HARWOOD MARINE LEADS THE ASIA PACIFIC SHIPBUILDING INDUSTRY

HARWOOD MARINE LEADS THE ASIA PACIFIC SHIPBUILDING INDUSTRY

WRITTEN BY KATIE WEGNERPRODUCED BY TODD NICHOLS

ROSS ROBERTS, MANAGING DIRECTOR OF HARWOOD MARINE, EXPLAINS HOW HARWOOD MARINE’S TIGHT MANAGEMENT STRUCTURE AND SIMPLE BUSINESS VALUES CREATE A FLEXIBLE QUALITY SHIPBUILDING COMPANY

HARWOOD MARINE LEADS THE ASIA PACIFIC SHIPBUILDING INDUSTRY

WRITTEN BY KATIE WEGNERPRODUCED BY TODD NICHOLS

Harwood Marine

HARWOOD MARINE’S COMPANY STRUCTURE OF a flexible chain of command overseeing tight production processes enables it to handle the

complexities and rapidly changing needs of the Asia Pacific shipping industry. Harwood Marine also runs the Harwood Slipway Pty Ltd and is associated with the Norfolk Island Shipping companies to provide all of the services that its core businesses need. This international shipping company has been involved in the Marine Industry since 1984, and the ship repair and construction evolved starting with a single slipway on the Clarence River in New South Wales, Australia and then through a mutually beneficial Joint Venture with the Colorado Shipyard, established a shipbuilding operation in the Philippines in 2008 to offset the gaining competition of low-cost manufacturing countries.

Harwood Marine is equipped to build and repair a variety of ship sizes. Its Clarence River shipyard

Leading the Asia Pacific Shipbuilding IndustryHarwood Marine

Leading the Asia Pacific Shipbuilding Industry page 5Harwood Marine

Aft view of construction of the Tuhaa Pae IV

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contains a 55m deepwater wharf containing a 2,500 tonne and a 200 tonne slipway as well as an engineering shed, an aluminium and steel fabrication shop, and an abrasive blasting and spray painting shed. Its Philippines shipyard constructs the larger vessels with a 100m deepwater wharf housing a 7,000 tonne, 1000 tonne, and 200 tonne slipway. The Philippine site also contains an engineering workshop for all types of metal fabrication and machining, an aluminium shed fully equipped for aluminium and steel fabrication and a CNC Cutting Machine.

“I think our biggest

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advantage is that we have a very tight company structure and can make decisions very quickly as we have three directors that each have varying backgrounds in the shipbuilding industry,” explains Ross Roberts the Managing Director of Harwood Marine and a shipping administrator for 25 years.

Harwood Marine has three directors, Malcolm Reid, Ross Roberts, and Gio Cevella. Malcolm Reid brings over 50 years of experience as an accountant and managing Director of large companies. Roberts has been a shipping superintendent and company administrator for 20-plus years

Leading the Asia Pacific Shipbuilding IndustryHarwood Marine

A 20 mtr yacht Shiraz under construction

and Cevella is a Class 1 marine engineer with over 20 years of engineering experience and ship management.

“With these directors, we have a very long history of doing business here in AU and are being well guided by Mr. Malcolm Reid in our business and we are navigating through some very difficult times,” says Roberts.

This extensive industry knowledge and flexibility make Harwood Marine’s customer service and production processes very flexible and accommodating to customer needs. Harwood Marine’s customers mainly use vessels for oil and gas or mining

Leading the Asia Pacific Shipbuilding Industry page 9Harwood Marine

A 20 mtr yacht Shiraz under construction

contracts and other commercial uses, and thus depend on the cost-effective and durable qualities of Harwood Marine’s vessels.

OLD FASHIONED VALUES

Roberts attributes Harwood Marine’s business longevity to its practical and old-fashioned business principles that keeps costs in-house, doesn’t accumulate debt, and diversifies its services. Harwood Marine foresaw the coming global financial crisis and modified its practices to position it for strength and continued productivity by opening up an alternative Marine Construction operation in the Philippine shipyard and by acquiring more skilled workers to offer more complicated and expert services.

“We keep our costs in-house by not running up any debt; we have no overdrafts or anything like that. We have a company policy that if we don’t own it, we don’t have it. If we can’t afford it, we don’t buy it,” explains Roberts.

For its Philippine-made vessels, Harwood provides a

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contracts and other commercial uses, and thus depend on the cost-effective and durable qualities of Harwood Marine’s vessels.

OLD FASHIONED VALUES

Roberts attributes Harwood Marine’s business longevity to its practical and old-fashioned business principles that keeps costs in-house, doesn’t accumulate debt, and diversifies its services. Harwood Marine foresaw the coming global financial crisis and modified its practices to position it for strength and continued productivity by opening up an alternative Marine Construction operation in the Philippine shipyard and by acquiring more skilled workers to offer more complicated and expert services.

“We keep our costs in-house by not running up any debt; we have no overdrafts or anything like that. We have a company policy that if we don’t own it, we don’t have it. If we can’t afford it, we don’t buy it,” explains Roberts.

For its Philippine-made vessels, Harwood provides a

SUPPLIER STATS

warranty that can be serviced in Australia to provide customers with initial and long-term cost-savings and maintenance. Both its Australia and Philippine shipyards have skilled workers on site equipped to design and build ships in the engineering sheds and aluminium and steel fabrication sheds.

“We make decisions and act on them and everybody in our company is hands-on. What separates us from other companies I think is that we know what’s going on in our business and what’s happening on the shop

floor. We communicate and deal directly with our people, our workers and clients,” explains Roberts.

Harwood Marine is also involved in a unique partnership with a Japanese inventor called Takahashi who has invented a fuel saving device called the Winged Air Induction Pipe (WAIP). This WAIP saves fuel by air lubrication and drag reduction of the ships’ hulls through the water and the company is in the process of assisting Mr. Takahashi in promoting that technology to companies that use large vessels.

Awesome is a large pleasure craft Harwood Marine refitted

WORKING IN PARADISE

Whilst both of Harwood Marine’s shipyard locations are considered “vacation spots”, the Clarence River location is the better-known and bigger draw for the company’s employees. Most of Harwood Marine’s employees are drawn to work at the company for the challenging work, economic stability, relative autonomy, and New South Wales quality of life.

“My favourite thing is the lifestyle because of where we live. At the end of the day most people relax at the beach. All of our workers live in paradise and as far as we are concerned that is the real winner for all of us,” says Roberts.

With the surrounding beauty of natural parks enclosed by a temperate climate, the retiree-like lifestyle of New South Wales is an added bonus for Harwood Marine employees.

Finally, Harwood Marine employees enjoy the satisfaction of being extremely skilled craftsmen that make extremely durable vessels.

Leading the Asia Pacific Shipbuilding IndustryHarwood Marine

Leading the Asia Pacific Shipbuilding Industry page 15Harwood Marine

SEEKING OUT NEW OPPORTUNITIES

As the international shipping industry continues to develop, despite the global financial crisis, Harwood Marine plans to continue to provide its excellent construction and repair services while seeking out new vessel designs and services to add.

A new vessel that the company just recently completed was designed with a French company to specifically service the South Pacific as a passenger cargo ship that also carried fuel. This triple-functionality saves money by having one ship do the job of three and Harwood Marine is excited to see this design prove lucrative. Additionally, the WAIP is expected to be a profitable and popular addition to Harwood Marine’s services as the company continues to service the Asia Pacific marine industry.

The Tuhaa Pae IV, our latest new build

SEEKING OUT NEW OPPORTUNITIES

As the international shipping industry continues to develop, despite the global financial crisis, Harwood Marine plans to continue to provide its excellent construction and repair services while seeking out new vessel designs and services to add.

A new vessel that the company just recently completed was designed with a French company to specifically service the South Pacific as a passenger cargo ship that also carried fuel. This triple-functionality saves money by having one ship do the job of three and Harwood Marine is excited to see this design prove lucrative. Additionally, the WAIP is expected to be a profitable and popular addition to Harwood Marine’s services as the company continues to service the Asia Pacific marine industry.

Full Company Name: Harwood Marine Established: 1972 Key People/Titles: Malcolm Reid – Director Ross Roberts – Managing Director Gio Cervella – General manager / Director Glenn Adams – Company Secretary Products/Premiere Service: Shipbuilding, Ship Repair, Marine Construction , Abrasive blasting and painting. # of Employees: 90 Website: www.harwoodmarine.com.au

STATISTICS

The Tuhaa Pae IV, our latest new build

Harwood Marine162-164 River Road Harwood Island NSW

Australia. 2465

T: +61 (0) 266464222www.harwoodmarine.com.au

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