Svitzer Inks Global Services Deal with Caterpillar Marine
Engines manufacturer Caterpillar announced Tuesday it has signed a global services agreement with the the world’s largest tug operator, Svitzer, covering more than 100 vessels powered by Cat Marine engines in 30-plus countries.
A focused Caterpillar team working with the global Caterpillar dealer network will execute the terms of the contract, which is designed to increase vessel uptime, drive service efficiency and extend Svitzer’s overall service experience.
With towage operations serving 34 terminals and 120 ports in the Americas, Australia, Europe, Africa, and the Middle East, Svitzer currently works with 27 Cat dealers globally to perform maintenance and repair services.
“At Svitzer, we are constantly seeking to improve our ability to deliver reliable and cost-efficient services to our customers,” said Ingrid Uppelschoten Snelderwaard, Svitzer’s newly appointed global COO. In Caterpillar Marine, we are seeing a strategic partner, who is willing to challenge the status quo and explore new ways to support Svitzer’s global strategy to be the industry leader for global towage and marine related services.
“The lifecycle agreement supports our global technical and maintenance strategy, by offering a strong foundation for our preventive maintenance, planned maintenance and periodical overhaul activities for all Cat main engines onboard our vessels. As a global company it is important to us and to our customers that we can always expect the same consistent high level of maintenance service, no matter where in the world we operate, and we welcome this sort of collaboration.”
“Our relationship with Svitzer has been maintained for numerous decades, and the signing of this agreement is the next evolution in our cooperation,” said Michael Braun, Tug and Dredge segment manager for Caterpillar Marine. “It is our aim to deliver the highest service excellence with a consistent service experience to Svitzer across their global fleet. With our expertise in marine engines and digital capabilities, we will provide Svitzer with greater insight into their operations — insight they can use to optimize fuel use, predict service events, and improve overall vessel uptime.”