Protection of Fuel Tanks Safety ahead! - GL Group

Dear Readers,
The year 2006 will be ending in just a few weeks. Perhaps
it is a bit too early to draw any final conclusions just yet.
But there can already be no doubt that Germanischer
Lloyd will once again be able to present impressive
growth figures. During the first three quarters alone,
Maritime Services sales increased by 11 % while Industrial
Services sales grew by as much as 34 %. We are
especially happy about the rising number of newbuilding
orders for tankers and bulk carriers. In particular,
we have been able to boost tanker classification orders
by almost two million GT, demonstrating that our
corporate expansion strategy is on the right track.
Despite vigorous competition, we successfully defended
our market share in the classification of container vessels.
In October 2006, we received the highest number
of orders this year, and the second highest in our com- Rainer Schöndube
pany’s entire history of 139 years. A special highlight in
November was the world’s first-ever order for the classification
of submarines, specifically three vessels from German production for the South
African Navy. Our innovative submarine engineering rules, first published in February 2005,
underscore our comprehensive technological expertise. Germanischer Lloyd is the only
classification society offering such a service. Our maritime safety philosophy of maximizing
precaution while ensuring economic feasibility remains as compelling as ever. New international
regulations for the protection of fuel oil tanks were introduced recently. Our engineers
show how doing a few extra calculations can be most worthwhile in finding the optimum tank
arrangement. To learn how helpful this is, please read our lead article.
Success makes attractive. The shareholders of Germanischer Lloyd are being ardently courted
at the moment. While we perceive these renewed advances as clear appreciation of our excellent
performance, there should be no misconceptions about the origin of our success. Indeed,
it is the result of the hard work of our loyal employees, who are dedicated to providing excellent
service to the customers of our Society. “Operating 24/7” is not only our credo but also
the first-class principle of continued commitment to quality, safety and economic efficiency.
We will continue to be there to offer you outstanding service. You have my word on that.
Yours sincerely,
Das Besondere
ist unsere Stärke
Rainer Schöndube
Member of the Executive Board
EDITORIAL
nonstop 4/2006
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