Larsnes Mek. Verksted AS was established in March 1981 and has since become one of Norway’s leading builders of fishing vessels and well boats. Based in Larsnes in the Sunnmøre region, the shipyard is strategically located in the maritime cluster with the shipping lanes and the big ocean as our nearest neighbours. This means the shipbuilding cluster in Larsnes has traditions dating as far back as the 1800s.

Founder Marvin Longva was the co-owner of the former Longva Mek. Verksted AS. When the opportunity arose to acquire the insolvent Hammer Mek. Verksted, Longva spotted a scope for expansion. Hammer was acquired on 2 March 1981. Since then the firm has been trading uninterruptedly as Larsnes Mek. Verksted AS.

The first contract in the new shipyard’s history was the rebuilding of MS Inger Iversen, which was converted into a prawn trawler. Many big contracts were to follow. Most of them involved rebuilding, extensions, repairs and maintenance of ferries, cargo and fishing vessels.

In the period 1985–1987 the shipyard dedicated most of its resources to the booming scallop dredging business. The yard built equipment for vessels and manufactured dredges.

In 1987 Tender Bali and Tender Banf arrived from the Ivory Coast, having been bought by a local shipping company intending to use them as trawlers on the north west coast of America. At the request of Ulstein, Larsnes Mek. Verksted provided steelwork and equipment for one of the two vessels. Both ships were unrecognisable once they had been completed.

Following a period of sectional work, repairs and maintenance, the shipyard began to produce newbuilds in 1996. The first vessel was MS Hovden Senior, a 21.3 m long combined Danish/purse seiner. The hull was built in Poland. The ties that were forged at the time become important to the shipyard in the years that followed.

In 1998 the yard delivered its first longliner, MS Hauge Senior, to local shipping company Hauge & Hauge. By this time Larsnes Mek. Verksted had established a high level of expertise in this segment. Many of its clients were involved in longline fishing.

The following year the sister ship MS Skarhaug was delivered to Skarhaug AS. Longliners had become the shipyard’s successful niche in the market. The yard delivered several longliners over the next few years.

The longline fisheries entered a period of decline with poor catches and low prices. Larsnes Mek. Verksted therefore had to restructure and seek new customer groups. The shipyard won a contract with local firm Sanco AS to build MS Sanco Chaser, a seismic support vessel.

The yard was also awarded contracts for the combined trawler/seiner MS Leinebjørn and the pelagic trawler MV Pacelli for Mullglen Ltd in Ireland.

Then the downturn hit the maritime industry. The wheels were kept rolling with a reduced workforce and repairs and maintenance as a core part of the business. All the while the company was working on new projects and eventually landed a contract on the building of an advanced research vessel for the Norwegian University of Science and Technology in Trondheim. In March the following year MS Gunnerus was launched, marking the company’s 25th anniversary. The shipyard had proved that it could deliver in this segment, too.

As the market picked up again, the shipyard entered into a partnership with consultancy firm Naval-Consult AS. This resulted in the building of a series of Purse seiners with identical designs. The concept became a success and is deemed to be one of the best in the Norwegian coastal fleet.

In between the series of Purse seiners Larsnes Mek. Verksted also managed to build a well boat for Rostein AS. The vessel was the biggest of its kind in the world when it was delivered in 2009.

The company’s client base was growing, and the vessels were getting larger. The shipyard needed to improve access. Its new docks were completed in 2010, providing 130 metres of continuous quayside. This significantly increased capacity and improved working conditions for the company’s employees.

In 2011 Larsnes Mek. Verksted could celebrate 30 years with many success stories. In its anniversary year the shipyard delivered an advanced Rolls-Royce-designed Scottish seiner to shipping company Kolbjørn AS.

One of its largest projects was the extension and rebuilding of two pelagic trawlers for Antares Fishing Company Whalsey and Zephyr Fishing Company Ltd, Shetland. Both vessels were originally 64.4 metres long and were extended to 72.3 metres.

In 2012 and 2013 Larsnes Mek. Verksted delivered two advanced fishing vessels to Eros AS and Kings Bay AS, by far the shipyard’s biggest project to date. Both were designed by Rolls-Royce with a length of 77.5 m and a breadth of 16.6 m.

Towards the end of 2014 Larsnes Mek. Verksted got a new majority shareholder. The Sandøy-based shipping company Rostein increased its stake in the shipyard to 68.75 per cent. Most of the original shareholders retained their shareholdings. Key personnel at the shipyard also joined the shareholders.

Rostein AS is a family-owned shipping company with headquarters on the island of Harøy. The company plays an important part in the world-leading well boat cluster in Møre og Romsdal county.