During a recent annual staff meeting in Germany, Genting Hong Kong announced the three shipyards in the German State of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern bought this April will be named MV Werften, be managed in Wismar and will focus on building large new ships.

Lloyd Werft, located in Bremerhaven and bought last September, will focus on its prior business of repairs, conversion and building of mega yachts.

“To make MV Werften into one of the world’s most modern and efficient cruise shipyards, we will invest €100 million in a thin plate laser welding line, a cabin module factory, a new covered section block building hall, the modernisation of manufacturing control systems and new executive and employee offices and facilities,” said Tan Sri KT Lim, chairman, Genting Group.

“We are also pleased to announce Jarmo Laakso as the managing director of MV Werften.

“He has more than 35 years’ experience in building passenger ships, including the latest generation of mega cruise ship, including the Quantum of the Seas.

“Laakso has a unique yard and owner perspective as he has worked for Meyer Werft from 1998 to 2004 and for Royal Caribbean International from 2005 to 2015,” he added.

MV Werften will deliver the first of four luxury Crystal River ships in 2017, the first of a series of 20,000 gross ton Crystal Endeavor Class polar expedition yachts in 2018 and the first of a series of 201,000 gross ton Star Cruises Global Class cruise ships by 2020.

The planned annual output of MV Werften will be stepped up in future years to eventually build two Neo-Panamax cruise ships of over 200,000 gross tons each and one Panamax cruise vessel.

MV Werften has docks, fabrication halls and painting shops which are all covered and, as a result, is able to produce cruise ships of the highest quality and workmanship, valued at more than €2.5 billion.

MV is the abbreviation of the German State of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern where the three yards are located and Werften is the plural form of Werft.