Cargotec opens new Marine Service office in Klaipeda, Lithuania

14 September 2011

Cargotec opens a new marine service company: MacGregor BLRT Baltic UAB in Klaipeda, Lithuania. The company is a joint venture owned by Cargotec (51%) and Western Shipyard (49%), located in Klaipeda.

"This joint venture with the major shipyard owner in Baltic, Western Shipyard - is a natural continuation for Cargotec's Marine Service development in the Baltic Countries where Cargotec has a good market share with MacGregor products and services," says Kimmo Huhtala, Branch & Sales Manager in Cargotec's Marine Service.

"In Baltic, cargo access equipment repairs and annual maintenance are mainly carried out during dry docking repairs at the yards rather than having the repairs done in ports between the voyages due to ships' tight time schedules. With this new joint venture we can serve our dry docking customers now more efficiently both in Estonia and Lithuania," Mr Huhtala continues.

Additionally Cargotec's customers benefit from expanded services in terms of long term cooperation and partnership agreements with Baltic's major ship-repair yards. Cargotec's local offices take care of practically all cargo access equipment repairs on both ship repair yards; Western Shipyard in Klaipeda and Tallinn Shipyard.

Cargotec's Baltic joint venture companies operate mostly in the Baltic Countries Estonia, Lithuania and Latvia, but their services are also available for the whole Baltic Sea region.

Cargotec improves the efficiency of cargo flows on land and at sea - wherever cargo is on the move. Cargotec's daughter brands, Hiab, Kalmar and MacGregor are recognised leaders in cargo and load handling solutions around the world. Cargotec's global network is positioned close to customers and offers extensive services that ensure the continuous, reliable and sustainable performance of equipment. Cargotec's sales totalled EUR 2.6 billion in 2010 and it employs approximately 11,000 people. Cargotec's class B shares are quoted on NASDAQ OMX Helsinki under symbol CGCBV. www.cargotec.com

MacGregor is the global market-leading brand in marine cargo handling and offshore load-handling solutions. Customer-driven MacGregor engineering and service solutions for the maritime transportation industry and the offshore load-handling and naval logistics markets are used onboard merchant ships, offshore support vessels, and in ports and terminals. www.macgregor-group.com

Western Shipyard company group consists of 24 companies with different specialization. It is one of the largest corporations in Lithuania and specialises in shipbuilding and ship upgrade for wind energy projects, ship repair and conversion, port stevedoring and warehousing services, metal constructions, metal processing and hot galvanization, procurement and transport services. The Estonian Concern BLRT GRUPP is the holder of the controlling 95,78 percent interest of Western Shipyard shares. About 1850 people are on the Company's group payroll. www.wsy.lt

Cargotec press release