Products & services

MEIKO Group: Dishwashing technology business sets new order intake record in 2013

Details: Written by Kari Reinikainen Kari Reinikainen; Category: Products & services Products & services; Published: 14 February 2014 14 February 2014

MEIKO – the well-known manufacturer of commercial dishwashers and cleaning and disinfection appliances based in Offenburg, Germany – posted a new order intake record in 2013. "The volume of business generated by the company's commercial dishwasher operations at its headquarters and key production site rose by some 6 million euros to more than 108 million euros. This included increases of over 8 percent for large commercial dishwashing machines and almost 12 percent for cleaning products. 1,100 employees in Offenburg contributed to these results," the company said in a statement.

In total, more than 2,000 people worldwide were employed by MEIKO companies in 2013, up from the previous year’s figure of 1,800. The MEIKO flag continued to be flown by 23 subsidiaries, 12 of which are located outside Germany. Consolidated group sales hit another record high of 260 million euros, while the order intake posted by MEIKO's foreign subsidiaries rose by 5 percent to 120 million euros. MEIKO received major orders in the seven-figure range for its dishwashing technology from both domestic and foreign customers.

The company reported particularly encouraging increases in sales – mostly in the double-digit percent range – in Australia, France, the USA and China. In Austria and Switzerland, the company's traditionally high market share in the large commercial dishwasher sector saw a further boost, while domestic business in this product group once again posted a hit rate in excess of 70 percent, with 7 out of 10 major contracts during the year being awarded to MEIKO.

For the first time Japan emerged as the strongest export market in the cleaning and disinfection technology business, notching up growth of 60% over the previous year's figures. Further growth markets for this product group included Latin America, India, Australia and the rest of Europe excluding Germany.

In autumn 2013 the new M-iClean range of undercounter dishwashers was launched in impressive style at a prestigious event held at the Europa Park Rust leisure park in Germany. MEIKO took orders worth more than one million euros for this product range within just the first few weeks of its launch. Production of the M-iClean machines also began on schedule in autumn 2013 in a brand-new manufacturing hall equipped with the very latest machine tools.

The extraordinary success story of the M-iQ flight and rack type dishwashing machines continued unabated in 2013. Taken together with the new M-iClean, this means that the clear majority of all the dishwasher models offered by MEIKO from 2014 onwards will have been on the market for less than four years – a striking indicator of MEIKO's innovation capabilities.

The quality and innovation of MEIKO's products and services once again led to a number of awards and prizes in 2013. These included the prestigious Mercury Award for the company's M-iQ technology, which was presented at the annual conference of the International Travel Catering Association (ITCA), as well as the "Best of Market" award presented by the German trade journals "Gastlichkeit" and "GVmanager". This latter award, which was based on a survey of 2,300 readers of the two journals, confirms MEIKO's popularity in the hotel, foodservice and catering industries. MEIKO also received the "Star Award in Gold" for the fifth time in succession from the "Top hotel" trade magazine at the Internorga trade fair.

The company’s business expectations for 2014 are positive. This confidence is also reflected in an investment budget totalling over 12 million euros. This includes the construction of a new Service Centre at the company's Offenburg site which will help to further optimize this key service.

Trimline appoints Colin Stapley to head new Catering Department business

Details: Written by Kari Reinikainen Kari Reinikainen; Category: Products & services Products & services; Published: 11 February 2014 11 February 2014

Trimline, the UK based marine interior refurbishment specialists, have appointed Colin Stapley as Business Development Manager to head-up their new Catering Department which will offer design, sales, installation and maintenance of catering equipment for galleys, pantries and laundries, the company said in a statement.

This development will see Trimline growing the services they offer to clients just two months after adding an Electrical Department to the Southampton-based business. Colin Stapley joins Trimline after managing Kempsafe Ltd, a marine catering company, for the last five years.

Gary Oliver, Managing Director at Trimline, said: “The addition of a Catering Department to Trimline will allow us to offer greater support and service to the cruise, ferry, offshore, defence and super yacht industries. Trimline are continuing to respond to the industry’s needs and the expertise Colin will bring to this role will help us to add even more value to our work.”

Trimline has seen an unprecedented level of growth over the last 24 months and the expansion into catering marks another milestone for the company in the build-up to its 50th anniversary in 2015, the company said.

Carnival Corporation and MTN sign agreement for internet services and extend broadcast services agreement

Details: Written by Teijo Niemelä Teijo Niemelä; Category: Products & services Products & services; Published: 20 January 2014 20 January 2014

MTN Communications (MTN) and Carnival Corporation & plc have signed a new agreement for the provision of Internet services to its guests and crew. The agreement covers several Carnival Corporation brands, including Princess Cruises, Cunard and P&O Cruises (UK), and will enable MTN to continue a partnership of more than 20 years in delivering crew welfare and passenger solutions to Carnival.

Carnival has also extended its existing agreement for MTN broadcast television services, MTN Worldwide TV, which provides a wide range of television content including news and entertainment to 50 of its ships across the globe. In addition, Carnival Corporation brands in Alaskan waters will continue to leverage MTN’s Terrestrial Broadband Services while in port, with the opportunity to explore the possible expansion of this service.

"MTN and the Carnival family of brands have partnered for more than 20 years," said Chris Leber, executive vice president, commercial business development, MTN. "Our continued partnership providing MTN value-added services further illustrates how we have evolved to deliver communications-related services to the Carnival family of brands and to help improve the communications experience at sea, including content and Internet options for passengers and crew."

"This continued partnership with MTN allows us to deliver the industry’s best set of technology and content to our guests and crew," said Josh Leibowitz, executive vice president, Group Strategy and Corporate Operations at Carnival Corporation.

DAMPA and Meyer Werft sign four year deal to cover at least six ships

Details: Written by Kari Reinikainen Kari Reinikainen; Category: Products & services Products & services; Published: 21 January 2014 21 January 2014

Fireproof and soundproof metal panels of high quality that fit together like LEGO bricks. A unique service and logistics package, credibility and a strong, internationally recognized brand. These are just are some of the things Meyer Werft cites as their reasons for signing a four-year supply agreement with DAMPA, the company said in a statement.

The small factory on the island of Funen in Denmark will supply the German shipyard with metal panels for at least six new giant cruise ships. DAMPA has a proud history of being one of the world’s leading suppliers of marine ceiling systems. CEO Michael Nykjær is pleased that the export of marine ceilings for luxury cruise ships now represents 50 % of the production at the plant, despite the crisis in the global travel industry.

A framework agreement of four years and a supply of approx. 100,000-120,000 square meters of fireproof ceilings to the corridors of at least six cruise ships. That's the deal CEO of DAMPA, Michael Nykjær has just signed with Meyer Werft. The German shipyard is a family business that has been around since 1795. The shipyard has a reputation for building some of the world's finest and most luxurious cruise ships and is known in the industry for never compromising on quality and security. Michael Nykjær and his staff are proud of the new agreement with the German shipyard
- We have been cooperating with Meyer Werft for about 20-25 years and the new agreement is an extension of what we are already doing together. The agreement confirms the strong relationship and the good cooperation between our two companies. In the marine industry, it is extremely rare for a shipyard like Meyer Werft to enter into a 4-year supply agreement. We appreciate the security that partnership gives us, and we are proud to be handpicked in a broad, global field.

Perfect fit
According to the German shipyard they have chosen to make the unique agreement with DAMPA for several reasons. The Danish marine ceiling manufacturer provides not only state of the art metal panels in the B15 category that meet the specific fire requirements on passenger decks. They also offer an overall attractive package that has to do with quality, service, logistics, technical support, price, flexibility, and - not least - a strong and internationally recognized brand
- We trust DAMPA and have only positive experiences with them. Their products are of the highest quality and they have the fire classification, we must live up to. DAMPA has a unique service and supply chain. We save a lot of time working with the Danes because they provide a perfect fit every time. Everything fits by the millimeter and they deliver on time. As shipbuilders, we depend on our suppliers to be highly skilled and we need to be sure hey deliver on time. It gives us great value to know that DAMPA is as accurate and reliable as is the case, says Heiko Brüggemann from Meyer Werft, who negotiated the contract with DAMPA .

Plug & Play
Michael Nykjær has been the CEO of DAMPA since October 2012 and he has laid out a clear strategy, combining the old company's traditional virtues of quality, durability, millimeter precision and easy handling with innovation. DAMPA’s perfect fit is one of the main reasons why clients choose his particular metal panels. Precision means significant savings in installation time and can provide the client with great savings on operational costs in the long run. Product development is about developing hidden installations that do not disrupt the overall ceiling surface visually.
- Marine ceiling systems are first and foremost about safety, installation time and price but we are continuously working with product development, right now we are working on the visual side of the installation system, LED lighting and acoustics. That way we meet the needs of clients and adapt to the market as it stands today. In all modesty, when it comes to marine ceiling systems, we are way ahead of most competitors because we work around the clients’ needs 360 degrees. We provide ceiling panels that fit together like Lego bricks. Each panel is prefabricated and customized to the exact place it should be fitted. We pre-fabricate holes for fittings, sprinklers , speakers, etc. At the same time we deliver the panels in boxes sent to the specific room and deck of the ship where this box of panels is to be installed. Some of our competitors deliver on huge pallets and leave it to the shipbuilders to figure out the rest. Our panels and supplies are customized so the shipbuilder just have to bend down and put up the panels with four clicks. This kind of perfect fitting can save huge amounts of time and money for a shipyard like Meyer Werft. Or – getting back to shore - if you are building a giant new hospital. We may not sell the cheapest panels in the market but we still end up being the best deal.

The German order gives DAMPA the security and stability needed to develop one of the world’s leading ceiling systems of today even further and possibly hire new employees.
- The agreement with Meyer Werft confirms to me that we are doing the right thing in combining the classic values of DAMPA with New DAMPA. Today is a great day, says Michael Nykjær.

Beth G. Neumann joins Starboard Cruise Services as new CEO and President

Details: Written by Teijo Niemelä Teijo Niemelä; Category: Products & services Products & services; Published: 15 January 2014 15 January 2014

Beth G. Neumann has joined Starboard Cruise Services as CEO and President, reporting to Starboard Chairman, Ed Brennan.

Owned by renowned world leader in luxury, LVMH Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton, Starboard is the largest and leading onboard retailer in the cruise industry. In her leadership role, Neumann will oversee Starboard’s worldwide operations, which includes 1,800 employees, working both on land and on board the ships of the company’s eight partner cruise lines.

Starboard’s sister company, Onboard Media, will also report to Neumann as part of her responsibilities. Onboard Media is a leading provider of customized, integrated media for the global travel industry.

"Beth has a consistent record of growing and transforming businesses," said Ed Brennan. Most recently, Neumann led the $3 Billion Avon Fashion & Home business, where she built a talented merchant organization and drove growth through a transformational vision of accessible beauty and luxury. Before Avon, Neumann held the chief marketing role at both Atkins Nutritionals and The Worth Collection, a luxury fashion direct sales organization. She began her marketing career at Kraft Foods. Early in her career, Neumann was a supply chain specialist at Andersen Consulting.

Neumann holds an MBA from Harvard Business School and a BS in Engineering from Cornell University.

"Starboard has a strong foundation and is poised for growth and innovation," said Ed Brennan. “The company’s experienced management team and dedicated
employees provide a solid base. I’m particularly grateful to Ares Michaelides, who served as interim CEO throughout 2013. I’m proud to recognize Ares and the team for the great job they’ve done and will continue to do." Michaelides has resumed his role as SVP of Finance and CFO.