Worldwide projects
At any single moment, DEME companies are working at 70 different projects worldwide. Moving from the Australian outback over the Gulf of Mexico to the far North of Russia is quite common, and tells a lot about flexibility and diversity in the group. At the end of 2007, the European Community accounted for only 37 per cent of business, with six per cent coming from non-EU European countries. The Middle East provided 24 per cent of activity, the Indian subcontinent delivered six per cent,
and Africa was worth a full 12 per cent.
Home markets are being developed beyond the Belgian cradle, and single assignments may be prolonged for many years to come. It is no coincidence that DEME has a clear preference for establishing local partnership and companies – demonstrating that it sees a business-relation in a long-term perspective. Actually, DEME counts no less than 55 companies, subsidiaries and branches that were incorporated in local juridical structures. Every company enjoys full operational autonomy and is expected to take marketing initiatives in its own field, yet every unit is very much aware of belonging to one Group – a Group that underlines the basic philosophy of ‘unity in diversity’. A recent corporate communication re-branding underlined this double characteristic.
Foreign partnerships
Integration in foreign markets goes further. It is explicit corporate policy to look for partnerships with strong companies abroad. They establish formal partnerships that aim for shared goals, shared plant, shared staff, shared risks and shared gains. In the Middle East, a very fruitful partnership was created with the state of Qatar and local UDC – creating MEDCO.
In India the permanent partnership International Seaport Dredging (ISD) was established between DEME and Larssen & Toubro, which has resulted in several port construction or extension assignments. Other than formal partnerships, DEME companies frequently join hands with partners in ad-hoc jointventures and co-operation on the site, pooling expertise and resources. Diversity is a condition for global business if you look further than local interest.
Versatile fleet
From another point of view, diversity is obviously there when you look at the fleet. After years of intensive investment, DEME currently operates one of the most versatile fleets in the dredging business – and fully modernised for that matter. Vessels are available in every size and for every special discipline. This is not only true in the traditional divide between trailing suction hopper dredges (TSHD) and cutter suction dredges. As for this core plant, TSHD’s range from a new 30,000 m3 super trailer
under construction to the modest 1,635 m3 Vlaanderen XXI, and from the world-record seagoing and self-propelled 28,200 kW rock CSD d’Artagnan to the 441 kW CSD Blani.
