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RADIO HOLLAND USA locations where he needs us, which is in line with Imtech Ma- rine’s global efforts by opening additional service locations more recently in Canada, Spain, Morocco, France, China and soon to come in Brazil. We will be more responsive, con- sistent, and have better trained engineers, and offer a wider portfolio. The increased portfolio includes, on the service side, in a fi rst step, IT services on board, on the projects side the mentioned integration with Propulsion, Power Automation which we will realize in cooperation with our Imtech Marine sister companies.

TODAY, WHAT ARE THE KEY MARKETS OR MARITIME NICHES YOU

SERVE IN THE U.S.?

Today we are still very much focused on the deep sea mer- chant shipping market, which is approximately 50 percent of our revenues. Offshore and workboat have increased though in importance, and also ferries, which have been an important niche, and have held up better than the traditional commercial shipping. Staten Island Ferries for example is a well known customer of Radio Holland USA now. For the offshore mar- ket, we will be present at the world’s largest offshore exhibi- tion, OTC, in Houston.

THIS MOVE WOULD SEEM TO INDICATE THAT YOU ARE “BULLISH” ON

BUSINESS PROSPECTS IN NORTH AMERICA. SPECIFICALLY, WHAT BUSI-

NESS AREAS DO YOU SEE AS RIPE FOR GROWTH?

I wouldn’t necessarily say that I am bullish about the market prospects themselves, but about the impact that Radio Holland can have in North America as part of Imtech Marine, and to- gether with our new sister company Groupe Techsol Marine. I believe that there are many customers who have a need for in- tegrated solutions (Electrical, Propulsion, Platform Manage- ment & NavCom) that are OEM independent. This applies in particular for the offshore market in the Gulf, but also for many other customers who build special vessels, including for example for scientifi c purposes, or for ferries. In the service arena, there is a big demand for a provider which distinguish- es itself with regard to professionalism. Besides that, I believe there are good opportunities in NavCom that are driven by regulation changes which are going to be effective shortly.

ECDIS is one. BNWAS? We are in an excellent position to consult with customers about converting their fl eets, and sup- porting them in their transitions from beginning to end.

THE WORLD’S ECONOMY HAS BEEN A TOUGH ONE FOR SEVERAL YEARS

NOW. PLEASE DISCUSS HOW THIS HAS IMPACTED YOUR BUSINESS.

It would not be fair to say it did not affect us, however with our global reach we have been able to serve our customers globally, and though ship movements have been decreasing, our global service volume has been stable. Indeed, the over- capacity in shipping volume will ensure that shipper’s mar- gins continue to be under pressure, and with that, operating costs. Further, fl eets today are much younger than even just a few years ago, so we need to work harder to differentiate ourselves, and identify other areas of activity. We are capable and are aiming to manage this whole situation by increasing uptime of equipment and decreasing total operational cost of the ship owner.

GOING FORWARD, WHAT DO YOU SEE AS THE KEY FACTORS FOR A

COMPANY SUCH AS YOURS TO DIFFERENTIATE ITSELF FROM THE FIELD?

Be the most focused on the customer. Ultimately, I believe

Radio Holland will become even more successful because it has the best network globally and in North America. Another signifi cant factor will be the ability to become more proactive, and to a larger extent partner with the customer. The industry overall is very reactive in responding to equipment that has failed. This is particularly problematic since these failures often happen in places where service is diffi cult to provide.

Imtech Marine’s life cycle approach is focused exactly on pur- suing a more proactive approach.

ASIDE FROM THE RECENT ANNOUNCEMENT REGARDING THE EXPAN-

SION, HOW IS YOUR COMPANY INVESTING TO ENSURE ITS FUTURE

STRENGTH?

We are investing now in our people and in broadening our portfolio and, with Imtech Marine, in state-of-the-art technol- ogies that save the customer real money through the ships life cycle. We are also making signifi cant investments in effi cient tools for operations which make fulfi lling sales and service “ ”

I wouldn’t necessarily say that I am bullish about the market prospects themselves, but about the impact that Radio Holland can have in North

America as part of Imtech Marine, and together with our new sister com- pany Groupe Techsol Marine. I believe that there are many customers who have a need for integrated solutions (Electrical, Propulsion, Platform

Management & NavCom) that are OEM independent. 26 | Maritime Professional | 2Q 2012

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