Schottel Building New Service Center In Russia

Schottel said it will build a new service center in Saint Petersburg, Russia to strengthen its market position within the country.

The German propulsion specialist has already approved the acquisition of a 3000 m² plot of land. An administration building with a repair workshop and warehouse site is to be planned and constructed on the purchased property within the next two years.

The company’s Russian entity, OOO Schottel, was founded in 2011 and has 11 employees. A team of four professional service engineers already works maintaining more than 400 existing vessels with Schottel thrusters as well as commissioning new ones.

OOO Schottel has established a strong market position by equipping a large number of inland waterways vessels with propulsion systems, especially in the cargo and passenger transport segments, the company said. The decision for a new service center addresses the customer’s requirements in terms of thruster maintenance.

“Our future facilities will provide our valued customers with the significant advantage of reduced transport time. Especially in case of larger repair works, we will be able to offer on-site assistance,” said Sergey Chestny, general manager of OOO Schottel. “Our plans involve a local stock of assembled big parts for module replacement. This warehouse stock will considerably facilitate and shorten the regularly required 5, 10 and 15-year class surveys.”

These benefits are increasingly key factors for customers when it comes to choosing a Schottel propulsion system and its lifelong support, the company said.