Damen Oskarshamnsvarvet Sweden achieves coveted AAA credit rating

Seven years after the facility was acquired by Damen, the group’s Swedish shipyard, Damen Oskarshamnsvarvet (DSO) has had its credit rating, as awarded by European credit rating agency Bisnode, upgraded from B to AAA, the company said in its release.  With only 2.3% of companies in Sweden achieving the highest possible rating of AAA, this demonstrates that the shipyard is in excellent financial and commercial health.

After a  few difficult years in challenging market conditions, the impact of these changes became noticeable in the second half of 2017 when the yard returned to profitability. This move into the black was accelerated by winning two key contracts; one to manufacture high-precision special steel tanks together with their integrated cassettes for OKG; the operator of three nuclear reactors on Sweden’s Simpevarp peninsula. The other, to refit and repair the Castella, a 77-metre Ro-Ro ferry operated by Trafikverket, the Swedish Transport Administration. Together these long-term projects ensured consistent activity alongside the less predictable nature of regular repair and maintenance work.

The increase in business carried on into 2018 with the ongoing ideal combination of long-term contract works and regular repair and maintenance jobs delivering DSO’s best financial results in the past 20 years. The first half of 2019 sees that trend continuing with an exceptionally busy period.

The award of the AAA rating following in-depth analysis of DSO’s business model and financial outlook by Bisnode delivers a resounding vote of confidence in the yard’s current strength and future outlook. It gives suppliers, contractors and customers the reassurance they seek that they are doing business with a solid, reliable and creditworthy company. In addition, in combination with DSO’s membership of the Damen family it allows the yard to continue pursuing its current growth strategy by providing evidence of its ability to handle larger, more complex projects.

Damen Shipyards Group
Damen Shipyards Group operates 36 shipbuilding and repair yards, employing 12,000 people worldwide. Damen has delivered more than 6,500 vessels in more than 100 countries and delivers around 175 vessels annually to customers worldwide. Based on its unique, standardised ship-design concept Damen is able to guarantee consistent quality.

Damen’s focus on standardisation, modular construction and keeping vessels in stock leads to short delivery times, low ‘total cost of ownership’, high resale values and reliable performance. Furthermore, Damen vessels are based on thorough R&D and proven technology.

Damen offers a wide range of products, including tugs, workboats, naval and patrol vessels, high speed craft, cargo vessels, dredgers, vessels for the offshore industry, ferries, pontoons and superyachts.

For nearly all vessel types Damen offers a broad range of services, including maintenance, spare parts delivery, training and the transfer of (shipbuilding) know-how. Damen also offers a variety of marine components, such as nozzles, rudders, winches, anchors, anchor chains and steel works.

Damen Shiprepair & Conversion (DSC) has a worldwide network of eighteen repair and conversion yards of which twelve are located in North West Europe. Facilities at the yards include more than 50 floating (and covered) drydocks, including the longest, 420 x 80 metres, and the widest, 405 x 90 metres, as well as slopes, ship lifts and indoor halls. Projects range from the smallest simple repairs through Class’ maintenance to complex refits and the complete conversion of large offshore structures. DSC completes around 1,300 repair and maintenance jobs annually, both at yards as well as in ports and during voyage.