The parent company, Western Marine Services, was formed by a group of marine professionals specialized in ship repairs and the export of marine supplies.[7]
Gradually the company grew. In the year 2000 they had over 1.5 acres of land for building inland vessels,[citation needed] and more than five hundred employees.[7] The yard also has signed a MoU with the Chittagong Dry Dock in order to aid the CDD with developing heavy steel engineering capabilities and provide them necessary technical support.[8]
Western Marine is constructing 20 class certified cargo vessels for local company Evergreen Shipping Line. [9]
The shipyard utilizes workshops, logistical resources, and equipment to build ships. The yard stands over 42 acres of land and employs a workforce of over 3500 altogether.[12]
The following are some of the shipyard's facilities:[12]
In conjunction with the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) Western Marine set itself to analyze the risks and hazards their workers faced.[13] Through this, strict reporting procedures were established, and training was provided for managers and workers; including annual firefighting training.[3] Western Marine has seen a 99% reduction in accidents for the addition of new services and procedures.[14]
The shipyard contains a PHCC (Primary Health Care Center), which was created in coordination with the GIZ and the Bangladesh Ministry of Health and Family Welfare. In this free-of-charge facility, shipyard workers are given tests for their hearing, lungs, and total physical checkups. This facility was available for use, and workers received aid and treatment. The government Health Ministry provided a nurse in addition to the doctor and paramedics that are provided by the shipyard. This facility is also accessible to the local community, where more than 30,000 people, including many of the workers and their families, live.[14]
Awards and certifications
Western Marine Shipyard has received a few awards, including the National Maritime Award in 2007,[15] the National Export Trophy in Gold category for the contribution of the fiscal year of 2011,[16] the President's Award for Industrial Development in the Hi-Tech industries category at 2016[17] and the 8th HSBC Export Excellence Awards at 2018.[18]
This vessel also received the 'Best Large Patrol Boat Builder' award in 2017 by Baird Maritime, a highly reputed maritime publication platform that records deliveries of high-end patrol boats throughout the globe.[4]
In 2017, the Finance Minister of Bangladesh, Abul Maal Abdul Muhith, identified WMS as one of the top twenty loan defaulters in the country. However, the shipyard has rescheduled its defaulted loans with two banks and has started to repay instalments regularly.[33]
In 2021, Bank Asia initiated legal proceedings against Western Marine Shipyard Limited in an effort to recoup a classified loan totalling Tk505.90 crore. [34][35]
^ abZahan, Tasnima (Fall 2016). Exposition of Aspiration: Shipbuilding Journey Through Design (Bachelor of Architecture). BRAC University. pp. 58–66. hdl:10361/7905.
$ 40 million (2018)
$ 27 million (2019)