In the drive for U.S. shipbuilders to be competitive on an international level, product and service suppliers will play a big role in the transition of the U.S. industry to a commercial mode. Premier Steel of Englewood Cliffs, N.J. is a firm which believes it offers the product and experience to help yards cut costs.
"We firmly believe that the U.S. shipbuilding industry is capable of being competitive in the international market," said Norman Cantor, Premier's executive vice president. "In the last two years there has been a dynamic attempt on behalf of the shipyards to change to compete," he continued, citing a change in internal structures and the adoption of more of a team approach. Mr. Cantor foresees 1995 as a very active year for commercial work in U.S. yards, and "right through the year 2000 the U.S. will be fairly active in the commercial IHHTkct.
Premier Steel is the U.S. agent of Fundia Norsk Jernverk AS, a leading producer of shipbuilding profiles. The steel manufacturer claims a 40 percent share of the European shipbuilding profile market, and its mill located on the Atlantic coast of Norway is reportedly the only one in Europe concentrating on the production of shipbuilding profiles.
Premier Steel is a carbon steel distributor and coordinator of Fundia's North American bulb flat stocking program situated in Houston, Texas. Mr. Cantor and his partner Steve Bergman brought a cumulative 38 years of experience in the steel industry when Premier Steel was formed. In addition to steel product expertise, Premier blends steel import knowledge and project financing capabilities in order to present a package approach to the yards. Regarding technical support, the firm works with Fundia's technical consultant K.K. Christensen of OMCI. Based in San Diego, Mr. Christensen offers more than 50 years experience in the U.S. and European market, and is available as a consultant to shipyards and engineers.
Fundia Norsk Jernverk AS offers a wide range of products including bulb flats (ranging from 100 to 430mm); L-sections and angles; and universal flats . The mill delivers the profiles in steels of all major grades of shipbuilding qualities and is certified by all leading classification societies. The quality assurance system in Fundia Norsk Jernverk AS is approved in accordance with the ISO 9002 and equivalent standards.