As part of Aker Yards strategy to create strong alliances with suppliers, its first international suppliers day conference in Wismar on 21 September gathered about 100 of the shipbuilder most important suppliers worldwide that have delivered equipment to merchant vessels built in Germany, Norway and Ukraine, and the purchasing personnel from the Aker shipyards involved.

Four companies were honored with a Supplier Award, three of them German. The criteria for the award were delivery on time, high quality, fast and flexible service and delivery performance for ship delivery.

As an international supplier of main equipment, MacGREGOR was given an award for the development of cost-efficient manufacturing options for hatch covers. This award is clear evidence that MacGREGOR strategy of concentrating hatch cover production at selected partner plants with continuous productivity and improvement as targets has been successful, said Esko Karvonen, general manager of the MacGREGOR Group container ship business. We are confident that our products are the same quality wherever they are manufactured. Working with manufacturing partners around the world and maintaining a global standard has only been achieved by establishing a dedicated organisation whose task it is to ensure meeting the demanding standards.

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For further information please contact:
Esko Karvonen, General manager, Container Ships, Dry Cargo division
Tel: +358 2 4121 314 Fax: +358 2 4121 390
E-mail: esko.karvonen@macgregor-group.com or

MacGREGOR Group press office:
Mr Steve Labdon, MacGREGOR Group Media Representative
Tel: +44 (0)20 8364 1441 Fax: +44 (0)20 8364 1331
E-mail: steve.labdon@j-l-a.com