Taking on the might of the Dutch
GPS Marine Contractors Ltd used Seawork International this year to drum up new global dredging contracts with the aim of taking some business back from the Dutch.
And its secret weapon is hydro-dynamic dredging, similar to water injection dredging but in the company’s words “more effective”.
Peter Mortimer, business developer, GPS Marine, told Maritime Journal: “The process creates a finer suspension so the material can be transported ten miles before stopping. This makes the process more cost effective.”
GPS has created a solid working partnership with Open Water Dredging which owns a fleet of three dredgers including a hopper suction and backhoe dredgers. The vessels are all road transportable so are not governed by the weather.
The partnership works well because what one can’t do the other inevitably can, so together they offer a one-stop-shop in marine construction services.
Recent contracts include a huge dredging contract with the Port of Mahon in Minorca where the team have been working to take the levels down to 10m in the harbour basin over an area of 175,0003m. The work is due for completion imminently.
Other contracts include work in Morocco and Lebanon and pipe-laying activities in Spain, West Africa and Estonia.
“The arrangement between the two companies pools together our resources ad means that we are better placed to take on more requirements and take on the big boys in the market,” Mr Mortimer told MJ.
“A lot of our clients don’t want to use the big companies anymore because we offer something a little bit different. The benefit of coming to us is that we deliver great service and there is only one point of contact for a customer. The customer also benefits from one price which doesn’t change from beginning to end.”
By Anne-Marie Causer
