Alongside its traditional role as a shipbuilder and repairer, MEST has grown into a multifaceted company with a growing interest in high-tech equipment for fish processing on land and at sea.
The Faroese shipyard company MEST is diversifying its business by placing added emphasis on advanced fish processing equipment. With considerable resources put into the Processing business unit, a significant part of the company’s projected growth is being linked to the development of high-tech equipment for fish processing systems both ashore and at sea.
A prototype auto feeder for an Eysturoy-based saltfish producer has been patented and is undergoing rigorous testing under real conditions on the factory floor. According to MEST chief executive Frithleif Olsen, the customer is happy with the solutions that MEST Processing’s technicians and designers have come up with to build automated strategies for reducing manual labor.
“The system places fillets to be salted into the tubs automatically, so this is a labour-saving device that also increases productivity while improving quality,” Mr. Olsen said.
This is just one example of the sophisticated equipment that MEST Processing is working with as it reaches into computer technology while extending its marketing towards a more international clientele.
“We also have a new electronic grading system that uses 3D imaging and color scanning to detect color divergences or spots in fillets to provide more reliable grading and greater choice of size categories,” Mr. Olsen said.
“There is no need for weighing with this system, and it has also been shown to increase workflow through processing lines by as much as 50 percent. The software that runs these new systems can also be maintained remotely via an internet link.”
“There really are no limits,” Mr. Olsen added. “It’s only a question of knowledge...”
“We can provide complete systems for fishing boats including factory vessels, as well as fitting out shore-based processing facilities; the grading system is adaptable for applications such as saltfish production, fresh fish and salmon production, and for specialized roles such as on board research vessels.”
Alongside the company’s ventures into the world of advanced processing systems, MEST’s traditional role as a shipbuilder and repairer is still a main pillar of its business and set to stay that way, building on the Faroe Islands’ remote yet central position in the middle of the North Atlantic.
Two years ago the company was renamed MEST to signify its expertise in mechanical, electrical, steel and timber fields, and to gather all units under one umbrella.
According to Mr. Olsen, the new identity brings a cohesiveness to the business that had been lacking following company acquisitions over the years, and while giving overseas customers a more memorable and easily pronounceable name, it has also retired the former Tórshavn-centric name of Tórshavnar Skipasmiðja (FaroeYard).
“The new name has helped bring all of the divisions of the company — MEST Yard, MEST Processing, and MEST Service — under a single identity,” Mr. Olsen said.
In the last few years MEST has delivered a number of smaller fishing vessels and some fish farm tenders for local owners, as well as supplying a pair of offshore industry support vessels. Currently there are hopes that an order might be forthcoming from the Faroese government for a new research vessel to replace the Ministry of Fisheries’ elderly Magnus Heinesen. According to Mr. Olsen, there is also hope of another specific newbuilding order in the near future.
Most of the steady work, however, comes from repairs. With yards in Tórshavn, Skála, and Vestmanna, MEST also has docking capacity to accept even the largest fishing vessels.
“We are attracting work from overseas and we can offer top quality service to our Norwegian, Danish and Russian customers, as well as Faroese operators,” Mr. Olsen said. He added that this is an area of activities that has seen significant investment, such as in the dry dock at Skála and the 1700-tonne slipway there.
Another example is new equipment that measures even the slightest variations in vibrations to pinpoint upcoming faults on board ships before they become a problem. “This is working on the principle that prevention is better than cure,” Mr. Olsen said.
While the difficult situation in Iceland has currently made yards there more competitive, MEST is still able to compete favorably with Norwegian and Danish shipyards. “Our objective is that Faroese vessels should be able to source all of their repairs and maintenance in the Faroes with the best quality work carried out at competitive prices.”
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