Page 44: of Maritime Reporter Magazine (August 2012)

44Maritime Reporter & Engineering News It could be argued that run- ning an efficient, safe and profitable ship repair yard is one of the most difficult of all maritime jobs. First and fore- most, unpredictability ? in terms of planned and actualworkload, as well as the verynature of the job themselves ? is a recurring theme. Main- taining experienced staff in times good and bad; keeping ahead of evolving regula- tions, as they pertain to the local environment and the global ship market; and weathering the inevitable in- flux of cut-rate competition from emerging nations are but a sampling of the issues ship repair managers face every day. To get answers to some tough questions, Mar- itime Reporter recently spent some time with Jan Kees Pi- laar, managing director of one of the world?s long- tenured and storied ship- yards, Hamburg, Germany based Blohm + Voss. Please provide a brief background on how you come to your current position. PilaarIn 1992 Keppel Verolme Ship- yard appointed me as their Senior Busi-ness Manager for the yard?s offshore repair and maintenance activities. In 2005, when the shipyard group ThyssenKrupp Marine Systems, a result of the merger of the HDW-Group and ThyssenKrupp Werften, was established I was appointed by ThyssenKrupp to be- come Managing Director for the repairactivities of Hellenic Shipyards in Greece. On the decision by ThyssenK- rupp to sell Hellenic Shipyards in 2008/2009, ThyssenKrupp Marine Sys- tems offered me the position as Manag- ing Director at Blohm + Voss Repair in Hamburg. As of May 1, 2009 I accepted this posi-tion and managed beside my daily busi- ness, the selling process of Blohm + Voss Repair, as part of the civil shipbuilding activities of Blohm + Voss, to the final closing with Star Capital Partners. Since the closing has taken place on January 31, 2012 I operate as Managing Partner at Blohm + Voss Repair. Give us the Executive Overview of Blohm + Voss? ship repair capabilities today? PilaarBlohm + Voss Repair in Ham- burg is the premier address for ship own- ers and managers requiring a specializedshipyard for conversions, refits, repairs and routine drydockings focusing on pas-senger/cruise vessel and offshore units for the oil and gas industry. We repair anything that floats, is our slogan!Shipyard work on a passenger/cruise ves- sel is one of the industry?s ultimate chal- lenges; assignments include work on the hull, hotel and public areas, machineryJan Kees Pilaar MD, Blohm + Voss Insights with By Greg Trauthwein, Editor MR#8 (42-49):MR Template 8/9/2012 9:33 AM Page 44