Mass media have been spreading misleading information lately that Smart-Holding owns a stake in or exercises control over Nikolaev Okean Shipyard (Okean NSZ) in Nikolaev City. In connection with these allegations, Smart-Holding officially announces that since 2012 the company has been out of any relation to the shipyard.
The primary shareholder of Okean Shipyard is Zonel Operations Ltd. – a company completely unrelated to Smart-Holding and, according to the mass media, backed by Russian investors. The information about the shipyard’s actual shareholders is available in the open official sources. In particular, it is available from the information disclosure system of the National Securities and Stock Market Commission. The shipyard’s majority shareholders fully control the enterprise and are responsible for its development, relationships with its staff, governmental authorities, customers and contractors.
The managers of Smart Maritime Group (SMG, Smart Maritime Group, Kherson) did take part in the operational management of Okean Shipyard at the request of its current shareholders in late 2011 - early 2012. Over this short period, they managed to achieve a tangible stabilization of the enterprise’s economy and partially repay the accumulated payroll debt. For this purpose, the shipyard received financial assistance from various enterprises related to Smart-Holding. At that time, Smart-Holding considered the shipyard’s acquisition, but eventually decided to decline due to a substantial deterioration of the global market conditions in shipbuilding, and focused on the development of its existing shipbuilding assets.
Currently, Smart-Holding is investing in two shipbuilding enterprises: Kherson Shipyard (Kherson City) and Chernomorsky Shipbuilding Yard (Nikolaev City) that are parts to Ukraine’s biggest shipbuilding holding company Smart Maritime Group (SMG, Kherson). These shipyards succeed in securing contracts despite the unfavourable economic and political situation. Accordingly, they demonstrate the best performance results in domestic shipbuilding. Their employees receive competitive salaries, timely and in full.
We kindly ask journalists to avoid publications of unreliable information. We are open for cooperation and would be happy to answer all your questions.