Page 12: of Maritime Reporter Magazine (November 2013)

12 Maritime Reporter & Engineering News ? NOVEMBER 2013 When I started my nautical career at Blohm+Voss at the beginning of the early 1960s, one could see on the southside of the river Elbe nine inde-pendent operating shipyards. Today only one remains: Blohm+Voss. More than 100 years experience, technical know-how and modern production technology helps to ensure the international global compet-itiveness of the City of Hamburg as an im- portant site for shipbuilding. The biggest shipyard of Hamburg is Blohm+Voss - an enterprise with more than 135 years of history. The company owns seven docks offering capacities for ships up to 320,000 dwt, including one of Europe?s largest dry docks, Blohm+Voss Dock Elbe 17, with a total length of 352m.The site belongs to the cityscape like the St. Michael?s church, or the city lake Al- ster ? their history dates back to the year 1877. In the 1920s the shipyard employed more than 10,000 employees ? ranking it as the biggest employer in the Free and Hanseatic City of Hamburg. Well-known ships such as Europa, Bismark, Wilhelm Gustloff, Gorch Fock and Cap Arcona ? and many others ? have been launched here. The shipyard has, during its 135 years of history, experienced and sur- vived many ?ups? and ?downs?. The last ?down? during the worldwide economical crisis in 2009/2010. ONE ON ONE DR. HERBERT ALY, BLOHM + VOSS Dr. Herbert Aly Shipyard boss Dr. Herbert Aly discusses Blohm+Voss? radical reorganization as well as the strategies to secure new orders. By Peter Pospiech, Dipl.-Ing., GermanyTOPShipyard boss Dr. Herbert Aly in Front of the German Navy sail training ship Gorch Fock where he was a crew member during his naval service. BOTTOMAerial photo of the Blohm+Voss. MR #11 (10-17).indd 12MR #11 (10-17).indd 1211/11/2013 11:23:29 AM11/11/2013 11:23:29 AM