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BMT Techmar opens office in Le Havre France
28-Oct-2008
Belgian based BMT Techmar, is expanding its surveying operations with the opening of a new office in Le Havre, France. As the leading French port for container traffic, Le Havre has undergone recent and considerable expansion to increase its cargo handling capacity, with some 60% of all containers in the country being managed from its wide range of port terminals. This expansion will see a rise in maritime transport, which will further impact on inland navigation.
BMT Techmar has been at the forefront of the inland navigation market for the last 17 years in Belgium and is well positioned to continue serving hull and machinery underwriters and P&I clubs across a larger area, now including the west coast of France. With expectations of significantly increased brown water transport in the near future, France has established an inland navigation programme to enlarge the entire canal link between Paris and the north of France. This ambitious project will allow a connection for high capacity barges from Germany and the Benelux to Le Havre. To guarantee that its customers in the region continue to enjoy an excellent service, BMT Techmar has appointed Lieven Merckx, an experienced surveyor from its Antwerp office to manage the Le Havre operation.
A licensed officer engineer, Lieven trained at the nautical high school in Antwerp. He has 20 years experience of working in ship engine rooms and with shore based industry, two of which were in the UK, before starting work as marine surveyor for BMT Techmar. Whilst working for BMT Techmar, Lieven undertook specialist "surveyor witness" training in London where he learned to produce court witness reports. Additionally he has undertaken training with sister company, BMT De Beer in Rotterdam to experience the expert and specialised consultancy services offered for P&I cargo related matters. With his experience, the BMT Techmar office at Le Havre is now well placed to offer hull & machinery and P&I related surveys for both blue water and inland navigation, as well as technical surveys for port infrastructure installation and shore based industry.