Celebration
There were concerts by pop star Dagny, Vilde and Anna, Martine Håland and pupils from the local culture school, and Kjell ‘Kjellen’ Bigset was compere for the event. In brilliant sunshine and with a packed quay of young and old alike, the event was a great success. Hot dogs, ice cream, cake and fizzy drinks were served to everyone.
The evening continued with a gala dinner in the sheet-metal hall for the employees, former employees (pensioners) and customers, all with a plus one. After the dinner, there was a dance to a local band.
‘The fact that we are able to invite employees, customers and the local community to a 100th celebration like the one we had at the weekend is a sign of our optimism for the future. After a number of difficult years, we have now secured many contracts and the chance to keep on building the company over the next 100 years,’ says EVP Lasse Stokkeland.
Mayor Morten Askvik of Hyllestad municipality congratulated Havyard Ship Technology on its anniversary. ‘Its 171 employees in Leirvik, Fosnavåg and in Turkey are very important to the municipality. The yard is the life nerve of our community, and is the biggest private enterprise by far. As well as employing many local people, the yard also increases the customer base for other businesses, and it supports associations and organisations. With a century-long tradition of boat building, the yard has a reputation for building outstanding vessels. Hyllestad is proud to call it our yard,’ says Mayor Morten Askvik.
Important
Geir Johan Bakke has been CEO of Havyard for 14 years, and it has been a fantastic journey. ‘Looking back at our history, where it all started in 1918, and seeing how innovative and forward-looking they were without all the technology we have today, is incredibly fascinating. We have come far and are better than ever. The yard is hugely important to the Havyard Group and the other companies in the group. Developing and testing new technology, focusing on the green shift and our cooperation with the other business areas which enables us to deliver the most effective and environmentally friendly solutions for the ferries we build for Fjord 1, is just a taste of what’s to come,’ says Geir Johan.
History
In 1918, the founder Jonas Løland started producing wheelbarrows and turbines for small power plants. Together with Knut Wolff and Eivind Bekken, he also built the first slipway that year to carry out maintenance and repairs to fishing boats. This was the start of what we now know as Havyard Ship Technology in Leirvik.
The entrepreneurs. Photo: unknown
In 1938, the first boat was built at Løland Motorverksted, build no 1, the ferry ‘Loftesnesferja’. Since then, 132 ships have been built at the yard, and it has another 14 on its order books.
In 1975, work commenced on the construction of Norway’s first roofed dry dock and deep water quay, and the yard was ready for use in 1978. In 1979, Løland went into liquidation and John Kleven from Ulsteinvik came on the scene. Together with Fylkesbaatene and the Løland family, he formed the company Kleven Løland A/S.
In 1990, the Kleven Group became part of the Kværner Group, and the yard was renamed Kværner Kleven Leirvik A.S. In 2000, Havila bought the yard and called it Havyard Leirvik AS. In 2011, it again changed name to Havyard Ship Technology AS.
Havyard Ship Technology AS has a sound national and international customer base. The yard currently has 135 permanent employee and 128 sub-contractors. Source: Allkunne by Ottar Starheim, NRK Sogn og Fjordane.