Page 18: of Maritime Reporter Magazine (June 2017)

Almaco’s Vilhelm Roberts oices

Photo: Almaco

B ORN

Vilhelm Vilhelm

GLOBAL

RobertsRoberts [CEO & President, ALMACO Group]

Where many see challenges, Vilhelm Roberts, CEO and President of

ALMACO Group sees opportunity, as his company has carved a niche in providing turnkey accommodation spaces and food handling areas serving the global maritime and offshore markets. He discusses the company’s strategy and future with Maritime Reporter.

By Greg Trauthwein “We were born global,” said Roberts. Cabin Production Line, where Roberts The value for a shipbuilder is a ? ex- sourced and it is very competitive.”

The mother company is in Finland, and claims the company can take a ware- ible and accomplished partner who can he leads the company from the compa- house with a ? at ? oor, good lighting ful? ll a technically demanding, logisti- Two Heads are Better than One ny’s of? ce in Florida along with his CFO and good ventilation – anywhere in the cally challenging part of the shipbuilding In 2016 ALMACO shed its business of who is in the of? ce in France. More to world – and turn it into an ef? cient cab- operation. If you are a shipyard building supplying product and systems for shore the point, the company manufactures ac- in-making machine. He explains: “We cargo ships, and then all of the sudden side facilities, focusing instead on two commodation and food handling spaces, provide cabins for projects where there you win a ferry contract, then ALMACO core units, Maritime and Offshore. The but Roberts admits “we have no ‘own’ isn’t an established cabin factory build- can jump in and set up a factory to start Finnish operations are centered on ac- manufacturing, as our business plan is to ing 4000 or 5000 cabins per year. We can producing modular cabins as you contin- commodations, whereas France and Italy stay ? exible. We have excellent, reliable easily and quickly assemble the factory ue the construction of the rest of the ves- are focused on food handling – galley’s, partners in different world regions. If you anywhere in the world and start deliver- sel. “As I said, we have done this many refrigeration and food storage. ALMA- want to stay competitive you must re- ing modular cabins right away for both times and it all revolves around logistics, CO also has a presence in China, Brazil main ? exible, you must be international.” newbuilding and modernization projects. bringing in kits to be built up and rolled and Singapore, and in fact the company

One of the company’s core philoso- To date we have set up factories in 12 dif- onboard the ships,” said Roberts. “It is got its start in offshore about 10 years phies is centered on its Mobile Modular ferent locations around the world” engineering, it is logistics, it is globally ago in Singapore when Keppel FELS 18 Maritime Reporter & Engineering News • JUNE 2017

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