annual report 2013 - global pump investment€¦ · global pump investment jurgen geboers –...

Annual Report 2013

Global PumpInvestment

Global PumpGlobal PumpInvestment

Global Pump Investment (GPI), founded in

1997 as an investment company, participates in

organisations with a strong product and/or service,

which are or aim to be active in a niche market.

GPI has developed to become an investment

company with a strong international character with

a focus on maritime and industrial markets.

Vision

The primary goal of GPI is the optimisation and

growth of existing organisations. A distinctive

mission statement and vision are a fundamental

part of its strategy. People, Planet, and Profit are

key elements in the realisation of the common

objectives agreed within GPI.

Mission

The objective of GPI is to be passionate and

innovative in its drive to ensure organisations grow

and excel in niche markets. To generate synergy,

develop relationships, and to utilize potential.

This motivates the employees of the GPI group,

and makes them feel responsible for achieving

a minimum profit of 15% through the optimisation

of business processes.

Organisations that are part of the GPI group share

the same clearly recognisable corporate identity.



Mission Vision

GlobalPumpInvestment2013 1

In this Annual Report



3 Directors’Report2013

4 MarketingdepartmentgetsGPIGroupsolidlyestablished

6 ReviewandoutlookSnijdersIntelligentAutomation

8 MarFlexdesignsPropyleneOxidecoolingsystemforStoltTankers

10 TrafigurachoosesMarFlex

12 Enteringtheoffshoremarketwellprepared

14 Partnershipasabasisforastrongcompetitiveposition

16 Knowledgeascompetitivefactor

20 DNVGLcertifiesMarFlexoffshorepumps

24 ModernpracticallearningenvironmentfortankersatSTC

28 �Fromsuppliertopartner

30 PleiadesbecomesacquaintedwithMarFlexpumps

32 Lloyd’shelpsMarFlexwithCEmarking

34 TORMaimsforzerobreakdowns

36 Extensionofproductportfolio

38 Weldingatahighlevel:ISO3834-2:2005

40 Developmentsinfiguresandourapproachtohumancapital

46 ProfileGPIandorganisationaldiagram

After a number of years of stabilising of the turnover, the GPI Group has seen the return of growth, since the summer of 2013. The investments we have made in recent years in the continuous development and diversification of our product range is bearing fruit.

Directors’ Report 2013

We are now represented in many sectors, including inland

shipping, coastal shipping, deep sea shipping and the offshore

sector. The spread of the activities gives us the necessary

resilience to absorb fluctuations in the market. For example,

we can compensate for the current dip in the Dutch inland

shipping sector with our deliveries to the strongly expanding

inland shipping sector in areas outside Europe.

In the maritime sector we see a strong growth of new-build orders

for MR tankers. Even though we benefit from this development,

a critical side note is appropriate. Due to the explosive growth

of new-build MR tankers, there is a significant risk that the market

will become saturated in the medium term, and will even be

confronted with over-capacity.

In 2013, the GPI Group further expanded its partnership with

various supply companies. We created a strong, flexible shell

which we can fall back on during the further growth of our

activities. We also invested in our relationship with clients,

which goes beyond the delivery of pump systems.

With the development of the NQZR pump control and monitoring

system, which both MarFlex and Snijders Intelligent Automation

contributed to, we are able to direct the entire loading and

unloading operation on board tank ships. The information which

NQZR generates is shared with shipping companies in order to

allow them to optimise their fleet management. On the basis of

the measurements, they can improve their maintenance strategy

and therefore the performance of their ships. This is receiving

a positive response from the industry.

Snijders Intelligent Automation has also successfully been

focusing on new markets. In industries including dredging,

airports and offshore, the intelligent operating solutions of

Snijders are applied with increasing frequency.

Control over our market position, over the processes on board

and over the relationships with stakeholders – it is on this basis

that we wish to continue to expand. For 2014, we are expecting

a slight growth in our results, as GPI Group. Considering our

healthily stocked order portfolio, we expect this growth to

continue in 2015.

Yours sincerely,

Global Pump Investment

Paul van Beveren

Global Pump Investment 2013 3Global PumpInvestment

Global PumpInvestment2 Global Pump Investment 2013



� �Jurgen�Geboers�–�Marketeer


Marketing�department�gets�GPI�Group�solidly�established�

MarFlex and Snijders: two strong brands

Aclearbrandidentityisofgreatimportanceforevery

organisation,saysJurgenGeboers,whowasrecruitedtosetup

andleadthemarketingdepartment.‘Themiddlemarketsegment

ischanging’,saysGeboers.‘Intheconsumermarketweseemore

andmorecompaniesdisappear,iftheyarenotabletochoose

acleardirection.Customerseitherwantabudgetversion,or

aqualitysupplier,whichtheyarewillingtopaymorefor.

Itisentirelypossiblethatthistrendwillalsocontinueinthe

industrial,business-to-businessmarket.MarFlexhasalways

chosenforquality,buttheimagethecompanyprojectstowards

themarkethasnotalwaysbeenclear.Thereisaneedfor

recognisablebrandidentity.Asacompany,thisallowsyouto

buildstrong,loyalrelationshipswithclients.Afterall,clients

arealsodrivenbyacertainphilosophy.Iftheycannotidentify

withyoubecausetheydonotknowwhattoexpectfromyou,

youwillmissout.’

CoachingForSnijdersIntelligentAutomation,themarketingdepartment

isalsodevelopingauniquebrandidentity.Geboers:‘Snijders

deliverscomplete,intelligentsystemstomanageprocesses

andtoensureclientsreachtheiraim.Theseprocesses

arebecomingmoreandmorecomplex.Thetechnological

developmentshappenatlightningspeed.Onlybykeepingan

overview,canyouofferclientsanongoinginsightintowhatis

possible.ThiscoachingroleisaperfectmatchwithSnijders.

Thatiswherethestrengthofthecompanylies.’

DirectingWhoarewe?Whydowedothethingswedoonadailybasis?

Wheredowewanttobeinayear?Thesearequestionsevery

organisationshouldbeabletoansweraboutitself,without

hesitation.Thisisonlypossibleifcompaniesknowwherethey

comefrom.‘Everyorganisationcomesfromacertainculture.

ThefoundersofMarFlexwereverydrivenpeople.Fromthis

ambition,theelectric-drivedeepwellpumpsevolved.Change,

innovation,improvement–thesewerethedrivingforcesfrom

thebeginning.Theclientswerealwaysatthecentre;itwasfor

themthatMarFlexwantedtomaketheimpossiblepossible.

Youcanstillseethisdeterminationinthecompany.Wewant

togivecustomersacare-freeexperience,andgetthemready

forthestandardoftomorrow.Wedemandthatdirectingrole

forourselves.Thismeansthatwecontinuallyinvestinthe

improvementandqualityofourproductsandservices.’

MarFlex and Snijders Intelligent Automation have had a professional marketing department since 2013. The department will shape a recognisable identity in the market for both companies.

Overthecourseofthisyear,wewillkeepbuildingonthebrand

identityofMarFlexandSnijders,andimplementitbothinternally

andexternally.Onthisbasis,acontributionismadetotheplans

forthefutureforbothcompanies.Geboers:‘Itisouraimtowork

closelytogetherwiththeotherdepartmentsinordertogive

marketingasolidfoundationintheorganisation.’

4 GlobalPumpInvestment2013

Aftercarryingoutagreatdealofrepetitive

projectworkin2012,wemainlyworked

onsingleclient-specificprojectsin

2013.Ourabilitytoinnovatewastested.

Weinvestedinamassingknowledge

aboutnewproducts,techniquesand

newstandardsandrequirementswe

havetomeet.Anumberofcolleagues

followedatrainingatCubicinDenmark,

amanufacturerofpanelsystemswhich

areusedinthedredgingindustry.

SnijdersIntelligentAutomationbecamea

certifiedCubicsystembuilderlastyear.

Inordertoraiseourservicelevel,we

investedinsoftwarewhichwecan

usetofindlinksbetweenfaults,inthe

rareinstancestheyoccur.Thismeans

wearebetterabletodeterminewhen

preventativemaintenancehastobe

scheduled.Thecomparingofservice

reportsenablesustoanalyseoursystems

pro-actively,andimprovethemwherever

necessary.

Duringseveralsessionsof“strategicstaff

planning”wefocusedattentiononthe

competencesofouremployeesincluding

themanagement,in2013.Thishasledto

therecruitmentofseveralnewcolleagues,

andspecifictrainingcourses.

Weherebyconsolidateourentire

organisation,andinvestinbettercontrol

ofourlogisticalprocesses.

Theinvestmentswemadein2013

areweighingonourfinancialresults.

Weexpectthattheinvestmentswemade

willtranslateintonewprojects,andthe

continuationofthegoodrelationships

withexistingclients,in2014.

In2014,thedevelopingofourbrand

identityhasourfullattention.Wewill

translatethisintothesubjects“product

improvement”and“innovation”.Weare

alsore-examiningthelogicofconcepts

whichhaveapparentlybeenthoughtout.

Forexample,wearehelpingoursister

companyMarFlextomaketheoperatingof

theirpumpsystemsevenmoreattractive

tocustomers.Productdevelopmentis

“neverending”,assupplierscontinuously

launchnewcomponentsonthe

market.Wearekeentoimplementtheir

innovationsinourownsystems.Together

wecanprovideanoptimalresponsetothe

wishesofendusers.

Jan Hofman

CEO

2013 was a year in which Snijders Intelligent Automation invested a great deal in its relationships with existing and new clients, amassing knowledge and the further optimisation of internal business processes.

Review and outlook Snijders

GlobalPumpInvestment2013 76 GlobalPumpInvestment2013

StoltTankersusesacoolingsystem

whentransportingpropyleneoxide.

Duetoitshighvolatility,thissubstance

mustbecooled,andtransportedunder

pressure.StoltTankersisoneofthe

fewtransportersinthechemicalmarket

abletoofferthis.‘Notallterminalsare

abletohandlepropyleneoxidecarried

athigherpressure’saysPaoloEnoizi,

DirectorTechnical&InnovationatStolt.

‘Lowertransportandunloadingpressures

canonlyberealisedbycoolingthe

cargooverlongvoyages;atripfromthe

UnitedStatestoChinacantakeupto

50days.Ifpropyleneoxideisnotcooled,

youhaveaproblem.’

ReliabilityWhileStoltTankershashadcooling

systemsformanyyears,findingnewand

moreefficientwaystoprovideproducts

andservicesisessentialtolong-term

competitivehealth.Stoltcurrently

managesafleetof85chemicalparcel

tankers,oneofthebiggestplayersin

themarket.Whilecostsareimportant,

safetyalwaystakesprecedence–and

theneedforsafeandreliableequipment

isessentialinchoosinganysupplier,

saysEnoizi.‘Thecargohandlingsystem,

includingthecoolingsystem,formsthe

heartofourships.’

First class design partnerMarFlexrespondedproactivelytothe

requesttodesignacoolingsystem.

Enoizi:‘WelikedhowMarFlexresponded

toourfunctionalspecifications.

Theyimmediatelyinvolvedafirstclass

specialistincoolingtechnology,and

consultantengineersforfluiddynamics.’

Thecoolingsystemisdesignedusing

CFD(ComputationalFluidDynamics)

simulationsoftware,forthevery

predictableenvironmentitcreates.

MarFlexevenbuiltasmallprototype.

‘Thatwasaneyeopener’,saysEnoizi.

‘Ifyoulookattheenergyconsumption,

aninterestingsavingemergesforus.

Thesystemwasbiggerandheavierthan

wewereexpecting.Thismadeusthink

aboutthesystemrequirementswehad

setout.Thefinalspecificationsarenot

yetfixed,butwearenowconvinced

MarFlexcanbuildthesystem.Therestis

aquestionoffindingtherightdimensions,

whichmeettheactualfunctional

requirement.Consideringtheworkwe

haveinvestedinitsofar,thisfinetuning

isrelativelysimple.'

ThecoolingsystemdesignedbyMarFlex

canbeappliedtobothretrofitting

ofexistingships,andnewships.

StoltTankershasvariousnewbuilding

projectsrunning,andmaywishtoinstall

theMarFlexpumpandcoolingsystem

onanumberofnewtankers.

To be considered as a supplier for Stolt Tankers’ fleet of sophisticated chemical ships, MarFlex must be able to deliver a cooling system for the cargo, in addition to the pumps. We have designed a solution for this, in partnership with external experts.


� �Left:�Richard�Beek�–�Commercial�Manager�

Right:�Paolo�Enoizi�–�Director�Technical�&�Innovation

MarFlex designs cooling system for Stolt Tankers


TheSwedishshippingcompany

WisbyShipmanagement,whohavebeen

asatisfiedcustomerofMarFlexformany

years,actasatechnicalconsultantfor

Trafigura.Trafiguraisagloballeader

ininternationalcommoditiestrading

andlogistics.Trafigurainvested

USD27milliontodevelopamulti-

modaltransportationsystemin

Colombia.Thisdevelopmentwill

alloweasier,saferandmoreefficient

transportationofcoalandother

commoditiesalongtheMagdalenaRiver.

Partoftheinvestmentisamodern

bargefleetforcarryingcrudeoils.

InpartnershipwithWisby

ShipmanagementandTrafigura,

MarFlexdevelopedthepumpsystem

forthis.Thesystemiscapableof

pumpingalargevarietyofdifferent

productsreliably,safely,andefficiently.

Itisanenormousimprovement,

comparedtotheconventionalpump

systemsusuallyseeninthe

UnitedStates.

MarFlex

suppliedthe

deepwellpumps

(typeMDPC-200)

andpowerpacks

fortwentybarges

in2013.Trafigurahas

nowplacedanorder

fortenfurtherships.

Inadditiontothis,

MarFlexalsoprovides

thepumpsystemsforeight

MRchemicaltankerswhich

Wisbyiscurrentlyhavingbuilt.

Thesetankerswillalsobeadded

totheTrafigurafleet.

GlobalPumpInvestment2013 1110 GlobalPumpInvestment2013

Trafigura chooses MarFlex


� �Frank�Dikmans�–�Manager�Projects

Entering the offshore market well prepared

‘Afterenteringintothecontract,we

immediatelystarteddrawingupaplan

ofaction,andputtingtogetheraproject

team’,saysFrankDikmans,Manager

ProjectsatMarFlex.‘Intheplanofaction,

weexplainedtheprojectcontent,setout

dutiesandresponsibilitiesandoutlined

theprojectorganisation.Theplanwas

presentedtoallpartiesinvolvedata

kick-off.Itisimportantthatdutiesand

responsibilitiesareknown,andthatthey

arepickedupbyeveryone.Wecanonly

makethisprojectintoasuccessand

ensurewebuildupagoodreputationin

theoffshoremarketbyworkingtogether

as“teamMarFlex”.’

In controlMarFlexchosetoworkwitha

compactprojectteamconsistingof

fourmembersandafewworkgroups.

Alldisciplinesarerepresentedinthe

team.Thecommunicationstructures

areclearandeffective.Duringproject

meetings,actionanddecisionlistsare

used.Duringmeetingswithexternal

parties,agreementsarerecordedinso

called“MeetingMinutes”,andsigned

byallparties.‘Byusingthisaccurate

workingmethod,wearedemonstrably

incontrolateverymoment,andour

progresscanbemeasured’,saysDikmans.

‘ThisisnotjustgoodforMarFlex,but

alsobuildstrustwiththeclient.Trustis

extremelyimportantinoffshoreprojects.

Boththeshipbuilderandtheendclient

regularlycheckwhetherwemeetthehigh

standards.’

ImpressedThankstothecarefulpreparation,

MarFlexwasabletofullyliveuptothe

expectationsofCoscoShipyardandDana

PetroleumLtd.atthe“pre-inspection

meeting”andthe“postqualityaudit”.

Duringthepre-inspectionmeeting,our

clientandtheendclientassessedthe

qualitysystemofMarFlex,andprovided

abroadoutlineofthework.Thepost

qualityauditconsistedofaqualitycontrol

whentheprojectwasalreadyrunning.

‘Variousproductionissuescameup.

Howdowedealwithweldingcertificates?

Howdowedeliverthemanufacturing

recordbookattheendoftheproject?

Theclientandendclientinformed

usimmediatelyafterbothmeetings

thattheywereimpressedbyour

organisation.’

With the delivery of pumps for a new FPSO of Dana Petroleum Ltd. MarFlex is taking its first steps onto the offshore market. A good preparation and accurate project management convinced our client and the end client of our professionalism.


ThecooperationbetweenMarFlexand

ABBdatesbacktothenineties,andhas

developedintoatruepartnership.‘Inthe

beginning,wehadtomakeagreateffort

tomeetthetechnicalspecificationsof

MarFlex’,SalesManagerJohanScholten

remembers.‘Overtheyears,thedemands

ofthemarkethavebecomeincreasingly

exacting.Wehaveadjustedourproducts

tomeetthesedemands.’ABBdeliversa

totalofoverfortytypesofexplosionproof

electricalmotorstoMarFlex,andthebasic

specificationsforallmotorsarethesame.

ServicesScholtenvaluesthehighdegreeof

opennessinthepartnershipwithMarFlex.

‘Inthepast,wetalkedtoeachotheras

clientandsupplier,butnowwetalkmore

likepartners.Weknoweachother’s

insandoutsandknowwhattoexpect

fromeachother.’ForMarFlex,ABBisa

strategicallyimportantsupplier,whois

increasinglywellplacedtorespondto

specificrequirementsinthemaritime

sector.

MartinvandenOort,PurchasingManager

atMarFlex:‘Shipsarefloatingplants.

AstrengthofABBisthereforetheir

worldwidedealernetwork.Youcanhave

theirmotorsrepairedineveryport,

worldwide.Wehaveanumberofmotorsin

stock,whichweareabletosendtoclients

immediately,incaseofanemergency.’

Throughouttheyears,ABBhasimproved

itsservicetoMarFlex.Thecompanyisable

toguaranteeincreasinglypromptdelivery

times,whichMarFlex’sclientsaskfor.

Currently,theentireafter-servicesystem

isbeingpulledintoevensharperfocus.

Agoodserviceinfrastructureisimportant

toMarFlex.VandenOort:‘Inthemaritime

sector,youarejudgedbythespeedwith

whichyouresolveproblems.Oursuppliers

havetorealisethis.Ifthereareproblems

withtheirproducts,wewantthemto

respondquickly.Thiscertainlyapplies

tothemotor,whichisacrucialpartof

ourpumpsystem.Abadlyperforming

motorhasanimmediateimpactonour

reputation.Asclientsseethepump

systemasonewhole,weexpectour

supplierstohavethesamecommitment

towardstheirproductsaswehave

towardsourpumps.Theycontributeto

ourcompetitiveposition.’

Energy efficiencyTherangeofABB’smotorsiscontinuously

adjustedtothechangingwishesand

requirementsofclients.Nowadays

everythinghastobesmallandcompact,

whilstenginepowersincrease.Energy

efficiencyisalsoatrend.Scholten:

‘Societyalsoexpectsustomakeships

andportsmoregreen.Increasinglyoften,

thestrictenergystandardsforelectro

motorsinindustrialsettingsarecopied

tothemaritimesector.Wealsorespond

tothis.’VandenOort:‘Itisallabout

efficiencynow.Ourclientsaskforthis.In

thefuture,wehopetofurtherincreasethe

efficiencyofoursystem.Thepartnership

withABBhascertainlynotreachedits

conclusionyet.Aslongastheyhelpus

thinkofproductimprovementsandways

tobetterserveourclients,westillhavea

waytogo.’

ABB has been MarFlex’s supplier of explosion proof electric motors, for many years. These form a crucial part of the pump system. ‘Clients see the combination of our products as an entirety.’


� �Left:�Martin�van�den�Oort�–�Purchasing�Manager�

Right:�Johan�Scholten�–�Sales�Manager

MarFlex�and�ABB�

Partnership as a basis for a strong competitive position


SnijdersIntelligentAutomationgained

in-depthinformationaboutthestandard,

in2013.‘Inthecontextofaprojectinthe

dredgingindustry,wewereconfronted

withhighenginepowers’,saysCEO

JanHofman.‘Wewantedtoupdatethe

knowledgeofanumberofcolleagues.

Inadditiontothis,wethoughtitwas

importantthateveryonewhohadto

dowiththeprojectincreasedtheir

theoreticalbaggage.Afterall,ouradvising

roletowardsclientsrequiresthatweare

abletoasktherightquestions,andare

abletoanswerthemaswell.’

NEN Advies & Training [NEN Consultancy & Training]SnijderscontactedNENTraining&

Advies,whichprovideshighquality

trainingforNENregulationsand

standards.Theinstructorsareoften

membersoftheDutchNEN-standard

commissions.NENTraining&Advies

providedatwo-daytrainingatSnijders.

ThegeneralpartwasgivenbyPouw

Jongbloed,memberoftheNEN-

standardcommissionwhichdealswith

electricalmachinesafety.RoelRitsma,

memberandchairoftheNEC17BD,the

standardcommissionfor(theassembly

of)industrialswitchequipment,

providedthein-depthpart.

‘Thegroupwetrainedwaslargeand

mixed’,saysRitsma.‘Itwasmadeupof

engineersandproductionemployees.

Awisemix:thismeansyouliftthe

standardofknowledgetoahigher

level,acrosstheentirewidthofthe

organisation.’

Product responsibilityThecurrentstandardforswitchand

distributionunitsisbeingreplacedbythe

newNEN-EN-IEC61439asof1November

2014.Itcontainsafarbetterdescription

thanitspredecessor,theNEN-EN-IEC

60439,ofhowinstallersandinspection

organisationscantestwhetherafacility

meetstherequirements.Intheinstallation

market,unfortunatelylip-serviceisoften

paidtocompliance,withoutactual

observance,saysRitsma.‘Increasingly

oftenweseeswitchunitssoldonthe

marketwhichstatetheymeetthe

standards,whilstinfacttheydonot.

Theassemblyofpanelsisacomplex

process.Byusingthestandard,youare

observingEuropeanguidelines.

CompaniessuchasSnijdersshow

productresponsibilityandarealready

anticipatingthenewstandard.

Unfortunately,therearealsoagreat

manyinstallationcompaniesthatare

lessseriouslyengagedwiththis.’

The new NEN-EN-IEC 61439 which is about to be launched should increase the safety and reliability of industrial switch and distributing systems. Installation companies which take the standards seriously are stealthily improving their competitive advantage, according to Roel Ritsma.

ReliabilityThemarketofswitchanddistribution

systemshasbeenverystronglyprice

driven,formanyyears.Buyersoftenonly

considertheshortterm.Thelow-cost

operatorsamongtheinstallersarenot

alwaysoverlyconcernedaboutstandards

andguidelines.Theconsequencesof

thiscanbedramatic,warnsRitsma.

‘Inthepast,insurancecompanieswould

automaticallypayout,ifsomethingwent

wrongwiththeswitchcabinet.Nowadays,

theytakeacriticalviewofwhathappened

inthechain.Hasaninstallationcompany

beennegligent?Thentheywillendup

footingthebill.Switchanddistribution

systemswhichmeetthestandardsstand

forsafetyandreliability.

Ofcourseagoodpriceisimportant,buta

goodpricemustnotcomeattheexpense

ofquality,andcertainlynotofsafety.

Youshouldreallyconsiderthetotalcosts

overthelifespanofaproduct;theTotal

CostofOwnership.Reliabilitycostsabit

moreattheinvestmentphase,butyou

earnitbackthree-fold.’


Knowledge as competitive factor

� �Standing:�Roel�Ritsma�–�Member�&�Chair


InteractionAsateacherforNENTraining&Advies,

Ritsmaaimstoencouragethecritical

thinkingofitscourseparticipants.

‘Wenotonlyteachpeoplewhattherules

demand,butalsowhytheydemandit.

Itisonlythenthatpeoplewillstart

askingthemselvesquestions.Inaddition

totrainingcourses,wealsoadvise

companieshowtoapplythestandards

inpractice.Afterthecoursewewere

approachedbySnijdersseveraltimes,

withquestionsthatreallymattered.

ThepeopleatSnijdersrespondedtothe

trainingwithmorededicationthanmost.’

Hofman:‘Wearecurrentlyrefurbishing

anumberofships.Ourmechanicsare

nowquestioningthemselvesunprompted,

whatispermittedwithinthecontext

ofNEN-EN-IEC61439,andwhatisn’t.

Theypickthisupinpartnershipwiththe

engineers.Agreatinteraction,whichis

partlyaconsequenceofthelargegroup

wetrained.’

Competitive positionSnijderswantstobeabletocompetewith

smallinstallationcompaniesintermsof

knowledge,andwithlargecompanies

intermsofflexibility.Thetrainingabout

NEN-EN-IEC61439formsagoodaddition

tothis.Hofman:‘Wedonotwanttojoin

inapricewar,butareaimingforquality.

Byinvestinginquality,wecanbetter

justifyourprices.’Ritsma:‘Nowthatthe

newstandardiscoming,largeindustrial

companiesincreasinglyoftenaskcritical

questionswithregardtoswitchand

distributorsystems.Thisisgoodfor

installationcompanieswithaserious

approachtostandards.Theircompetitive

positionisstealthilyimproving.Myadvice

toSnijders:makesureyouretainthe

knowledgeyouhaveaccrued,and

integrateitinyourpositioning.Letclients

knowyoupayattentiontoqualityand

operationalcontinuity.’


Knowledge as competitive factor



� �Left:�Peter�Raaijmakers�–�Manager�Technics�&�QHSE�

Right:�Rob�Vonk�–�Surveyor

DNVGLandMarFlexknoweachother

fromvariousmaritimeprojectswhich

theyhaveworkedontogether,inrecent

years.Furthermore,DNVGLhasextensive

experienceintheoffshoremarket,which

MarFlexiscurrentlytakingitsfirststeps

in.‘Beforewereceivedthisorderfrom

DanaPetroleum,wewerealreadybusy

developinganoffshorepump’,says

PeterRaaijmakers,ManagerTechnics

&QHSEatMarFlex.‘Wealreadygained

informationfromDNVGL,concerning

whichrulesyouhavetoabidebyinthis

market.Wewantedtoavoidoverlooking

things,inthedevelopments.’Inthe

offshoremarket,therequirementsare

oftenslightlymoreexactingthanin

shipping,accordingtoRobVonk,Surveyor

atDNVGL.Offshoreplatformsareinthe

middleofthesea.Vonk:‘Ashipwillcome

toport,onceinawhile,butonceyou

havecommissionedanFPSO,youcanno

longergettoit.Furthermore,atseathere

isalwayswaterandwind,whichdemands

alotfromtheparts.’

Verification schemeAttheCOSCOshipyard,intheChinese

cityofQidong,anewFPSOisbeingbuilt

forDanaPetroleum,inthenextfew

months.Theroundfloatingplatformwith

adiameterof75metreswillbefitted

with32metredeeptanks.Abovethis,

thereareself-sustainingunitsacross

severalfloors.DNVGLwasappointedas

classificationagencybyDanaPetroleum.

Vonk:‘Weclassifyinaccordancewith

ourDNVGL-offshorerules,wherebywe

assesswhetherallthepartshavebeen

assembledinthecorrectway,anddeliver

whattheyaremeanttodeliver.Inaddition

tothis,theFSPOmustmeetthe(safety)

standardsoftheBritishgovernment.

DanaPetroleumsetupanextensive

verificationschemeforthispurpose.’

Detailed documentation DanaPetroleumonlyselectedtop

suppliersfortheproject.Thecargo

pumpsaresuppliedbyMarFlex.Duringa

pre-inspection,thequalitymanagement

systemofMarFlexwasassessedand

approved.MarFlexandDNVGLthen

ensuredthatthepumpsmettheDNVGL

offshorerequirements.Raaijmakers:‘The

guidingprinciplehereisourinspection

andtestplanwhichwesetupinclose

consultationwithDNVGL.DNVGLwas

alsoalotofhelpwiththeverification

scheme,byfilteringwhichrequirements

ourpumpshadtomeet.’

The new FPSO which Dana Petroleum is currently having built in China, is intended for European waters. The partnership with top suppliers and the extensive verification scheme are certain to make this project into a success. MarFlex, in partnership with classification agency DNV, ensures that the pump systems meet the high quality standards.

Pro

jects

DNV�GL�certifies�MarFlex�offshore�pumps

‘Working together on quality’



Vonk:‘Wewereinvolvedwiththeentire

process:fromthepurchaseofthematerial

uptoandincludingthevariouspump

tests.MarFlexprovidedagreatdealof

documentation.Inoffshore,thesmallest

detailhastoberecordedcarefully.That

takesquitealotoftime.Youcanbuilda

shipinafewmonths,butthatisnotthe

casewithanFPSO.’

Positive exchangeForMarFlex,theprojectwasagood

learningexperienceintheareaofoffshore

projects,wherebythepartnershipwith

DNVGLwashighlysatisfactory.Vonkalso

confirmsthelatter:‘Wenoticedthat

MarFlexalwaysaskedthenecessary

questions,beforetheystarteddoing

anything.Wewereregularlyconsulted.

Isometimescomeacrosscompanies

wheretheproductisalreadyfinished,and

wejusthavetoputourstamponit.

Butthatisnothowitworks.Ourwork

coversanentireprocess,withinwhichwe

assessissues.’Raaijmakers:‘Duringthe

process,weoftencheckedwhetherwe

hadinterpretedeverythingcorrectly.

Afterall,theoffshoremarketisnewtous.’

Vonk:‘Weexperiencedthisasapositive

factor.Classificationagenciesare

sometimesconsideredanecessaryevil,

buttheaddedvalueliespreciselyinthis

partnership.Theanswersarenotalways

blackandwhite;youhavetoarriveatthe

answerstogether.Evenwhencompanies

donothaveaconcreteplan,weareableto

helpthem–wearealwaysopenforthat.’


DNV�GL�certifies�MarFlex�offshore�pumps

‘Working together on quality’

The STC-Group in Brielle in the Netherlands, has opened a “practical learning environment for tankers”. Shipping students, crews of tankers and employees of tanker terminals are able to practice loading and unloading liquid cargo. MarFlex provided the pump system for this training facility, which is unique in the world.

Withintheeducationalmodelofthe

STC-Group,thefocusliesondoingas

wellasreadingandlistening.Serious

investmentsarethereforebeingmade

intopracticallearningfacilitiesand

simulators.‘In2009,weappliedfora

subsidytogetherwithStoltTankersin

ordertoexplorehowwecouldallow

officerstopracticepracticalsituations

andproceduresonchemicaltankers’,

saysChantalValentijn,ProjectManager

withintheAgencyforInnovation,

Research&Developmentofthe

STC-Group.‘Thecommunication

betweenshipandshoreduringloading

andunloadingformsanimportantpart

ofthis.InBrielle,theSTC-Groupwas

involvedwiththeexpansionofits

trainingcentrefortheprocessindustry.

Wedecidedtoreserveasunkenroomfor

apracticallearningenvironmentfor

tankers.’


� �Left:�Chantal�Valentijn�–�Project�Manager�

Right:�Jan-Douwe�Breugelmans�–�Project�Manager

Ultra modern practical learning environmentfor tankers at Shipping and Transport College (STC)


Shore-shipWhatarisesatthemomentashiparrives

onshore?Whatagreementsaremade

betweenthecrewonboardandthe

operatorsonshore?Howarethecorrect

linksmadeatthemanifold?What

materialsandpersonalprotective

equipmentdoyouuse?Whendoesthe

loadingandunloadingstart?Howdoyou

ensurethisrunssmoothly?Thiscanbe

practised“forreal”inthenewpractical

learningenvironmentfortankers.

Valentijn:‘Wealreadyhadacargo

simulatoratourbranchinRotterdam,but

insimulationsyoustillmissthehuman

component.Inthenewpracticallearning

environmentfortankers,wecanengagein

averyall-roundtraining,ingroupsofeight

people.Thestrippingoftankscanbe

practisedhere,forexample,whichis

ahighlyspecificaction.’

Up-to-dateThepracticallearningenvironmentisa

smallcopyofreality,fittedwiththelatest

MarFlextechnology.MBLHollandbuilt

twotanks,forwhichMarFlexprovidedan

up-to-datepumpsystem.Itconsistsof

twoMDPD-80cargopumps,post-suction

pumps,afrequencyconvertersystem,

sensors,aSnijdersterminaloperating

systemandNQZR.‘Youcanpractice

everythingyoufindonanormalbarge

andMRtankerhere’,saysJan-Douwe

Breugelmans,ProjectManageratMarFlex.

‘Inadditiontothetwo“real”cargotanks

onthere,weareabletofullysimulatethe

restoftheshipwithatotaloftwelvecargo

tanks,aballastpumpandtankcleaning

system.’

Good nameErikdeMunck,TrainerofMarFlex,

instructedtheteachersoftheSTC-Group

inthetankerlearningenvironment,so

theycanprovideoptimalguidancefor

theirseashipandbargestudents.

Inadditiontothis,thelocationisalso

usedforcommercialpurposesbythe

STC-Group.MarFlexwillalsousethe

learningenvironmentfortankersfor

themselves,inordertoallowcolleagues

togainthenecessaryoperational

experience.Inthefuture,clientsof

MarFlexmayalsocomeheretotrain.

Breugelmans:‘TheSTC-Groupisactive

allovertheworld,andhasaverygood

reputation.Ourclientsfindthisnew

practicallearningenvironmentfortankers

tobeabrilliantpracticelocation.’


The STC-Group is an education and knowledge institute for the shipping, transport and port industry. It provides practice oriented VMBO, MBO, and HBO and Master programmes. Training, advice and applied research are also part of their activities. The main office is based at the Port of Rotterdam. The organisation has several branches in the Netherlands, and has regional branches in Vietnam, South Africa, the Philippines, Brazil and Oman, where thousands of people are studying or following training.

Ultra modern practical learning environmentfor tankers at Shipping and Transport College (STC)


Theinnovativeaircircuit-breaker

“Emax2”,whichABBlaunchedlastyear,

hasanumberofextrafunctionscompared

toprecedingmodels.ProductManager

NicoBrantjes(ABB)explains:‘Previously,

weonlyusedACB’sforsecurityorto

switch.Withthisnewmodel,wecan

alsoincludevariousothersecurityand

operatingfunctionsinthefacility.Itisa

Power-Controller,whichwecanuseto

measure,monitorandmanageenergy

remotely.Themachinecontainsseven

communicationprotocols,including

Modbus,ProfiBusandEthernetIP.’

Space saving ABBtherebybringstogetherthe

functionswhichpreviouslyrequired

severalcomponents,inonemachine.

Spacesavingisofgreatimportancein

theshippingindustry.Fortheproducer

ofoperatingsystemsitmeanspure

timegains:heneedslesshoursforthe

manufacturingofthefacility.Snijders

isusingtheEmax2foraprojectinthe

dredgingsector.‘Itisanewclientforus,

whohasinvolvedusfromtheconcept

phase,withthedevelopmentofanew

operatingsystem’,saysJanHofman,CEO.

‘Agoodchallenge.’

PartnershipRaimonddeJong,SalesEngineeratABB,

talksaboutthepartnershipwithSnijders.

‘Thereisagoodclickbetweenus.

Snijdersdoesnotonlyseeusasa

supplier,butalsoasapartner.

Theyinvestalotingettingtoknowour

products.Lastyear,weweregiventhe

opportunitytoprovideatrainingat

Snijders.Weexchangeinformationand

knowledge.’Hofman:‘Wenoticethat

manufacturersofcomponentsexertan

increasinglystronginfluenceonwhich

productioncompaniesareinvolved.

Forthisreason,wearefurtherexpanding

thepartnershipwiththem.Theyareour

newclients.’DeJongalsonoticesthatend

clientsincreasinglyoftenseekdirect

contactwithsuppliers.Thereason?

Theyarelookingforinnovation.

Energy-savingisabigtrend.Thenumber

ofenergymeterspurchasedfromABB

issteadilygrowingeveryyear.

‘Perhapsproductioncompanieshave

workedtoolittleoninnovationinrecent

years’,suggestsDeJong.‘Butthe

marketdemandsinnovation.Asa

supplier,wehavedevelopedmany

innovativeproducts.Thisisarewarding

taskforus.’

By joining forces, product suppliers and installation companies are able to offer innovative solutions which clients ask for, and access new markets. A good reason for Snijders Intelligent Automation to join forces with ABB.

New marketsInapartnership,bothpartiesbenefitfrom

awin-winsituation.WhatmakesSnijders

sovaluabletoABB?‘Thefactthatwe

cannotdoitalone,asasupplier’,answers

DeJong.‘Endclientsexpectasolution,

notloosecomponents.Togetherwith

thepanelbuilder,weareabletorealise

this.Inthepast,weusedtohaveourown

productioncompanies,butnowadays

externalpartiesarefarbetterequipped

tobuildinstallationsandpanels.They

canalsohelpustounlocknewmarkets.’

Themaritimesector,whereSnijders

hasalotofexperienceandcontactsvia

MarFlex,isstillagrowthmarket.DeJong:

‘Pipelayers,dredgersandcablelayers

arestillbeingbuiltinlargenumbers.

Worldwide,majorinvestmentisalsobeing

madeinthedevelopmentof(offshore)

infrastructureforenergywinning.Snijders

allowsustoofferourtechnicalsolutions

toplayersinthesesectors.Together,we

candelivergreatprojects.’


ABB�in�partnership�with�Snijders�Intelligent�Automation

From supplier to partner

From�left�to�right:

Nico�Brantjes�–�Product�Manager

Raimond�de�Jong�–�Sales�Engineer

Cirilo�Meijer�–�Engineer

Erik�van�Seters�–�Engineer


The Greek shipping company Pleiades Shipping Agents S.A. took three new tankers into service in 2013 and was thereby introduced to the pump systems of MarFlex.

Pleiadestransportsoilproductsand

chemicalsworldwide.Thefleethastwelve

tankers.In2013,theshippingcompany

hadthreenewchemicalstankersbuiltat

STXShipbuildinginSouthKorea.‘Wewant

tokeepupwiththelatesttechnologies

andenvironmentalrequirements’,

TechnicalDirectorMiltosSynefiasand

ElectricEngineerAlexPetrakosexplain.

‘Inadditiontothis,westriveforhigher

energyefficiencyinourfleet.’

TrainingThethreeeco-tankerstheshipping

companyhadbuilt,allhaveMarFlex

pumps.AsPleiadeshadneverworked

withthesebefore,fouremployeesofthe

shippingcompanyfollowedatwo-day

trainingatMarFlexintheNetherlands.

Asecondteamwillbefollowingthis

trainingsoon.Petrakos:“Wereceived

agreatdealofinformationduringthese

twodays.Inretrospect,itwouldperhaps

havebeenmorebeneficialtoplanthe

trainingafterthedeliveryoftheships,

insteadofbefore.

Nonetheless,welearntalot.Weare

currentlyinconversationwithMarFlex

aboutadditionalpracticaltrainingfor

ourcrewmembers.’

Excellent serviceThenewtankershavenowbeenin

serviceforafewmonths.Pleiadesis

verysatisfiedwiththeMarFlexpumps.

‘Theyfunctionverywell,andareex-

tremelyenergyefficientcomparedto

hydraulicallypoweredpumpsystems.

Theyareeasytooperateandofferagreat

dealofflexibility.Wehaveonlyhadone

minormechanicalproblem,whichwas

resolvedbyMarFlexwithsurprisingspeed.

Theirserviceisexcellent.’

Inthefuture,Pleiadeswillbeableto

logtherunninghoursandotherdata

concerningthecapacityandloadof

thepumpsinordertodeducetrends,

forexampleinfuelconsumption.

MarFlexispreparingthis.Theconverter

systemisprovidedwitharemoteaccess

module,whichallowstheservice

departmenttoremotelymonitorand

advisetheship.


� ��Right:�Erik�de�Munck�–�MarFlex�Trainer

� �Left:�Miltos�Synefias�–�Technical�Director�

� Right:�Alex�Petrakos�–�Electric�Engineer�

Pleiades becomes acquainted with MarFlex pumps


Theshippingindustryisexemptfrom

theMachineryDirective,becauseships

cansailallovertheworld.However,

DanaPetroleum’sFPSOwillbein

Europeanwater.‘Wecurrentlycome

acrossseveralclientsofFPSO’swho

requireaCEmarking’,saysKeesVlug

SeniorLeadAssessorAQAP&EC

DirectivesofLloyd’sRegister,which

providedguidanceforMarFlexduring

theprocess.‘Forthem,thisisasafeguard

thatthesuppliedmaterialmeetsthe

demandingEuropeanstandards,whichis

positiveiftheywishtoselltheFPSOinthe

future.Weexpectthattherequirementsof

FPSO’swillbecomeincreasinglystrictin

theyearstocome.’KeesVlugpraisesthe

approachMarFlexchosetomeetthe

requirementsoftheMachineryDirective:

thecombinationofin-houseknowledge

andpreliminarystudywithexpertisefrom

outsidetheorganisation.‘Twoemployees

ofMarFlexandIjoinedforceswithina

team’,saysVlug.‘MarFlexhasextensive

knowledgeofitspumps,whilstIknowa

lotaboutriskassessmentandexplosion

safety.Bytalking,youbolstereachother,

andreachagoodriskassessment.First,

wedeterminedwhichgeneralrisksapply

totheMarFlexpumps.Wethenlooked

atthisinmoredetail.Whatistheriskof

someonesustaininganinjury,when

operatingthepump?Whatsafety

guidelinesdoyouneedtodefineto

preventthis?MarFlexadjustedthe

manualsaccordingly.Thisfinalisedthe

CEmarking,andlaysagoodfoundation

foranyfutureprojectsinwhichCEmarking

isarequirement.’

The pumps which MarFlex provides for Dana Petroleum’s new FPSO must meet the requirements of the CE mark, upon the request of the client. This mark guarantees that a product is safe, and is not damaging to health and the environment. The CE mark applies to countless products launched on the market of the European Union: from toys to complete factories.


� Kees�Vlug�–�Senior�Lead�Assessor�

AQAP�&�EC�Directives�

Lloyd’s helps MarFlex with CE marking


TORMtransportsrefinedoilproductssuch

asdiesel,keroseneandnaphtaacrossthe

world.Thefleetconsistsofapproximately

onehundredtankersbetween35,000and

110,000DWT.Fourteenshipsarefitted

withMarFlexpumpsystems.

Zero breakdowns Anexcellentservice,highqualityand

safetyarewhatTORMstandsfor,andwhat

theshippingcompanyexpectsfromits

partnersaswell.AllanRasmussen,Head

ofFleetandNewBuildSupport,explains:

‘Inordertoofferourcustomersmaximum

reliability,wearealwayscriticalofour

ownperformance.Thepumpsystemis

oneofthecrucialsystemsonboard.

Wefoundthatwehadtoomany

unscheduledstopsformaintenanceor

repairs.Thishadtochange.Ouraimis:

zerobreakdowns.’

Clear guidelinesUndertheleadershipofRasmussen,

TORMsetupaReliabilityTaskForcelast

year.Theprojectteamhasthetaskof

minimisingtheoff-hire,andtoincrease

thereliabilityofthefleet.‘Firstly,we

analysedourownperformance.Wenoted

thattheuseofthepumpsystemandthe

mannerinwhichitwasmaintainedwere

notconsistentforallourvesselsand

crews.Wehavelargesizefleetandcrew,

anditisimportantthatwedeliverthe

samehighqualityeverywhere.

Weenteredintoadialoguewithour

suppliers,andstartedanintensivetraining

programmeforourofficers.Togetherwith

MarFlexwehavereviewedprocessesand

determinedbestpracticeinregardsto

pumpsystemuseandmaintenance.’

Preventative maintenanceTORMpurchasedanewPlanned

MaintenanceSystem(PMS)inwhichall

operatingandmaintenancestructuresare

clearlyrecorded.MarFlexhelpedfillthe

systemwiththecorrectinformation.

Rasmussen:‘TogetherwithMarFlex,we

havedevelopedawaytolinktheMarFlex

pumpsystemtothePMS.Thisallowsusto

monitortheentirecargohandlingprocess.

Thedataisautomaticallycollectedand

canbesharedwithMarFlexviaremote

access.’‘Abigstepforwards’,accordingto

JaspervandeKant,MarFlexAreaSales

Manager.‘Thisdataallowsustocreate

trendreports,andassessaccuratelywhen

maintenanceisrequired.Furthermorethis

informationcanbeusedtofurther

improveefficiency,andforcrewtraining

purposes.Alltogetherthisprevents

unscheduledstops!’

Wider serviceFrom2014,MarFlexofferstheoption

ofnotonlycarryingoutthemechanical

maintenanceduringdocking,butalso

tohavetheelectricalsystemchecked,

andanymaintenancecarriedout.

Thestatusoftheelectricalequipment

canbemappedbymeansofdust

sampling,infra-redphotosandsample

measurements.

Duringthedocking,thenecessarywork

canthenbecarriedout,andthesystem

canbeprovidedwiththelatestsoftware

updates.Ananalysiswillalsobemade

oftheavailabilityofsparepartsinthe

longterm.Thistiesinwithouraimto

guaranteemaximumreliabilityofour

pumpsystem.

The Danish shipbuilder TORM has taken a new direction with regard to the maintenance of its fleet. MarFlex plays an active role in this. ‘We strive for 100% reliability’.


� �Allan�Rasmussen�–��

Head�of�Fleet�and��

New�Build�Support

Maintenance�strategy�improved

TORM aims for zero breakdowns


Furthermore, MarFlex added a new power pack unit to its product portfolio: the DHP-300. The prototype was fully designed and optimised in the drawing office, using a 3D design package. The DHP-300 is produced in sequence. It is larger than the other DHP’s, which makes it suitable for the cargo pump system.


Extension of product portfolio

TheMODP-300isasmallerversionof

thefirstoffshorepump,withsingleentry

impeller.TheMODP-200isanAPI-610

versionoftheH-pumpwithaheadof

160metres.In2014,theseriesofoffshore

pumpsisfurtherextendedwithasmaller

model:MODP-125.

Withtheintroductionofnewregulation

surroundingthetreatmentofballast

water,theexistingN2cargopumpwas

completelyredesignedin2013,which

allowsittobeusedasaballastpump.

In 2012, MarFlex launched its first offshore cargo pump: the MODP-350. The offshore product portfolio was further extended in 2013, with two new pump systems.

� �From�left�to�right:�

Erik�Meeuwis�–�R&D�Engineer-Mechanical�

Bertram�Reijtenbagh�–�Senior�Mechanic�

Hong�Ton�Wan�–�All-round�Welder


‘Moreandmoreclientsaskforit’,says

KeesVlug,SeniorLeadAssessorAQAP&

ECDirectivesatLloyd’sRegister.‘They

therebyguaranteethattheweldingthey

havecarriedout,iscarriedoutina

responsiblemanner.Intheoffshore

sector,thecertificateisnotahardandfast

requirement,butitisconsideredan

advantage.’Thepreparationfortheaudit

byLloyd’sRegistertookseveralmonths.

PeterRaaijmakers,ManagerTechnics&

QHSEatMarFlex,explains:‘Thewelding

procedures,andthecertificatesrequired

bytheweldershavetobeclearlywritten

downonpaper.Everythingmustbe

traceable.’Thedrawingupofobligatory

procedurespecificationswascleverly

handledbyMarFlex,byclearlystipulating

ontheengineeringdrawings,which

weldingstepshavetobecompletedin

whichsequence.Foreverytypeofweld,

a“weldingprocedurespecification”was

created.Theseweldingmethodsare

qualified.Thewelderswerethenqualified

themselves,andthesequalificationsare

periodicallyextended.Raaijmakers:

‘Theweldercanimmediatelyseeonthe

drawingwhathehastodofirst,andhow

hehastodoit.Wehavealsohungatable

ineveryweldingbox,withthemost

importantparameters.’Theauditby

Lloyd’sRegistertooktwomandays,

andboththetheoryandthepracticewas

tested.‘Wewereverysatisfied’,Vlug

concludes.‘MarFlexpassedwithflying

colours.’Raaijmakers:“MarFlexisvery

happywiththeresult,whichwasachieved

mainlythankstotheeffortsofPieter

Yntema,ProductionManager,andhis

team.”

The obtaining of the ISO 3834-2:2005 certificate means MarFlex certifiably meets the highest quality standards for fusion welding of metals, including RVS316 and super duplex. In certain sectors, this certificate is a requirement.


� From�left�to�right:� ��

� Peter�Raaijmakers�–�Manager�Technics�&�QHSE� �

� Willem�Rosenbrand�–�Quality�Inspector�

� Arif�Kilic�–�All-round�Welder�

ISO 3834-2:2005Welding at a high level


Despite the difficult economic conditions, MarFlex has been able to consolidate its market position in 2013. In the area of order acquisition, we were able to continue the positive developments of 2012. Various offers we made in recent years were successfully converted into orders. This shows that the market is very carefully emerging from the dip.

In addition to the clients for whom we have

been working for years, we also attracted

large new clients in 2013. For example,

under the instruction of COSCO, we

started our first offshore project, for which

we will deliver the pump systems during

the course of 2014. In 2013 we invested

a great deal of effort into meeting specific

regulations with regard to environmental

and safety standards in the offshore

sector.

At the Hyundai Mipo Dockyard in Korea,

we commissioned our first NQZR system,

in 2013. MarFlex will fit four Kuwait Oil

Tanker Company tankers with NQZR.

The fine-tuning of the first NQZR system

took more time and money than expected.

This has meant that we have not been

able to fully realise our turnover and

return prognosis. We consider the first

commission of NQZR as a learning project,

from which we hope to reap the benefits

in 2014.

Our first project in the offshore sector

also demanded considerable investments

in knowledge and technology. By making

intelligent use of the available tax

opportunities, we have been able to

compensate for part of these innovation

costs via a reduction of the corporation

tax. We expect that our investments in

NQZR and the offshore sector will start

yielding profits from 2014.

With the arrival of larger clients, we

are also engaging with more complex

financing constructions. MarFlex was

already familiar with the principle of

Letters of Credit and bank guarantees.

This increasingly also involves the hedging

of exchange rate risks. In addition to this,

we also expect to have to advance finance

more in the coming years. We have been

able to come to good agreements with

our banks. A good forecast of the result

and cash flow development is becoming

increasingly important in this context.

Our financial department has a good

control over this.

The financial department has further

increased the efficiency of its work in

2013. A redistribution took place and the

back-up for employees was increased.

Thanks to new software functions, the

department is able to derive financial

information from the ERP system more

efficiently. This saves time, increases

reliability of the data, and means the

department is able to focus more strongly

on work with greater added value for the

organisation.

2014 kicked off with positive expectations.

We have a good overview of the projects

we are planning to carry out. Our order

portfolio for 2014 is reassuringly full.

The scope of the expected turnover for

2014 is already at the level of 2012-2013,

and various interesting offers are still

outstanding.

In 2013, a few new colleagues with an

electro technical background were

employed within the departments of

“Workshop-Services” and “Technics &

QHSE”. The aim of this is to increase the

electro-technical knowledge within

MarFlex. This knowledge is required to be

able to better advise our customers and

expand the service, but especially to also

contribute to the further development of

high intelligence computer systems which

operate and monitor our pumps.

Staff recruitmentThe new colleagues were involved in the

further development of NQZR in 2013.

There was a close cooperation with our sister

company Snijders Intelligent Automation.

‘Wherever possible, we employed young,

motivated people for the vacancies, just

like in 2012’, says Human Recources

Manager Greet Jongeneel. ‘They bring new

knowledge and ideas to the company, and

thereby focus the rest of the organisation.

Due to the increasing shortage of technical

staff on the Dutch job market, we have to

pay more and more attention to staff

recruitment. We increasingly look abroad

for potential candidates. We also approach

candidates who are not originally from the

Netherlands, but are keen to work here.

It is also important that we introduce

young talent to MarFlex as a potential

employer at an early stage, and start to

build their enthusiasm. We took advantage

of the opportunity provided by trade fair

Europort to get into contact with young

and experienced trade specialists via the

“Future Pioneer Event”. We are always

exploring how we can strengthen the

organisation with professional employees

(in due time).’

Job evaluation systemIn 2013, MarFlex completed the intro-

duction of a new job evaluation system.

All functions have been described and

evaluated again. In consultation with the

trade unions and the works council,

a salary scale was drawn up. Every

employee now knows what his/her job

entails, where it is scaled, and what the

salary ceiling is. The job descriptions work

with competences. A new assessment

system is linked to this. Bonuses were

used for the first time in 2013, linked to

this new system. In 2014, the performance

interviews will be re-examined, so they

align with the new assessment system.

LEANAll managers and board members of

MarFlex and Snijders Intelligent

Automation who had not yet followed a

LEAN training, have started this training in

2013. We intro-duced this improvement

methodology within production in 2012,

and are now rolling it out further within

the rest of the organisation.

On 1 January 2013, there were 112.7 fte active within MarFlex. During the course of the year, 10.8 started work, and 11.6 left work. Many of the employees who joined and left were holiday workers and/or interns with a temporary contract.

ArnoldSchram–FinancialController

GreetJongeneel–HumanRecourcesManager

Developments in figures andour approach to human capital

Global Pump Investment 2013 4140 Global Pump Investment 2013

ThecommissioningofthefirstNQZR

systemforMarFlexrequireda

considerableinvestment.Inadditionto

this,wemadelargeinvestmentsinto

knowledgeaccumulationandtechnical

developmentinthecontextofalarge

projectinthedredgingsector.

Theexpectationisthatbothinvestments

willleadtoaspin-offinthecomingyears.

TheemployeesofSnijdersmade

exceptionaleffortsin2013,toovercome

allthechallenges.Wearegratefultothem

forthis.In2013,atotalofthreenew

colleagueswererecruited:aSoftware

Engineer,aHardwareEngineerandaPanel

Builder.Early2014ourteamwillbejoined

byaHardwareEngineer,aLogisticsOfficer

andaCoordinationPlanner.

Thenewestversionofourcurrentsoftware

packagehasbeenimplementedin2013,

whichmeetstheSEPArequirements.

Simultaneously,thesoftwareisexpanded

withthemoduletointegratetheproject

andthefinancialadministration.This

representsabigstepforwardinthe

efficiencyincreaseofourinternal

processes.In2014wetakeanotherstep

furtherbysimplifyingtheorderintake.

Wepredictalightgrowthinturnoverfor

2014,andwewillfurtherextendour

partnershipswithsuppliers.Wearenot

onlydependentoneachother'sflexibility,

butcanalsoaccessnewmarketstogether.

Snijders Intelligent Automation had an exceptional year. The turnover and yield realisations are lower in 2013 than they were in 2012. In the end, a turnover of 7.4 million euros was realised, with an associated yield of 1.6%. We have nonetheless been able to effectively manage the liquidity position.

� �Wendy�Bart�–�Financial�Manager

Developments in figures andour approach to human capital

42 GlobalPumpInvestment2013 GlobalPumpInvestment2013 43

Working capital 2009 - 2013

Year 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013

2.000

1.500

1.000

500

0

-500

-1.000

Working capital 2009 - 2013

Year 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013

1.400

1.200

1.000

800

600

400

200

0

Turnover and Result after taxation 2009 - 2013

60.000

50.000

40.000

30.000

20.000

10.000

0

3,5

3,0

2,5

2,0

1,5

1,0

0,5

0,0

%

Turnover and Result after taxation 2009 - 2013

Year 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013

� Turnover Result�after�taxation�in�%

Year 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013

� Turnover Result�after�taxation�in�%

9.000

8.000

7.000

6.000

5.000

4.000

3.000

2.000

1.000

0

7,06,05,04,03,02,01,00,0-1,0-2,0

-3,0

%

Shareholders’ equity and ROE 2009 - 2013

5.000

4.500

4.000

3.500

3.000

2.500

2.000

1.500

1.000

500

0

30,0

25,0

20,0

15,0

10,0

5,0

0,0

%

1.200

1.000

800

600

400

200

0

EBIT and EBITDA 2009 - 2013EBIT and EBITDA 2009 - 2013

Year 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013

EBIT EBITDA EBITDA�in�%�of�turnover

800700600500400300200100

0-100-200

3.000

2.500

2.000

1.500

1.000

500

0

10,0

8,0

6,0

4,0

2,0

0,0

-2,0

-4,0

%

9,0

8,0

7,0

6,0

5,0

4,0

3,0

2,0

1,0

0,0

%

FTE employed and absenteeism (%) 2009 - 2013

Year 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013

FTE�employed Absenteeism�in�%

160

140

120

100

80

60

40

20

0

8,0

7,0

6,0

5,0

4,0

3,0

2,0

1,0

0,0

%

FTE employed and absenteeism (%) 2009 - 2013

60

50

40

30

20

10

0

4,5

4,0

3,5

3,0

2,5

2,0

1,5

1,0

0,5

0,1

%

Figures Snijders


Shareholders’ equity and ROE 2009 - 2013

Year 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013

Shareholders’�equity ROE�in�%�

Year 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013

Shareholders’�equity ROE�in�%�

60,0

50,0

40,0

30,0

20,0

10,0

0,0

%

( x E

1.0

00 )

( x E

1.0

00 )

( x E

1.0

00 )

( x E

1.0

00 )

( x E

1.0

00 )

( x E

1.0

00 )

( x E

1.0

00 )

( x E

1.0

00 )

FTE

FTE

Year 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013

FTE�employed Absenteeism�

Year 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013

EBIT EBITDA EBITDA�in�%�of�turnover

Figures MarFlex


GlobalPumpInvestment2013 47Global PumpInvestment


Global PumpInvestment B.V.

MarFlex Holding B.V.

75%100% 25%

Snijders B.V.

MarFlex West B.V.

Taiko Kikai Ind. Co. Ltd.

MarFlex Guangzhou

MarFlexServices B.V.

MarFlexMachining B.V.

MarFlex Europe B.V.

MarFlexConstruction B.V.

MarFlex ServiçosMarítimos Ltda.

MarFlexEngineering B.V.

MarFlex Moscow

MarFlex Asia PTE Ltd.

MarFlex East B.V.

Rep. Office

Branch Office

GlobalPumpInvestment(GPI)isan

investmentcompany,participatingin

organisationswiththeirownstrong

productand/orservice,thatoperateor

aimtooperateinanichemarket.GPIhas

developedintoaninvestmentcompany

withahighlyinternationalcharacter,with

aninterestinthemarineandindustry

orientedmarketsectors.Organisations

thataremembersoftheGPIgroupare

powerfulpartnersforoneanotherasa

resultoftheexchangeofexpertise.

ThecompaniesinGPIincludeMarFlex

andSnijders.MarFlexdevelops,

manufacturesandmaintainselectric-drive

Deepwellpumpsystemsandhydraulic

portablepumpsystemsforthemarine

andoffshoresectors,andisthemarket

leader.Snijdersdesigns,manufactures

andmaintainsturnkeyelectricalcontrol

systemsforthemarineandindustrial

sectors.

GPIwishestobeknownasaninvestorin

sustainableinnovationofproductsand

services.Inordertoachievethis,the

orga-nisationswithinGPIofferintelligent,

efficientandexcellentproductsand

services,conformingtothehighest

standardsintheareaofethicalconduct,

safetyandenvironmentalmanagement.

Inaddition,GPImakesacquisitionsand

otherinvestments,independentlyor

togetherwithotherpartners.

Profile GPI and organisational diagram





ColofonPublication:Global Pump Investment–Ring117,3247BN Dirksland–TheNetherlands–Tel:+31(0)186890211–Fax:+31(0)186890219

E-mail:[email protected]–Website:www.globalpumpinvestment.com–Design:B.V.Cambrouse,Schiedam–Text:SarahdePreter,Rotterdam

Photography:FotografieVanLeeuwen,Zuidland–Printing:B.V.DrukkerijDeEendracht,Schiedam

www.globalpumpinvestment.com

scan with QR-reader

scan with QR-reader

MarFlex Headquarters

Louis Pasteurstraat 12 – 3261 LZ Oud-Beijerland

The Netherlands

Tel. +31 (0)186 89 02 00

Fax +31 (0)186 89 02 99

E-mail info@marfl ex.com

Website www.marfl ex.com

MarFlex Asia Pte. Ltd.

No. 50 Raffl es Place – Level 37, Singapore Land Tower

Singapore 048623

Tel. +65 6861 5553

Fax +65 6861 4198

MarFlex Moscow Branch Offi ce

Balakirevskiy Lane 19 – Building 1

Business Centre, Offi ce 221 – 105082 Moscow

Russia

Tel. +7 495 730 8015

Fax +7 495 730 8014

MarFlex Guangzhou Rep. Offi ce

Suite 1101 – Fuying International Building

No. 166 Changgang Zhong Road – 510250 Guangzhou

China

Tel. +86 (0)20 8434 8918

Fax +86 (0)20 8434 8928

MarFlex Serviços Marítimos Ltda.

Avenida Almirante Barroso – 52/7th fl oor - Centro

Rio de Janeiro RJ

Brazil

Tel. +55 (0)21 3526 3008

Fax +31 (0)186 89 02 49

Snijders B.V.

Alexander Bellstraat 2-4 – 3261 LX Oud-Beijerland

The Netherlands

Tel. +31 (0)186 65 95 95

Fax +31 (0)186 65 43 55

E-mail: [email protected]

Website www.snijders-et.nl


Global PumpGlobal PumpInvestment

Global Pump Investment

Ring 117 – 3247 BN Dirksland

The Netherlands

Tel. +31 (0)186 89 02 11

Fax +31 (0)186 89 02 19

E-mail [email protected]

Website www.globalpumpinvestment.com

annual report 2013 - global pump investment€¦ · global pump investment jurgen geboers –...

Documents