Fleet support - a growth market for Hatlapa
Hatlapa, the German manufacturer of steering gear, deck machinery and compressors, claims that one in every five enquiries nowadays is service related, and the number of repair, spares and maintenance orders is increasing steadily.
With its worldwide service network, Hatlapa says the fleet support side of the business takes up a large part of the company’s day to day operations. “At Hatlapa, we like to think of ourselves as our customers’ partner rather than just a supplier”, stresses general service manager Thorsten Schäfer. “Customers rely on our quick and flexible response – the more efficiently their fleet support work is carried out, the sooner the vessel can be back on course.”
Since the beginning of the economic downturn and the resulting decline in newbuilds, the market for servicing, repair work and alterations including retrofits has grown. An established partner for drydocks and ship owners for many years, Hatlapa was quick to extend its service range to cover deck machinery, compressors and steering gear – regardless of the type of vessel – with winch repairs, steering gear hydraulic checks and replacement compressors being the most demanded support options. The company can also help with support for other manufacturers’ equipment, and for many years has been able to supply parts for other compressor brands from the same production lines in its Uetersen factory as parts for its own Hatlapa and Hamworthy brand compressors.
“It is the combination of speedy response times with excellent quality of the physical repair and maintenance work done that makes Hatlapa the chosen fleet support contact for many ship owners”, states Thorsten Schäfer. “Our service centres in China, Cyprus, Singapore and the UK are just a small example of Hatlapa’s global reach.”
