[261011.EN.SEA] Wilhelmsen Doubles Life Raft Exchange Revenues To Korean Customers

WILHELMSEN Ships Service (WSS) has announced that it has doubled revenues of its life raft exchange service to Korean customers, which provides a fixed cost, global solution for the provision of life saving equipment over the last year. No figures were provided in the press statement.

"When a life raft is due for inspection or needs repairs, we replace that raft through our programme at any of the 900 ports we serve worldwide," said WSS South Korea manager Woon-Sik Choi in the statement.

"Traditionally, shipowners have had to rely on multiple suppliers of life raft for repairs and replacements in order ensure compliance with maritime safety regulations. Fluctuating costs in different ports around the world means that budgeting has become difficult and service reliability patchy," said a Wilhelmsen statement.

WSS said it provides a global system with a single fixed annual cost and manages the maintenance, repair and replacement of life rafts at more than 900 ports worldwide through its 46 service stations.

WSS has also received its international certification from the Korean Registry (KR) to service safety equipment such as fire extinguishing equipment and systems and breathing apparatus, inflatable life rafts and hydrostatic release units services to the ships and offshore structures classed KR.

WSS is the first International Marine Safety Service Company in Korea to hold the global certification. This will enable WSS to provide the service more efficiently to the ships classed KR worldwide, said the company.

"Our life raft exchange service means that we take on that responsibility on behalf of the owners, providing a reliable service worldwide customised to each owner and each vessel," said WSS' Mr Choi.

Wilhelmsen Ships Service will be an exhibitor at stand N52 in the main exhibition hall at Kormarine 2011 at Bexco, Busan Wednesday through Saturday October 26 - 29.

Wilhelmsen Ships Service is part of Wilhelmsen Maritime Services, a Wilh. Wilhelmsen group company. It has the world's largest maritime services network, with 4,600 marine professionals servicing 2,200 ports in 125 countries. In 2010, the company made 214,000 product deliveries to 23,000 vessels and handled 54,000 port calls, of which 16,584 were in Asia Pacific.

Source : HKSG, 24.10.11.