Hatlapa Acquires Triplex AS and Extends Product Portfolio

Hamburg-based manufacturer HATLAPA Marine Equipment has purchased a majority shareholding in the Norwegian deck machinery company Triplex AS.

In doing so HATLAPA’s traditional product portfolio of compressors, steering gear and winches has now been significantly expanded to include all components of a typical deck machinery package for supply vessels and AHTs.

With oil and gas exploration and production taking place in deeper and deeper waters the requirements of support vessels is developing significantly and with it the need for more sophisticated and automated equipment. This is in addition to the growing demands of wind farm support vessels.

“We are now in a position to deliver everything from winches and remote controlled gantry cranes (Multi Deck Handler – MDH) with manipulator, to stern rollers – basically all the deck machinery you need”, comments HATLAPA´s Managing Director Alexander Nürnberg. The Norwegian company is the global market leader for anchor handling systems, buoys and ropes on board ships. “Our companies complement each other totally – it’s a perfect fit!”, says Alexander Nürnberg who will be Chairman of the new subsidiary.

Triplex AS has 70 employees, based in the small North Atlantic town of Averøy near Kristiansund and has an annual turnover of 30 million Euro. In addition Triplex AS has a site in Chile, with 17 employees.

Not only does its product portfolio fit in nicely with HATLAPA, its structure and company philosophy are also very similar. Founded in 1933 under the name of “Bjørshol Mekaniske Verksted“, and renamed “Triplex AS” in 1996 when it became a public company, Triplex AS has been run for many years by four managing directors. Their aim was to find an investor which not only had a good understanding of their business but also provided the opportunity for expansion of their business.

The positive chemistry between the two companies was apparent right from the initial negotiations earlier this year. “In the 1990s HATLAPA worked with Triplex AS to supply marine equipment to ten vessels in the Chilean fishing industry”, remembers Alexander Nürnberg. “HATLAPA supplied fishing winches, and Triplex AS supplied the net handling systems. During one of or first meetings Per Jan Slettvag (one of the Triplex Managing Directors) gave me one of the original manufacturing drawings. “There you go” he said, “you did that, it’s got your name on it!” so that made for the perfect basis.”

Both companies benefit from this new liaison – it is a “win win” strategy all round, says HATLAPA´s Managing Director Jörg Tollmien. While HATLAPA has a strong position in the Asian market, Triplex AS opens a door to the normally inaccessible Norwegian and Brazilian markets. Three out of four Norwegian fishing vessels and a majority of offshore supply vessels in the oil industry carry systems supplied by Triplex AS. HATLAPA only opened its Norwegian office last year. Another benefit is Triplex´s status with Brazilian state oil company Petrobras – where as a fully registered supplier it recently supplied equipment worth one million Euros to one of Petrobras´ state of the art vessels.

“Triplex AS has great potential for innovation“, states Alexander Nürnberg. It is the only supplier worldwide to be able to provide an innovative gantry crane system which will revolutionise anchor lifting on board. Instead of having the ship’s crew doing this highly dangerous job manually at high speeds, the Triplex system offers a semi-automatic, remote controlled method. “Just the development of this system would take years”, says Alexander Nürnberg. HATLAPA has gained a technological headstart with this acquisition. “There are only two more manufacturers globally who can offer as complex and comprehensive a portfolio of deck machinery as us now.”

“With this acquisition HATLAPA will increase its global offshore market share by 15%”, Alexander Nürnberg announces.

HATLAPA is a leading marine equipment manufacturer and has been operating in the shipbuilding industry for over 90 years. With headquarters located a short distance from Hamburg and offices worldwide it is a preferred partner to many companies and boasts a product portfolio well established in the merchant shipping and offshore industries. Its products include air and water cooled compressors, steering gear (ram type, rotary vane and others), as well as a wide range of deck machinery (anchor and mooring winches, stern rollers, capstans, shark jaws and towing pins). As the offshore industry has shown extensive growth in the recent past, HATLAPA has further developed its winch portfolio to meet specific offshore requirements, especially for anchor handling.

As an independent company with highly motivated staff who can make decisions quickly, we take pride in our products and foresee a bright future. This is because reliable quality, excellent service and expert product development make HATLAPA unique in the market.

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Source: hatlapa , October 6, 2011; Image: triplex