Cyprus put OMG MGM back in the international limelight

The relaunch started with the 2 maxi cranes that the Padua-based company, currently controlled by Bedeschi group, is completing on behalf of Eurogate in the port of Limassol

Limena (Padua) – The history of the group founded in 1908 as Officina Meccanica Guglielmo Bedeschi, and especially the future developments of the Limena-based (Padua) industrial engineering and carpentry group, which two years ago took over OMG MGM (Officine Meccaniche Galileo – Magrini Galileo Meccaniche), specialised in port handling, were the subject of Ship2Shore's exclusive interview with its Chairman Rino Bedeschi, belonging to the fourth family generation at the helm of a company that has always been able to face competitors without fears.

“In 2016 we leased OMG MGM's branch, when the latter was in composition, and in April 2017 we took it over. We are working to relaunch the Padua-based company (30 employees) by focusing on port cranes revamping, as the Chinese are not competitive in this sector and they do not take part in these projects, as well as on ship-to-shore cranes, RMGs and RTGs. To that end, we are qualifying for international tenders with several players”.

As regards new cranes the last order was placed in 2017 by Eurogate and concerns two 90 meters high post panamax cranes handling 23 rows of containers at 45-50 TEUs per hour to be installed in the Limassol container terminal in Cyprus.

In Cyprus, the German terminal group leads (60%) a consortium including Interorient Navigation Company Ltd (20%) and East Med Holdings SA (20%), holding a 25 years concession for a 800 meters quay extending on a 35 hectares area with a 16 meters draught, with an annual capacity of half million TEUs.

The mechanical components and design of the units, to be completed in August and September respectively, are dealt with in the Limena plant. Cranes are built in a port area in Chioggia to be sent by self-propelled barge to the customer's shipyard specifically opened for its fitting-out. 

The cranes amount to some 8 million euro, adding to a Cranes Division portfolio resulting in a 25 million euro turnover in 2017, with the group's consolidated financial statement amounting to 140 million euro.

“We have three product lines: Handling, Cranes, Bricks”, the group's head continued. “Container cranes port logistics and transhippers related to marine logistics to transport minerals and bulk cargoes (such as that for Cereal Docks in Ravenna) amount to 100 million euro; dry bulk cargoes conveyor belts for Material Handling (such as that for the ENEL power plant in Brindisi) and large equipment such as crushers and extruders – representing the Padua-based foundry's core business – amount to another 20 million euro. Finally, brick factories amount to another 20 million”, Bedeschi explained, adding that he is dealing “with a fluctuating market, very declining in Europe, where our portfolio was halved, forcing us to focus on different latitudes”.

“Considering that in 2001 we achieved a 20 million euro turnover, in the past 10 years we witnessed a steady growth, with a 50 million turnover in 2008 that was almost tripled. Now we aim at consolidating our achievements”.

Bedeschi knows that he is dealing with “a more difficult scenario due to the slack demand caused by oversupply. The European market is far too quiet, while the US represent a more dynamic market for cranes and material handling, as well as South East Asia and Africa, and this is why we have a worldwide commercial network”.

In the second half of April the Group will take part in 3 trade shows: Ceramitec in Munich, Batimatec in Algiers and Petrocem in Saint Petersburg, while in the port crane sector OMG MGM attended the Green Logistics Expo recently held in Padua.

The company is currently working in Central America, on an order placed by Dimisa Mexico for the Blue Dolphin Power Plant, including also a travelling stacker with a 55 meters boom and a 3,000t/h stacking capacity.

Another larger order concerns a transhipment system for the Hubco project in Pakistan, to which the Venetian manufacturer will provide 2 loaders to handle coal to be installed on a Panamax bulk carrier.

In Italy, the Limena-based company completed its last order in 2012-2013, on behalf of ENEL for its Power Plant in Brindisi, while its production is currently focused abroad.

“Our competitors are mainly in Germany – such as Takraff, Thyssen, FLS – and Spain (PHB). Prices are a key factor to keep on growing and, compared to the 2008 market rise, today there are less profits and lower margins”, concluded Bedeschi, whose company has a branch in Genoa since 2014 (15 employees), in Villaverla (Vicenza), with CAMI, and in Lallio (Bergamo) with ONT.

Its overseas branches are in the United States and in Dubai.

Angelo Scorza

PEMA awarded Bedeschi an international recognition

The world association of port equipment manufacturers accepted the Padua-based company among its members: COO De Michieli replaced Bragagni (Tratos) in the Board

During the last meeting held in Bilbao (Spain), PEMA, the world association of port equipment manufacturers dealing with the design, production and supply of port equipment, accepted Bedeschi Group as a global company for its technology and cutting-edge technical know-how, accepting Bedeschi Spa COO Pietro De Michieli's candidature as new member of its Board for next 3 years.

Besides De Michieli, also Tratos Cavi Export Director Jon Sojo's candidature was accepted; they will replace Michale Dempsey and Maurizio Bragagni.

Prior to the Board elections, Tratos Cavi owner Bragagni thanked the General Assembly for their support and announced that he would not stand for re-election, although he will still be active within the Association. It was also announced that PEMA administration head Fae Brennan will replace Jon Sojo as president of the CEEP (Communications, Events & Educational Programmes) Committee, established last year to combine the works and objectives of the previous “Special Events, Programmes & Education” and “Communications & Industry Relations” committees. 

The membership totalled 106 member companies, including Ariston Cavi, Brevetti Stendalto, CVS Ferrari, Prysmian, as well as Bedeschi and Tratos Cavi from Italy.

"Due to our growing membership and to an increasingly diverse range of activities, PEMA is in a better position to ensure that the port equipment and technological sectors involved have their unified saying in the industry”, Chairman Ottonel Popesco (Cavotec) observed, announcing that one of the next appointments on the agenda will be the 2018 Student Challenge, challenging participants to develop a comprehensive business plan to reduce emissions and increase productivity in the port of the future.

During the meeting held in Spain focus was on the issue of ports and terminals digitalization, with speeches about artificial intelligence, data management, cyber-physical systems and interoperability between layers of IoT platforms as ways to improve container throughput at ports and terminals.

Puertos del Estato Chairman José Llorca stressed the importance of digitalisation in the ports sector, regarding it as “crucial to the quality and efficiency of services, and to align the sector with the industry 4.0.”

FEPORT secretary general Lamia Kerdjoudj-Belkaid and Richard Brough OBE, technical advisor at ICHCA International, highlighted the challenges facing the ports and terminals sector, including regionalisation of trade flows, labour market disruptions, regulatory changes, common standards for data analytics, state aid and private investments, new business models, competitive collaboration, and sustainability. In conclusion, speakers and delegates warned that inertia in the ports and terminals sector could hinder their development.

Angelo Scorza