Interview: Tim Klaybor, Managing Director, Fassmer Service America

 

Klaybor and his team are the service experts for Fassmer products in North and Central America as well as the Caribbean. It's a lifesaving mission in a market that's growing.

Tell us about yourself – your background and education. What attracted you to the maritime industry?

Growing up in Fredonia, New York with Lake Erie as my front yard, I was perpetually drawn to the water. My parents had a sailboat, and I spent countless hours on it, fascinated by both the ocean and the intricacies of boat maintenance. This childhood fascination evolved into a lifelong passion, steering me towards a career where I could blend my love for the ocean with my innate problem-solving skills and hands-on abilities.

I pursued marine engineering and nuclear power at New York Maritime College, graduating in 1991, fully prepared to dive into the maritime industry.

What did you do before joining Fassmer in 2009? How did they find you?

Post-graduation, I embarked on a career with Transoceanic Cable Ship Co. as a marine engineer, traversing the globe and honing my technical skills. Life took a beautiful turn when I married my wonderful wife, Kim, and we were blessed with two children, Nick and Ashley.

Heeding the call of family life, I transitioned ashore in 1998, applying my expertise in the cruise industry at Drew Marine followed by a stint in the defense sector with Northrop Grumman. My path through the industry was diverse, culminating in a pivotal role at Flagship Management, the premier maritime recruiting firm. It was here that I discovered the opportunity at Fassmer. They did not find me.

The Fassmer Group is a global leader in maritime and especially lifeboats. Its history dates back to 1850 and its founding in Germany. Tell our readers about that.

The Fassmer Group is a beacon of innovation in shipbuilding, lifeboats, wind power and composite technology. Operating from its base in Germany, we pride ourselves on our ability to craft vessels up to 90 meters including offshore patrol and hydrographic vessels. We built the first LNG passenger ferry and we build specialized vessels of all classes.

Our foray into the wind power sector has us creating generator nacelles for the offshore wind industry, and our expertise in composite technology has led to collaborations with Volkswagen. The lifeboat division, a crucial part of Fassmer, ensures safety across various sectors including cruise, military and commercial vessels.

The company is family-owned in its fifth generation by Harald and Holger Fassmer.

When and why was Fassmer Service America established? How does it fit within the Fassmer Group? Why Florida?

In 2008, Fassmer Service America was founded in South Florida to address a critical need in the maritime industry – specialized maintenance of life-saving equipment, which had traditionally been managed by ship crews. This led to difficulties given a lack of technical knowledge and led to accidents. This shift to having experts in the field, driven by regulatory changes and a focus on safety, positioned us ideally near major cruise lines in Florida, our primary clients at the time.

What does Fassmer Service America do? What are its various products and services and markets?

Fassmer Service America performs annual and five-year service on lifeboats, davits and accommodation ladders. Our market is split into four sectors: commercial, offshore, cruise and military.

What's your most important product?

Our most important product has always been our service. While lifeboats, davits and accommodation ladders represent the core of our business, we also engage in critical engine work and repair any fiberglass damage that may occur. Initially, the cruise industry constituted the bulk of our clientele. However, over time, this focus has shifted, and the U.S. military is now our largest customer by far.

What is your role as Managing Director, and who are some of your key team members?

As Managing Director, my role encompasses overseeing daily operations and steering our team towards continual excellence. At Fassmer Service America, every team member plays a pivotal role in our operations, yet there are key individuals who help steer our success through their specific managerial roles.

Carlo Lopez, our Technical Director, not only oversees all technical operations but also handles our military accounts, ensuring our services meet the rigorous standards required by military contracts.

Mike Kay, our Service Manager, is responsible for managing our offshore commercial operations. His deep industry knowledge and expertise are vital in maintaining the high standards of service that our commercial clients expect. Janek Aas serves as our Cruise Manager, where he specializes in handling our cruise line portfolios. His role is crucial for nurturing and sustaining our relationships within the rapidly evolving cruise industry.

Christopher Oberheim works alongside Carlo Lopez to manage our military accounts. This collaboration allows us to efficiently cater to the extensive needs of our military clients with precision and dedication. Jessica Caballero, our Office Manager and Accountant, ensures that our financial and administrative operations are conducted seamlessly. Her meticulous management of our office's daily operations and finances is essential for our overall organizational health.

What makes Fassmer special? How is it different from the competition?

What sets Fassmer apart is our specialized focus. We service only what we build, ensuring unparalleled expertise and safety. This specialization, combined with a hands-on approach to management and problem-solving, positions us uniquely among our competitors, who attempt to service many different manufacturers' equipment, which could lead to lack of knowledge resulting in making mistakes that could end up being catastrophic.

Do you serve any industries other than maritime?

We have two other companies with Fassmer Service America, both in the maritime industry. One is Fassmer Technical Projects and the other Fassmer Performance Marine.

Fassmer Technical Projects (FTP) leverages Fassmer's shipbuilding expertise to provide innovative retrofit, refit and refurbishment solutions for the global maritime industry. With a focus on turnkey project management and cutting-edge engineering, FTP ensures minimal operational disruption and high-quality execution. Led by a dynamic team including General Manager Jonathan Holler and Director of Operations Maija Harju, FTP emphasizes excellence, sustainability and customer-centric service. The leadership team's diverse expertise supports FTP's mission to deliver tailored, reliable solutions to meet the unique demands of cruise lines, government agencies and commercial shipping organizations worldwide.

Fassmer Performance Marine (FPM), established just this year, represents a new venture aimed at servicing pleasure boats and fishing boats. Building on our longstanding success in the commercial maritime industry, we identified an opportunity to expand our expertise into the pleasure craft sector. Shortly after launching FPM, we were honored to be approached by the renowned boat manufacturer, Glasstream, known for their high-quality and performance-driven vessels. This partnership has positioned FPM as the official east coast of Florida representative for Glasstream GSX power boats.

What's your biggest challenge right now?

Indeed, a common challenge many businesses face today is finding individuals with a strong work ethic who are committed to their roles, which can make it notably more challenging to build a team that aligns with our company's standards and ambitions. However, at Fassmer Service America, we remain dedicated to the pursuit of excellence by meticulously selecting team members who not only possess the necessary skills but also share our passion for the maritime industry. We place great emphasis on fostering a work environment that values dedication, integrity and continuous improvement. When we do find the right individuals to join our team, they are not merely employees. They become integral members of our family, each contributing uniquely to our collective success.

What's your vision for Fassmer Service America? Where would you like to see it in, say, the next five years?

In the coming years, I foresee the cruise industry leading a shift toward hybrid and fully electric tender boats. As these changes take hold, we are committed to evolving our service offerings to meet the new demands of servicing hybrid and electric propulsion systems. We will always remain at the forefront of maritime service providers, ready to support the industry as it embraces more sustainable technologies.

What do you like most about your work? What gives you the most satisfaction?

What I find most rewarding about my work is the deep sense of satisfaction that comes from knowing that once my team has resolved an issue onboard a vessel or completed an annual or five-year service, the vessel is safe and fully prepared for the year ahead. It's incredibly fulfilling to know that through our efforts, we've directly contributed to the safety and readiness of each vessel we service.   -TME