BRISBANE SERVICE HUB NOW STOCKING DOP DREDGE PUMPS FOR SALE AND HIRE

Ten years on since it was first established, Damen’s worldwide network of service hubs is continuing to evolve in response to the changing demands of its customers.

Ten years on since it was first established, Damen’s worldwide network of service hubs is continuing to evolve in response to the changing demands of its customers. Introduced in 2009, the Damen Service Hub network was launched with the objective of enhancing customer service in regions where there are concentrations of Damen vessels, but no easily accessible Damen shipyard. Since then, customer feedback has demonstrated that vessel operators place high value on the availability of local support and services to deliver quick response times and help ensure the smooth running of their vessels with minimal downtime.

The Damen hub in Brisbane, Queensland, Australia is now taking the service hub concept a stage further by holding Damen DOP dredging pumps in stock for the first time and actively promoting them in its regional market. This new approach is the result of an experience last year when the service hub received requests for the supply of a dredge pump from both Australia and via Damen’s local Regional Service Manager (RSM) in Singapore, Rob van Hoorik. Following these demonstrations of the value of providing local services, it was decided to bring another pump to Brisbane to hold in stock just in case they received a third request. This, too, was sold quickly, and so it was decided to maintain a stock of DOP pumps at Brisbane.

This move to sell specific items of equipment that customers may require at short notice is a logical extension of the hub’s service remit, as area service manager Arie Jonas explains. “The service hub concept has already proven its value, supporting the owners and operators of Damen vessels operating in the region. Working in the same time zone we can serve our customers faster and more effectively. We also share the same culture, making us easier to approach, and we can visit customers more quickly. All these benefits are helping us and our clients to win new business and stocking DOP pumps is just another example of how we are extending our services beyond the core function of delivering technical assistance to meet our customers’ needs.”

As well as selling DOP dredge pumps the Brisbane Service Hub will retain units for hire to short term projects. This also provides an accessible, low cost option to customers who wish to familiarise themselves with the product in an easy, straightforward way. Additional spare parts will be held at the hub in order to maximise operability. Both these developments will further increase the effectiveness of the hub’s rapid response team, which is ready to provide immediate assistance to customers throughout the region.

Having DOP pumps available for sale and hire has another advantage. It creates an additional access point to the regional dredging industry with the potential for creating new relationships with vessel operators. Over time these could generate orders for the Damen CSDs, Multi Cats or Shoalbusters that make excellent platforms for DOP pump systems.

BUILDING LOCAL RELATIONSHIPS

Damen Services Brisbane has developed long-term working relationships with highly skilled local engineers and contractors including the local offices of key global suppliers as well as domestic companies capable of providing skills and resources to support the core Damen team. They play a valuable role in helping it to guarantee the continuity of service levels and the transfer of knowledge and skills to both customers and local partners that is an integral part of the Damen service hub mission. Not only does this ensure a growing local pool of skilled labour, it also builds goodwill, recognition of the Damen brand and lays the groundwork for new and productive relationships in the future.

Damen’s Brisbane Service Hub offers skilled engineers and faster response times to provide warranty support, handle repairs and deliver parts. In conjunction with local shipyards it is also able to facilitate berthing and provide a direct point of contact. These facilities are primarily intended for clients operating Damen vessels, but where customers operate mixed fleets, the hub is there to provide service expertise on board any vessel operated by the client.