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and operating systems. Blohm + Voss Re- pair has the facilities and expertise as well as a first class reputation for punc- tual deliveries of such tasks ? its man- agement and motivated labor pool make the impossible possible. Its work force is both experienced and flexible, and can be increased in numbers as well as trades atvery short notice due to Hamburg?s cen- tre pin location and far-flung infrastruc- ture. Blohm + Voss Repair in Hamburg on the River Elbe is easily accessed by equipment operated by the Northern At- lantic and North Sea offshore industry. Blohm + Voss Repair staff is renown for fast conversions and 7/24 repairs always working on-time and to budget. Special- ist expertise includes conversions and modifications, lengthening, re-engining, refits, upgrades, lifetime extensions and repairs to offshore units, rigs, tankers, LNG/LPG gas tankers, FPSO?s as well as work on wind power and oil industry sup- port vessels. What do you count as the primary strength of your company? PilaarWe have very sophisticated project management. In combinationwith the long lasting experience of more than 135 years in ship building at Blohm + Voss at a glance, this will come to a very good customer focus to understand the needs and requirements in handlingcomplex projects in the field of passen- ger/cruise vessels as well as in proceed- ing projects for the oil and gas industry. In what areas do you see room for im- provement? PilaarIn general, Blohm + Voss Re- pair is very well positioned in the market. The most challenging task is to get the?old lady? Blohm + Voss Repair at- tractive to the market participants. We have to work against the impression, that we are an ?old? and ?traditional? company. During the years, we always adapt ourselves to the requirements of the market in the field of service, manage- ment systems and customer orientation.To get this spirit alive is a task that has to be proved on daily basis. ?Is not possible, does not exist!? There are some tough economic and budgetary times: How has the recent eco- nomic slump affected your business? PilaarLess projects and orders in thegeneral ship repair business are leading to more competition in the market. And at the very end, the price is the essential point whether you will get an order ornot! In your opinion how are ship owners today most the same, and most different in their approach to procurement of ship repair and conversion? PilaarAlso for shipowners nowadays it is difficult to earn a dime. Export mar- ket in Europe is basically low and a heavy influence of the financial crisis is present. So, if not much is earned, not much canbe spent. And we notice this. I believe however in quality and we deliver quality. I hear this again and again from our cus- tomers. And this we have to maintain, the goal for us is to offer the quality against competitive prices. So nowadays we do a lot with regular returning customers who value this. What do you consider the biggest chal- lenge in running your business today? PilaarFrom my point of view, effec- tive project controlling is most essential to run a modern and efficient repair and conversion yard these days. You must be informed how a project/order will run, actually on a daily basis. Whether you will run out of budget or you will be in budget. And this is not only for your own financial security but also as a service to your customer, since he also wants to compare against to the budget he has available. August 2012www.marinelink.com 45MR#8 (42-49):MR Template 8/9/2012 11:08 AM Page 45