Ocean Dredging Wins New Prix International Award

At the Gala des grands prix d’excellence en transport on June 18, Ocean Dredging DSM was awarded the new Prix International for the project “Dredging of the Port of Dos Bocas in Mexico”.

“This prize is important to us, it is a tribute to our audacity and also the efforts of our development team over several months,” said François Lessard, General Manager of Ocean Marine Works, when receiving the prize.

It all started in March 2011 when Ocean won the maintenance dredging contract for the Traverse du Nord. The latter is a vital link for marine transportation since over 6,000 ships transit through it annually. In order to realize the contract within schedule, Ocean had to build, at a cost of $25 mln, the largest trailing suction hopper dredge of Eastern Canada, the OCEAN TRAVERSE NORD.

Unable to use this equipment in winter conditions, it was essential to find other contracts elsewhere in the world, in order to obtain a return on its investment.

“There are few dredges such as the OCEAN TRAVERSE NORD in the world. Our development team got to work in order to identify business opportunities and become known in the south,” added Lessard.

In the fall of 2013, after more than two years of intensive approaches, the team obtained, through a Mexican partner, its first contract at the Port of Dos Bocas.

The contract was completed successfully and since then, the company has secured contracts for the Port of Veracruz in Mexico and also in the Dominican Republic, for the dredging of the Port of San Pedro de Macoris and the Port of Rio Haina, the largest in the country.

The Gala des grands prix d’excellence en transport which brings together over 200 professionals from the transport sector every year is an opportunity to highlight more than 20 projects and announce the winners in 10 categories, in addition to giving the Distinction Award and the Coup de cœur du jury d’honneur award.

[mappress]

Press Release, June 20, 2014