Heerema Fabrication Group (HFG) will cut 450 jobs, amounting to 58% of its workforce, as part of restructuring efforts amid ongoing poor market conditions.
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Image of Zwijndrecht yard, from HFG. |
The cuts, which will impact staff across the its head office and fabrication yards in the Netherlands, Poland and UK, are also due to increasing competition, the combination of price pressure and unfavorable contractual conditions in the wind energy market, and the somber prospects for the near future, HFG said.
“The intended reorganization will focus on adapting the company to the strongly decreasing volume of work, and on increasing the efficiency and competitive power of HFG,” HFG said. “This will leave the company better prepared for the future.”
Despite the cuts, the workforce reduction will enable the company to continue operations at all of its locations in Vlissingen, Zwijndrecht, Hartlepool (UK) and Opole (Poland). According to HFG, each of these yards has its own specialism in the design and fabrication of complex steel constructions for the worldwide offshore oil and gas and the wind energy markets.
The shake-up will not affect the recently opened Heerema Innovation Center, as the company says its strategy remains fully focused on innovation and the delivery of maximum added value to the client.
“The expectation is that, due to growing energy requirements in the long term, the number of projects in the market will increase again in the future. Until that time, we will do everything in our power to maintain as much employment as possible,” says HFG CEO Koos-Jan van Brouwershaven.
“We fully realize just how devastating the planned reorganization will be for many of our colleagues who have made such an important contribution to our company,” says van Brouwershaven. “We will do our utmost to support them throughout this difficult period. At the same time, we are convinced that these steps are absolutely essential for the stability of HFG and to guarantee its continuity.”
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