The latest delivery of the PETER WESSELS marks the first step for the Emder Schlepp-Betrieb GmbH (ESB, with its roots dating back to 1859) and the Neue Schleppdampfschiffsreederei Louis Meyer (LM, established 1907) for going new ways: ESB is the first customer for LM´s new Business model as “asset provider.”

Due to the huge changes in the northern European harbour towage sector, LM had to reshape their business which concludes on focussing on providing tugboats on long-term leasing basis. LM will keep and maintain their business as a tugboat operator but enhances their efforts in the leasing business.

The PETER WESSELS will be solely operated by ESB hence the Tug is not an active part of the LM fleet. After the leasing period ESB will take the vessel into ownership. The manging director and owner of LM, Edvin Kohlsaat mentioned: ”Due to the market consolidation of the last couple of years the harbour towage market became intensely fierce for us. We can only generate new business by rethinking current procedures and steer our know-how into new channels. We came up with a new concept which did not exist in that form and are very happy and exceptionally proud  the were able to win the trust of a traditional, family owned and managed company like ESB as the first customer.”

The newbuild vessel PETER WESSELS is a top notch DAMEN ASD 2810 tug with above 60 tonnes bollard pull and is perfectly suited for the busy port of Emden and costal duties. It is the proof of concept for the new business model.