Quebec, Canada -- (SBWire) -- 12/06/2012 --Even though previous owners of the Chantier Davie Canada did not have a good track record in handling the yard, Shipping Association of Canada President Peter Cairns feels that the new owners may be able to manage the yard well.

The new owner of the Davie shipyard by virtue of government appointment is Zafiro Marine. Zafiro Marine is a Monaco-based British company that specializes in building offshore vessels for oil and gas exploration. Cairns feels that the new owners are different since they are providing their own financing and have a focussed business plan to produce ships for their own needs in the offshore oil and gas market. Cairns sums it up that "(t)hey're not looking for handouts from government, which is a welcome change." Cairns also states that Zafiro Marine might go heading after contracts for other federal vessels that are coming down the pipe.

Zafiro Marine had signed the deal acquiring Chantier Davie Canada on November 15, and on November 19, the Quebec government had announced the new ownership ship at a press conference in Levis. During the press conference, Zafiro Marine’s Director of Operations Alan Bowen told the CBC that the company’s “vision for growth at the Davie Yard is based on a long term engagement backed by a solid and realistic business plan that will permit (the yard) to participate in the development of a fast-growing sector – the construction of specialized vessels for the offshore oil and gas industry.”

In a separate statement, another company spokesperson announced plans to produce seven ships at the Levis yard. These include three ships that had been ordered by Cecon. This order was not fulfilled but Zafiro Marine will be taking over that production. These ships were intended to be high-tech ships that will be deployed in the offshore oil industry.

Aside from these ships, Cairns states in an interview that the new owners said they intend to build the two ferries the Quebec government ordered last year (in an effort to help the yard's then-owners bid on National Shipbuilding and Procurement Strategy), and take on other work that comes their way.

"The facilities are in excellent condition," said James Davies, Zafiro Marine’s Chief Financial Officer. "If we were to look at investing in the yard, it would mean a greater capacity and obviously that’s a business case... but we don’t need to spend any money to start production now."

A press release from the government of Quebec states that Zafiro Marine had took over Upper Lakes Group. Upper Lakes had owned the entirety of the share capital of Davie Shipyard Canada Inc., which operates the historic Chantier Davie Canada shipyard.

About Peter Cairns
Peter Cairns is the president of Shipbuilding Association of Canada is a trade association consisting of members, that are for the most part competitors, that came together to solve common issues affecting the shipbuilding industry. The Association had been responsible for studying the shipbuilding industry in Canada and had made the recommendation that had led into the National Shipbuilding and Procurement Strategy in which all government ships are to be constructed in Canadian facilities only. If you want to find out more about Peterand his company, you can check out this site: http://canadiansailings.ca/.

Canadian Sailings Magazine
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