Oldendorff Centenary Book - Flipbook - Page 297
FROM SHIPS
TO SHIPYARDS...
Ever alert to commercial opportunities,
Oldendorff continued to expand – buying not
just ships, but also a place to build them.
Flensburger Schiffbau-Gesellschaft, established in 1872 by farsighted Flensburg
shipowners in Germany’s northernmost town, quickly advanced to the ranks
of shipbuilders for blue-chip owners, foreign and domestic. Specialising in dry
cargo ships the yard contributed significantly to the development of so-called
self and easy trimmers at around the turn of the century. FSG broke new ground
from the mid-Fifties onwards by constructing modern bulk carriers and continued
its pioneering role by designing modern standard freighters and container
vessels. The company had to declare bankruptcy in 1986. Completion of an
order for the German navy and several conversion jobs at sharply reduced staff
levels provided an extended lease of life over four years.
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