The Latin American (LATAM) region may be the home of several languages, yet PALFINGER MARINE speaks the one that everyone understands: the language of complete solutions for the marine and offshore industries. In the final part of our series exploring our global presence, we would like to introduce you to our dedicated team in Macaé, Brazil, and their roles within the organization. Let’s find out more!
Macaé is a smaller municipality in the Brazilian state of Rio de Janeiro, 180 kilometers northeast of the eponymous state capital. The city is one of the fastest growing communities in the country with a fairly large offshore-related expat community. With this background and heritage, it is hardly surprising that PALFINGER MARINE has established a permanent presence here.
Macaé – a central service hub for Latin America
PALFINGER MARINE primarily harnesses its branch in Macaé as an operational base for service execution in the region. The location houses workshops that organize the logistical framework for spare parts delivery and prepare the various teams for related offshore service execution. One of the main strengths of the Macaé site is that it maintains a carefully curated stock of spare parts for swift product service. It has the capability to dispatch teams to evaluate the PALFINGER MARINE product range, thus acting as a hub for technicians for service jobs throughout the LATAM region.
Next to the office building, the PALFINGER MARINE Macaé site houses workshops that organize the logistical framework for spare parts delivery and prepare the various teams for related offshore service execution.
The service benefits of a local warehouse
We met up with Otto Francisco Mackrodt, Service Manager LATAM at PALFINGER MARINE stationed in Macaé, to find out more about our operations there. Otto, who initially joined as a mechanical engineer specializing in cranes approximately six years ago, assumed the leading service position in Macaé in 2023 and is now in charge of three service coordinators. The latter, in turn, manage roughly 25 highly experienced and motivated engineers and technicians who are regularly dispatched to offshore platforms and vessels, as well as onshore jobs on a wide variety of product-related service projects.
“Here in Macaé, our 4,000 square-meter sheltered warehouse, located within a 10,000 square-meter land base, offers sufficient space to store all the tools and equipment required to serve our clients,” Otto explains. This warehouse is particularly important due to the fact that the Macaé branch primarily conducts inspections, implements maintenance programs, and undertakes product replacements. However, the branch also offers lifesaving appliances (LSA) and crane training courses to clients, especially related to the operation and maintenance of specific brand-new equipment.
It is important to note the geographical scope the Brazilian team covers, given that they are dispatched on assignments across the entire South American continent and, in some cases, parts of Central America and the Caribbean. “From the southernmost tip of South America to Mexico, from the Atlantic to the Pacific coasts – the distances covered are enormous,” Otto explains.
The PALFINGER MARINE Macaé branch offers lifesaving appliances (LSA) and crane training courses to clients (as shown in this image), especially related to the operation and maintenance of specific brand-new equipment.
Macaé celebrates major project landmarks
When asked about landmark projects, Otto’s eyes light up: “One of the most memorable jobs takes me back three or four years. We were called out to conduct a full refurbishment of a pair of offshore cranes equipped on a FPSO (floating production and storage and offloading unit) vessel. We replaced the main bearing of a crane and repaired corroded booms. That’s the kind of major project you look forward to.” Yet Macaé also handles new equipment delivery. “Those are invariably among the most challenging projects,” Otto argues.
Not only are we required to organize a local workshop to ensure the new equipment is in perfect working order, but we also need to train operators on location.
Otto Francisco Mackrodt, Service Manager LATAM at PALFINGER MARINE
Looking ahead, Otto believes that the Macaé office has a bright future: “We are best known for our excellent FPSO service capabilities for LSA and cranes, which is a good place to be in when oil production is ramped up over the next two or three decades. On top of that, we are perceived as the benchmark in LSA service support, a status we are very keen to maintain.” Another potential market for the Macaé team entails offering the rental of fast rescue boats (FRSQ) in the short and long term, a nascent service slated for expansion. “It’s a highly promising market. This niche is literally brimming with opportunity,” he adds.
The perspective of service specialists on the ground
While touring the facility, we had a chance to chat to some experienced service specialists who work in Otto’s team on the ground. The consensus seems to be that PALFINGER MARINE is adapting well to a fast-changing environment. Josenilson Santos de Miranda, a highly experienced offshore cranes service technician, highlights the rapid shift towards electronic systems in cranes. This requires a more theoretical approach than the practical knowledge involved in maintaining mechanical and hydraulic components. Elayne Crystina Ribeiro, an accomplished LSA service coordinator, is excited about the prospects of deep-water offshore operations and the recent emergence of wind energy projects. She expects PALFINGER MARINE to tap into this enormous potential given vast past experience, not least in other regions.
Generally speaking, the assured Macaé team reflects PALFINGER MARINE’s confidence in its complete solutions for the marine and offshore industries. Macaé has positioned itself as a growing hub for the oil & gas industry – and we fit right in.
Curious about our footprint in Americas? Make sure to check out our previous Around the Globe editions about Latin America and our market footprint as well as our cruise dry dock service expertise in North America.
PALFINGER MARINE is a strong brand with an equally strong presence in the LATAM region. As our network moves closer together as part of our renewed focus on complete solutions, we are confident that we can continue to grow in line with the market. As the market matures, we mature with it. Join us on this journey.