Damen Shipbuilding Group’s new shipbuilding office in Detroit, US has had its first order within two days of opening its doors, with Young Brothers Limited of Hawaii ordering four Damen 3711 Stan Tugs.
The US office is part of a wider plan by Damen to expand its worldwide presence and is being led by Jan van Hogerwou, who heads new construction, and Ruud Haneveer, who heads Ship Repair and Conversion.
Jan van Hogerwou said: “Opening a permanent Damen presence in North America is a significant milestone for the group, with over 200 Damen design vessels built and delivered in the US, this has been an important market for our vessels for many years via our flexible licensing agreements, and we have enjoyed excellent cooperation with shipyards across the country.
“This latest initiative will enable us to strengthen our relationships further with both builders and operators, and serve the North American market with the innovative, cost-effective and dependable vessels that it seeks.”
Read: Damen Introduces 10 New Tugs
The tugs will be built at the Conrad Shipyard in Louisiana and will be delivered over the course of the year beginning Q1, 2018.
Young Brothers is a Saltchuk company operated by Foss Maritime, and is the largest inter-island cargo service provider in Hawaii.
