Another year is nearing an end and a new year is approaching. Mr. Tommi Rantanen, Managing Director of Halton Marine, shared his thoughts on the past year and his expectations for the year 2016.
Once again, the year is almost at an end, and it is time to thank all of our customers, partners and suppliers for the past year. We appreciate your continuous trust in us.
Thanks to our customers, Halton Marine has had a very good year. Therefore, I’m pleased to say that we will end the year with a record turnover. I’d also like to thank all Halton Marine personnel for their hard work and commitment to the company. Despite the fact that our manufacturing capacities in Lahti, Finland and in Shanghai, China have occasionally been highly booked, we have done our utmost to serve our customers in the best possible way. That being said, I’d like to mention that we are currently expanding our manufacturing facilities in Lahti and expect our factory expansion to be ready next summer.
The year 2015 was also significant for Halton Marine because, in addition to Europe and Asia, we started manufacturing our products in North America. Manufacturing in the USA enables faster deliveries for the American market while we continue to provide excellent customer service and local engineering support. Halton Marine has delivered its products to the market for over 20 years.
Expectations for 2016?
As far as our Oil & Gas segment is concerned, I expect that the year 2016 will be slightly more challenging for us because oil prices have been low for so long, which has affected investments in the market. Many of the major projects are currently on hold or are being cancelled. As the oil & gas industry is suffering from a lack of big projects, the cruise ship market will be booming next year. For example, shipyards in Europe are currently nicely booked. The booming cruise ship building business is a positive thing for our Cruise & Ferry segment.
We bring new products and solutions to the market every year, and 2016 will be no exception. A new fire damper is scheduled to be ready for manufacturing in March and we are currently fine-tuning our new cabin ventilation solution. We are also developing our service concept and hope to complete our offering next year. And there is, of course, more to come, so stay tuned! All in all, it is going to be another exciting year.
Magic is in the air
On behalf of the Halton Marine team around the world, I would like to wish you and your loved ones a happy holiday season and all the best for the year 2016.
Tommi Rantanen
Managing Director, Halton Marine
