Swire denies closure of HUD repair business
Hongkong United Dockyards, jointly owned by Swire Pacific and Hutchison Whampoa, has stopped taking ship-repair business but a Swire director denied industry speculation that ship-repair operations were being closed and equipment sold.
Hongkong United Dockyards, jointly owned by Swire Pacific and Hutchison Whampoa, has stopped taking ship-repair business but a Swire director denied industry speculation that ship-repair operations were being closed and equipment sold.
"A large amount of steel deck plate needs to be replaced by the end of the year. This is normal for a 20-year-old dock, but it does mean that the yard can't accept third-party business while the work is being done," he said.
Key customers at the complex on Tsing Yi near the Tsing Ma Bridge include Star Cruises and the Hapag-Lloyd container line.
Rae-Smith said: "HUD has had a land-side engineering business for 20 years. While the dock is being docked, management is looking at other areas to use the skills of existing staff. A small number of administrative staff have been made redundant … [reflecting] the pressures to cut costs in the shipping industry and an increase in automation in certain administrative processes.
"HUD is definitely still in the ship-repair business. We have no plans to get out of it and indeed are looking at seeing what opportunities the downturn in the maritime business presents."
