Wärtsilä has today entered into a long-term business relationship with Smelt Heerlen Beheer B.V. Under the agreement Smelt will take over the assets of Wärtsilä Propulsion Heerlen B.V. and this company’s 49 employees. Smelt manufactures components for Wärtsilä Propulsion’s factories in the Netherlands and Norway.
The agreement forms part of Wärtsilä’s manufacturing strategy. Its network of highly qualified suppliers is responsible for manufacturing components through long-term agreements.
Wärtsilä’s Heerlen unit previously produced thrusters. Since Wärtsilä began manufacturing thrusters in China, the unit has focused on component manufacture. Smelt aims to turn the unit into a modern component factory and invest in its machining capacity. Smelt has been a Wärtsilä component supplier since the middle of the 1980s.
Further information:
Jari Salo, Vice President, Wärtsilä Propulsion, tel. +31 416 388 575, mobile +31 6 5101 6594.
