One plus one equals three

WITH THE REcEnT MERgER Of ALE AnD MAMMOET, OnE Of THE InDuSTRy’S LARgEST gLOBAL HEAVy LIfTIng AnD TRAnSpORT SERVIcE pROVIDERS HAS been created. The global coverage of the combined business is unparalleled. According to both parties the merger is a logical step, as it will bring together a wealth of knowledge and operating power.

All imAges cOuRTESy Of MAMMOET.

Speaking about the merger with Offshore Industry, Richard van Looij, Manager Sales at Mammoet, says that the merger should not be considered as a hostile takeover but as an agreement between equal partners. “Both Mammoet and ALE have brought a lot to the newly-born entity,” he states, “and joining forces was a logical step towards a robust future.” He continues, “Mammoet has a strong presence in certain regions, whereas ALE always has been very successful in the opposite regions. Together, we now have a worldwide coverage of business activities.” His colleague, Dan Kempin, Business Development Manager Offshore Services at Mammoet, and former ALE employee, adds, “Apart from the complementary geographical fit, joining the two companies also provides a benefit to our customers in specialist equipment availability. We can now offer a complete package, acting as a worldwide one-stop-shop for heavy lift solutions.” Aligned Mr Van Looij recognises more mutual characteristics. He explains, “Since the announcement of the merger a few months ago, people from both companies have been working together, and I have noticed that we are very aligned in many things. We all highly value innovation, safety, and reliability. Everyone puts a lot of effort into exactly understanding our customers’ issues and shows an effective and professional problem-solving ability. It is not for nothing that both ALE and Mammoet have been able to show a long list of references built in the past decades.” According to Mr Kempin, this similarity is well described in the motto ‘Smarter, Safer, Stronger’. “This motto originates from ALE and everyone at ALE was very proud when the decision was made to take the motto on board.”

Moving slowly Mr Kempin sees a lot of opportunities in the changing offshore world. “We have noticed >>

FPSOs are composed of bigger and bigger modules and this requires heavier lifting equipment.

that more and more fpSOs are fitted-out at service yards as close as possible to their production location at sea. fpSOs are composed of bigger and bigger modules and this requires heavier lifting equipment. This equipment can provide cost savings as it contributes to more efficient and faster fpSO module integration. But for most of these service yards, which are often smaller than the construction yards, the equipment would require a major capital expenditure if they were to purchase it themselves. Our extensive range of services and configurable, containerised machinery enables a ‘pop-up’ capability, perfectly fitting the yard’s temporary development needs, as it helps service yards to outfit the vessels in a flexible way without huge upfront investments.” “Apart from this,” Mr Van Looij adds, “we see the entire offshore market recovering with, among other things, Lng getting back on track. Things are still moving slowly, but so far for us, it is resulting in new business. The renewables market is interesting for us as well, although we are acting more as an onshore subcontractor in this part of industry.”

The world’s largest After the official announcement of the merger, the real work has started. “We are now an organisation of over 140 offices and branches worldwide, and for most of us, business will go on as usual,” Mr Van Looij states. “Meanwhile, our integration plan is being rolled out in order to bring the two organisations together. It is evident that what is strong should remain strong.” “Our combined team of dedicated professionals, as well as our fleet of heavy equipment are now the world’s largest. This really is a good example of 1 plus 1 equals 3. for this matter, it is good to see that the strategic thinking behind the merger is something everyone at Mammoet is enthusiastic about,” Mr Kempin ends.

i. mammoet.com Smarter, safer, stronger

In an official press statement, paul van gelder, cEO of Mammoet announced he is pleased with the merger and its opportunities: “We are looking forward to working together with our new colleagues all over the world and establishing long-term relationships with our customers, existing and new. We will put all our efforts into supporting them with their activities aimed at enhancing cities, businesses and communities that are all part of the transition to a more sustainable future. As their goals increase in size and complexity, we must reshape ourselves to support them while keeping our primary focus on safety. for that, we want to understand our clients’ business and challenges better than anyone else. Regardless of their size, industry or location. We will keep improving our services and support them to build smarter, safer, and stronger across the world.”