Vakaru Baltijos Laivu Statykla UAB (Lithuania)

Vakaru Baltijos Laivu Statykla UAB, located in Klaipeda, Lithuania, is a marine engineering corporation. The company was originally established as the Western Shipyard in 1969 and began repairing trawlers, refrigerators, plants, and other fishing vessels. After the downfall of the USSR, the company shifted its focus to repairing ships from Western countries. In 1998, the company started shipbuilding and was privatized by the Norwegian group Western Invest AS. However, due to financial issues, the Estonian Concern BLRT Grupp AS acquired controlling interest in 2001. The company underwent a successful reorganization in 2003 and became the Western Shipyard Group. In 2010, the Western Baltija Shipbuilding was founded through a merger of two Lithuanian shipbuilding companies. The company also established a joint venture with the Finnish company MacGregor in 2011. Currently, the Western Shipyard Group is one of the largest marine engineering corporations in Lithuania, offering a wide range of services related to the life cycle of a ship.