MWB Motorenwerke Bremerhaven AG

MWB Motorenwerke Bremerhaven AG was a ship and ship-engine repair company based in Bremerhaven, Germany. It traced its origins to a ship repair yard founded in 1957 by the Industrieverwaltungsgesellschaft (IVG) on the site of the former destroyer quay in the Bremerhaven naval base. Engine repair was added four years later, and in 1962 the operation was converted into MWB Motorenwerk Bremerhaven GmbH. Over the following decades the company expanded to more than 600 employees and acquired several floating docks with capacities up to 8,500 tonnes. In the 1970s, North Sea oil discoveries brought new offshore work, including repairs to American drilling rig supply vessels and anchor tugs. A floating dock accident in 1978 caused economic difficulties and short-time work. Without its own slipway, MWB could only build small vessels launched by floating crane, so in 1982 a shipbuilding hall was erected on the site of the turning basin for Lloyd ships. Larger newbuildings were mainly for the seismic industry, alongside oil recovery ships and fresh-fish trawlers. The company also converted the lightship Alexander von Humboldt into a barque. By 1982 its business areas were distributed across shipbuilding (40%), engine repair (26%), vehicle repair (10%), electronics (12%), electrical engineering (7%), and firing systems (5%), the latter later building combined heat and power (CHP) units and test stands. After the privatization of IVG in 1993, MWB AG was created in 1994 with more than 190 employees and annual revenue of €35 million, and was sold to entrepreneur Dieter Petram. In 2005 Petram acquired a floating dock suitable for Panamax-class ships. In early 2013 the ship technology division of MWB was merged with Rickmers Lloyd Dockbetrieb GmbH to form German Dry Docks GmbH & Co. KG, also part of the Petram Group, with about 100 employees and four own docks in Bremerhaven plus a cooperation with Lloyd Werft for two large docks. In August 2016 it was announced that German Dry Docks GmbH & Co. KG and MWB Motorenwerke Bremerhaven AG would merge into the new German Dry Docks AG. The Engines and Machine Technology division then operated under the brand MWB Power, while Docking, Repair and Retrofit continued as German Dry Docks. Nadine Petram became chair of the supervisory board. In 2017 German Dry Docks joined with Bredo (Bremerhaven) and Mützelfeldtwerft (Cuxhaven) to form the Bredo Dry Docks group. In July 2019 Petram sold his Bremerhaven shipbuilding activities (Bredo and German Dry Docks) entirely to the Rönner Group. MWB Power continues as a brand for engine and machine technology within this group.

MWB Motorenwerke Bremerhaven AG was a ship and ship-engine repair company based in Bremerhaven, Germany. Its origins lie on the former destroyer quay (Zerstörerkaje) of the Bremerhaven naval base, which was of central importance from 1935 to 1945. After the war, the quay remained the berth of the floating crane Langer Heinrich. In 1956 the repair operation of the US German Mine Sweeping Administration (GMSA) withdrew, and one year later the Industrieverwaltungsgesellschaft (IVG) founded a ship repair operation on the same site under the name IVG Schiffs- und Motorenreparaturwerk. Four years later, ship engine repair was added. In 1962 the operation was converted into MWB Motorenwerk Bremerhaven GmbH. In the following years the yard expanded to more than 600 employees and acquired several floating docks with capacities up to 8,500 tonnes to match its growing range of tasks. In the 1970s, North Sea oil discoveries brought new offshore work: American drilling rig supply vessels and anchor tugs were repaired. In 1978 the accident of the MWB floating dock together with a docked supply ship of the German Navy led to economic problems and short-time work. Without its own slipway, MWB could only build small ships that could be launched by floating crane. Therefore, in 1982 a shipbuilding hall was built on the site of the turning basin for Lloyd ships. Larger newbuildings were mainly needed in the seismic industry. In addition, oil recovery ships and fresh-fish trawlers were built. The lightship Alexander von Humboldt was converted here from a lightship into a barque. In 1982 the company's business areas were distributed as follows: 40% shipbuilding, 26% engine repair, 10% vehicle repair, 12% electronics, 7% electrical engineering, 5% firing systems (for sawmills, nurseries); this last area later built combined heat and power (CHP) units and test stands. After the privatization of IVG in 1993, one year later, following the separation of various business branches, MWB AG was created with more than 190 employees and an annual revenue volume of €35 million, and was sold to the entrepreneur Dieter Petram. In 2005 he acquired a floating dock suitable for Panamax-class ships. In early 2013 the ship technology division of MWB was merged with Rickmers Lloyd Dockbetrieb GmbH to form German Dry Docks GmbH & Co. KG. This new operation, also belonging to the Petram Group, has its seat at Barkhausenstraße 60 in Bremerhaven and at that time had about 100 employees. It includes four own docks in Bremerhaven, and there is a cooperation with Lloyd Werft for two further large docks. In August 2016 it became known that the previously cooperating companies German Dry Docks GmbH & Co. KG (GDD) and MWB Motorenwerke Bremerhaven AG would merge into the new German Dry Docks AG. The Engines and Machine Technology division now operates under the brand MWB Power, while the Docking, Repair and Retrofit division continues as German Dry Docks. Nadine Petram took over the chairmanship of the supervisory board of the new AG. German Dry Docks in turn joined in 2017 with Bredo, also based in Bremerhaven, and Mützelfeldtwerft, based in Cuxhaven, to form a corporate group whose legally independent companies operate jointly on the market under the name Bredo Dry Docks in order to exploit synergy effects. In July 2019 Petram sold his shipbuilding activities in Bremerhaven (Bredo and German Dry Docks) completely to the Rönner Group. MWB Power continues as a brand for engine and machine technology within this group.

• IVG founds a ship repair operation on the former destroyer quay in Bremerhaven under the name IVG Schiffs- und Motorenreparaturwerk.

• Ship engine repair is added to the operation.

• The operation is converted into MWB Motorenwerk Bremerhaven GmbH.

• North Sea oil discoveries bring offshore work; American drilling rig supply vessels and anchor tugs are repaired.

• Accident of the MWB floating dock with a docked German Navy supply ship leads to economic problems and short-time work.

• A shipbuilding hall is built on the site of the turning basin for Lloyd ships; business areas are distributed across shipbuilding, engine repair, vehicle repair, electronics, electrical engineering, and firing systems.

• IVG is privatized.

• MWB AG is created with more than 190 employees and €35 million annual revenue, and sold to Dieter Petram.

• Dieter Petram acquires a floating dock suitable for Panamax-class ships.

• MWB's ship technology division merges with Rickmers Lloyd Dockbetrieb GmbH to form German Dry Docks GmbH & Co. KG.

• German Dry Docks GmbH & Co. KG and MWB Motorenwerke Bremerhaven AG merge into German Dry Docks AG; MWB Power brand is created.

• German Dry Docks joins with Bredo and Mützelfeldtwerft to form Bredo Dry Docks.

• Petram sells Bredo and German Dry Docks entirely to the Rönner Group.

Specialist in ship lengthening, marine engine repair, and later wind-power tools and CHP units; part of the Bremerhaven maritime cluster.

• Ship lengthening

  Specialized in lengthening ships, especially passenger ships; one of the few shipyards worldwide specialized in this field.

• Marine engine repair

  Overhaul and repair of ship engines, including diesel engines for the Bundesbahn and ship engines for the Bundesmarine.

• Special tools for wind turbines

  Manufacture of special tools for the installation and maintenance of wind power plants.

• Combined heat and power (CHP) units

  Production of block-type thermal power stations (BHKW).

• Shipbuilding

  Construction of small ships, seismic vessels, oil recovery ships, and fresh-fish trawlers.

1. 1MWB Motorenwerke Bremerhaven AG - Wikidatawikidata.org
2. 2MWB Motorenwerke Bremerhaven - Wikipedia (German)de.wikipedia.org