilst still keeping our own knowledge base and in-house competence. We expect a lower order intake in 2009 and 2010, but we have the flexibility to adjust capacity for that.”
Such careful planning will allow VOSTA LMG to maintain its strong position in the dredging market for many years to come, and Carsten is already planning for the future. He concludes: “Our aim for the next five years is to keep a steady growth. Our industry has naturally seen some impact of the recent economic turmoil but, being a niche market, it has not been affected as badly as many others. We have been fortunate, and now all that remains is for us to stick to our business model and enhance our operations, by looking at potential markets for future growth, such as South America, the CIS and other countries within South East Asia.”
