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from concept development all the way to the end.
We have carried out projects that took hundreds of
thousands of hours to complete. Deltamarin is known
for its ability to manage large projects. That, in turn, is
based on the fact that we have a core that consists of
our own people and long-term partners.
The offshore side has taught us even more about
project management, because the rules, regulations
and bureaucracy on that side are much more difficult
than on the ship building side. We have learned as
we’ve gone along. To venture a guess, I’d say that there
will be at least one more offshore boom. And when that
happens, it’s important that we have the right people in
the house. I firmly believe that a company like ours will
be in demand.
The competition will only get fiercer in every market,
be it Europe, Asia or somewhere else. I believe that
networks of cooperation and interpersonal relationships
built over time will play a role in getting deals. In the
bulker business, the role of brokers is greater, especially
when we’re talking about selling a long series of vessels
where financing also plays an important role.
I am a firm believer in patience: nothing will sell
you better than your previous work, a satisfied client
and your name becoming known. The Asian market in
particular is one where your reputation matters, and it
will always come back to you. Deltamarin’s strategy is
not to offer the cheapest prices. Our value comes from
knowledge, quality and shorter delivery times. That’s
how our competence becomes known and we get more
work. A good example of this type of cooperation is the
Stena-Deltamarin-CMI (AVIC) trinity.
The role of the Asian market will only grow in the
future. Ships will be built in Europe, too, of course,
but the number will be smaller, and the ships will be
more complex. This is the space we want to occupy
in the future as well. In my view, this encapsulates
Deltamarin’s future and future success: we are a firmly
independent Finnish company – two thirds of our staff
and one-fifth of our owners are Finnish. We have 30
years of experience of different ship types with a variety
of global customers and 20 years of experience of
working with top-tier Chinese shipyards. That’s our
spot: working with demanding western shipowners and
Asian shipyards.
We have a wonderful mix of people working for us:
some have been here for 30 years and have immense
experience and competence. On the other end of the
spectrum, we have a growing number of people who
have been in the house for 10 years. My own generation
is a minority – when we were hired, Finland wasn’t
doing so well and we were living through a deep
recession.
I have every reason to believe that the upcoming
decades will also be great for our company and our
employees. Being proud of the heritage of the company,
utilising the knowledge and experiences from the past,
combining that with the latest technologies and working
together as a one strong global team are ‘making the
difference’, which will guarantee the future success of
this great company.