Project:

Country:

Client:

Year:

First Marine International (FMI) has undertaken a market study for the development of a new ship repair dock to expand an existing shipyard in the Southern Hemisphere. The work involved evaluation of market potential, including traffic analysis to identify Panama Canal passers on southerly trans-Pacific routes, survey of competition and competition development, proposals for market share and throughput and estimate of potential revenue. A marketing strategy was recommended for the establishment of the new business.

There were a number of peripheral studies involved in this work, apart from traffic studies, required to properly define the market and its development over the subsequent decade. These included a study of the likely development of docking patterns in the coming ten years, bearing in mind that ships are moving away from the traditional twice in five years pattern, development of competition and the implications of the expansion of the Panama Canal, due to be opened in 2015.

The expansion of the Panama Canal is significant not only because of the increase in traffic that is anticipated but also the relaxation of the 32.2m panamax beam constraint, which up to now has provided a constraint with respect to dry-dock design. The implications of increasing ship size on the dimensions of dry-docks were studied.

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Project:

Development of restructuring plan

Country:

Croatia

Client:

Viktor Lenac Shipyard

Year:

2007-2008

First Marine International (FMI) was asked by an existing client, a shareholder in the Viktor Lenac ship repair yard, to produce a restructuring plan to assist the yard in emerging from bankruptcy and preparing for privatisation. To develop the plan FMI undertook a market study and a current position review. The results of this work were discussed with the yard’s management to agree on the actions required to take the business forward.

The market study looked at the market and competitive positioning of the shipyard in the Adriatic and the wider Mediterranean areas. The marketing methods used by the yard were also reviewed. A marketing strategy was developed on the basis of the results of this study, including targeting of key customers and targets for market share and throughput. The current position review looked at all aspects of the business including facilities, equipment, management, human resources and production methods, with the aim of proposing developments needed for competitive operations. Proposals included changes in all areas of the business to improve operations and to return to profitability. The credibility of the proposals made relied on FMI’s extensive experience of ship repair marketing and operations and successfully gained buy-in from the yard management.

Following approval of the plan, FMI played an ongoing role in implementation through regular visits to the yard and review of progress and issues with the implementation team.

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Project:

Concept design of shipbuilding and ship repair facilities

Country:

India

Client:

Year:

2007-2008

Bharati Shipyard Limited is one of India’s leading commercial shipbuilders. In 2007, First Marine International (FMI) was awarded the contract to prepare the concept designs for the development of shipbuilding and ship repair facilities at three sites on the west coast of India. Two of the facilities were to be developed on greenfield sites at Mangalore and Dhabol while the third was to be a redevelopment of Bharati’s existing facilities at Ratnagiri.

The development of the concept designs was in two distinct phases. The first phase completed in March 2007 addressed the development of facilities at Ratnagiri and Mangalore. The second phase, completed in February 2008 focused on the facilities at Dhabol.

Although the client had a clear view of the target market, a brief market review confirmed that the optimum target product mix for the three facilities would include a range of vessels from tugs, OSVs and vessels up to handymax size. From this, a target product mix and annual throughput for shipbuilding and repair operations was established.

Using the optimum target product mix and throughput, the maximum potential for each of the sites was determined. Each site is to focus on different sectors of the market.

Ratnagiri is to focus primarily on the construction of small vessels with a ship repair capability, Mangalore is to focus on repair up to handysize with the ability for new construction, and Dhabol is to focus on the construction of handymax vessels together with a repair capability.

The production area requirements, manning levels and overall level of applied technology were calculated. Four alternative arrangements for the overall layout of the facilities were prepared for each of the sites together with the order of magnitude development costs.

The final concept designs for all sites were approved by the client in June 2008.

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Project:

Masterplan for major shipbuilding and ship repair facilities

Country:

Saudi Arabia

Client:

FDSCO

Year:

2006-2008

First Marine International (FMI) has prepared the master plan design for the development of a majorshipbuilding and ship repair facility in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in the port of Yanbu-Al-Bahr on the Red Sea. During the development of the master plan the client engaged a leading Far East shipbuilding and repair company to assume operating responsibility for the completed facility. The final master plan has been approved and the detail design phase will start in the near future.

The master plan for the facility was developed in three distinct phases to ensure a viable business strategy.

A market study analysed the international shipbuilding and repair markets and the potential market capture and revenue for the shipyard. From this, a target product mix and annual throughput for shipbuilding and repair operations was established.

Using the results of the market study, the production area requirements, manning levels and overall level of applied technology were determined. Four alternative arrangements for the overall layout of the facilities were prepared for the available site together with the order of magnitude development costs. Subsequently, one arrangement was approved for further development.

The agreed design concept was developed to define the layout of all of the production workshops, ship construction and repair berths, outfitting and repair quays and jetties. The technology to be applied was described for over one hundred and twenty areas of
shipbuilding and ship repair operations. This included the pre-production areas such as ship design, engineering, production engineering, purchasing and planning. An outline specification of all principal production and repair equipment and tooling was developed together with the quantities required and the budget cost.

The final master plan was approved by the client and the operating partners in September 2008 and FMI were requested to submit proposals for the development of the detailed design of the shipyard.

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Project:

Marketing plan for Team Humber Marine Alliance

Country:

United Kingdom

Client:

Yorkshire Forward (“Competitive Edge”programme)

Year:

2006

First Marine International (FMI) was employed by PA Consulting, the manager of the “Competitive Edge”programme, to develop a marketing plan for “Team Humber Marine Alliance”, a private/public sector partnership made up of companies involved in marine engineering activities. The aim was to focus and improve the effectiveness of the Alliance in bringing marine engineering work to the Humber region. FMI worked closely with Hull City Council and Alliance members to ensure the maximum possible buy-in to the plan. There were two stages to the development of the plan. Initially a market and capabilities review was undertaken and, subsequently, in cooperation with the Alliance, a marketing plan was prepared.

The first stage work took account of the skills mix in Alliance members and the availability of key infrastructure such as slipways, docks, quays and load-out facilities and reviewed this against marketing opportunities in the marine engineering sectors.  The sectors reviewed included traditional activities such as shipbuilding, yacht building, ship repair and offshore fabrication, along with developments in offshore power generation, naval contracting and inland waterways. A strategic assessment was made based on the findings to direct the development of the Alliance.

The second stage was to prepare a marketing plan. This included a specification of the scope and role of the Alliance (with a view to establishing a full time office and staffing), a statement of market positioning, and market propositions and a plan for promoting marine engineering activities in the region. The Alliance is now operating on this basis.