Damen Shipyards opens Houston office

Jan van Hogerwou (Sales Manager, Damen Shipyards Gorinchem), Gary B. Lipely (Director of Marketing & Sales, Conrad Shipyard)

AUGUST 2, 2016 — The recent order for four Damen 3711 Stan Tugs awarded Conrad Shipyard by Young Brothers (see earlier story) will be the first to be handled by a new office in Houston just established by Damen Shipyards Group of the Netherlands.

The Young Brothers tugs will be built by Conrad Shipyard under a license and materials agreement with Damen.

The office opened on August 1 and is headed by senior managers Jan van Hogerwou (New Construction) and Ruud Haneveer (Ship Repair & Conversion).

The move is part of Damen’s policy of expanding its local footprint around the world, bringing it closer to current and prospective clients and enabling it to deliver a more responsive and personal service.

“Opening a permanent Damen presence in North America is a significant milestone for the group,” said Jan van Hogerwou. “With over 200 Damen design vessels built and delivered in the U..S, 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 shipbuilders and operators, and serve the North American market with the innovative, cost-effective and dependable vessels that it seeks.”

The choice of Houston as the location of the new office is also intended to send a message to the offshore oil & gas sector in North America: Damen is committed to supporting and working with vessel owners and operators to maximize efficiencies and minimize costs, despite the current downturn.

The new Damen office is registered in Houston Texas as Damen Area Support North America BV Co, and can be contacted at (954) 591 6139.