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Grand Bahama Shipyard outlines growth vision

Grand Bahama Shipyard outlines growth vision
Grand Bahama Shipyard is working to narrow the competence gap to become closer to best-in-class repair facilities like Lloyd Werft and Blohm+Voss, according to Peter Fetten, svp corporate ship refits for Carnival Corp. & plc.  

Fetten wants the yard to take a bigger and bigger role in outfitting and project management.

That’s a vision shared by GBS chairman and ceo Carl-Gustaf ‘Calle’ Rotkirch and his team, as detailed in the cover story of September’s Seatrade Cruise Review.

With its close proximity to the world’s busiest cruise lanes, GBS has the edge on location, but the deepwater facility with its trio of floating docks aspires to be much more than just the most convenient passenger ship repair yard.

GBS started by contracting only 10% to 15% of a docking, with the bulk handled by cruise line in-house teams, but has advanced to a 20% to 25% share, Fetten said.

Lloyd Werft and Blohm+Voss typically provide a 40% to 50% chunk—the goal for GBS, according to both Fetten and Kevin Douglas, vp technical projects-newbuilds for Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. and a GBS board member.

Fetten said there are ‘a lot of projects in the pipeline’ for GBS starting as early as 2011 where the yard plays a far greater role than before.

Cruise work will comprise about half of this year’s expected revenue of $80m to $90m, and is forecast to rise to 60% in 2011. A steady $90m to $100m in overall revenue is targeted annually going forward.