3 September 2018: Chairman and owner of Damen Shipyards Group Kommer Damen has held a meeting with the Romanian Minister of Economy Danut Andrusca to discuss the future of the Damen Shipyards Mangalia.
Following Damen Shipyards Group’s acquisition of the shares of Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering in Daewoo Mangalia Heavy Industries on 20 July 2018, Damen has been responsible for the operational management of the yard, which has been renamed Damen Shipyards Mangalia. As such, Damen Shipyards Group and the Romanian Government are now joint venture partners.
The meeting between Mr Damen and Mr Andruşcă was held at the headquarters of the Romanian Ministry of Economy. Subjects discussed included the trusting partnership underpinning the association between Damen and newly acquired shipyard. Furthermore it was stressed that the naval industry is of strategic interest to Romania, and it is expected that the relationship between the Romanian Ministry of Economy and Damen Shipyards Group will allow the Romanian shipbuilding industry to develop to its full potential.
Expanding workforce
“The Mangalia site is very important for the Damen group because it allows them to diversify their range of products, especially with regard to the large-scale shipbuilding with high added value such as cruise ships,” said Mr Andruşcă.
“The most important information I received from Mr. Damen is about the future of the workforce on the site,” he said, referring to Damen intentions to expand the workforce at the yard to a minimum of 3,000 employees in some years.
Future confidence
Following the meeting, Mr Damen commented: “We are grateful for this opportunity to personally thank Mr Andruşcă for the Ministry’s stamina and perseverance, and the mutually trusting relationships our teams have sustained throughout this process. Furthermore, in addition to offering improved working conditions to our Romanian workforce, we also discussed improving the social amenities through refurbishing and upgrading the shipyard’s canteen and accommodation facilities.”
“Considering the yard’s current condition, we face a challenging period,” Mr Damen continued. “However, with the continuous full support of the Romanian Government and the commercial opportunities matching our strategic vision, we are confident that the financial health of the yard can be restored and levels of employment increased.”
