Vroon has acquired its first vessel since its restructuring last year. At the end of December, the Dutch shipping company finalised the purchase of MV Aurochs from the Tsuneishi Group.
According to the company, the focus has been switched to strengthening, expanding and renewing its presence in its core markets now that the restructuring has been completed.
MV Aurochs, the thirteenth vessel in Vroon‘s livestock fleet, has been renamed Friesian Express and will be managed by the company’s Livestock Express team. Purpose-built in 2017, and the youngest livestock carrier operating in the global market, the ship has just departed from Australia on its maiden voyage under Vroon’s ownership.
Vroon’s CEO Martijn Schouten: ‘As an internationally renowned shipping company, Vroon’s goal is to build further on our solid base and decades of experience, focussing on what we do best – delivering operational excellence in niche markets. Together with our shareholders and lenders, we look forward to taking more such positive steps in the coming period.’
Also read: Vroon to sell off offshore support vessel fleet
Restructuring
In 2023, Vroon announced its intention to divest part of its offshore fleet, as part of a financial restructuring and strategic reorientation of the company. About forty vessels were sold. The sales proceeds were used to reduce debt to a normalised level to strengthen the company’s financial position.
Vroon will now focus on its specialised deepsea fleet of product and high-heat tankers, livestock carriers and emergency response and rescue vessels. The combined fleet will consist of 65 vessels, supported by a workforce of 1400 people.
Also read: Vroon completes restructuring and offshore fleet sale
