The ABL Group has acquired all shares in the Brazilian shipbuilding and engineering company Proper Marine. It is to be merged with Longitude, the design and engineering arm of ABL, in the future.
With this acquisition, the energy and maritime group is expanding its technical expertise in the construction and operation of maritime and offshore energy systems.
“We are delighted to welcome Proper Marine to the ABL Group,” said CEO Reuben Segal. “This transaction will significantly expand our global design and engineering expertise and strengthen our local capabilities to support the Americas. Proper Marine’s services are highly complementary to those of our own Longitude design office and will enable us to provide design solutions to more customers and in more markets.”
“Logical next step”
As an additional reason for the acquisition of Proper Marine, Segal stated that the strategic importance of the Brazilian shipping sector had been recognised. Expanding local capacities was the “logical next step”.
Proper Marine was founded in 2010 as a design office for marine and offshore markets worldwide. In addition to Brazil, the company is currently working on projects in nine other countries, including the USA, Spain, Portugal, China and Senegal.
“As part of the ABL Group and together with Longitude, we have the opportunity to accelerate our goal of bringing Brazilian engineering to the world,” said Bernardo Xavier, Operations Director and founder of Proper Marine. “By joining forces with Longitude, we are bringing together two like-minded design companies that are equally committed to nurturing the best engineering and design talent in our sectors.”
The company will expand ABL Group’s design and engineering capabilities with a team of over 90 professionals. Proper Marine has successfully completed more than 1,600 projects.
ABL expands presence in North and South America
The acquisition will strengthen ABL Group’s offering in Brazil and the Americas in the areas of ship design and conversion, asset integrity management and life extension, as well as marine and power engineering, the group said. In addition, Proper Marine has considerable expertise in the area of Floating Production Storage and Offloading Units (FPSO), which increases the Group’s overall competence in this segment. In addition, the acquisition opens up greater opportunities for the professional development of employees on both sides of the transaction. Longitude will continue to have access to more than 100 ship designs from Proper Marine.
“This agreement gives our team the opportunity to become more involved internationally and in new areas, such as the development of renewable energies,” said Hugo Jordão, Business Development Director of Proper Marine. Together, they want to play a “key role” in the development of Brazil’s potential in the areas of wind energy, photovoltaics and hydrogen. At the same time, the market presence in North America is to be expanded.
