Fartygsservice Gävle AB is one of the operators in the port. The company started at the end of the 60s and had by then its main operations in the port located inside the city of Gävle. They have always had operations in the existing port at Fredriksskans.
Fartygsservice Gävle AB was started by two brothers and worked with cleaning ships after coke loads. Coke is what remains after low-oxygen combustion of fossil coal, for example hard coal. Coke can be used as fuel and consist of a high content of ash and coal. Coke can also be used as a reducing agent in iron production. Coke came into use during the industrial revolution, it was then used to power factories and the early locomotives. Coke was also used during a large part of the 20th century for heating e.g., homes in coke boilers and coke stoves.
Over the years, the company’s operations have developed. The owner, Bato Hibner, joined the company in 2003. During that time, 6-8 people worked in the company and offered everything from service work, load counting, foreman work and services such as city weighing. The company also carried out inventory and inspection of cargo handling equipment for several shipping companies and supplied ships and crew with the necessary equipment and accessories. An important service was also the delivery of fresh water to the ships that called in Port of Gävle. The company had a container depot where they inspected, cleaned, repaired, stocked, and sold containers to customers, says Bato.
“When Yilport Nordic took over the terminal operations here in Port of Gävle, I was asked if I wanted to start working for them, by then the terminal operator took over the part of the services that Fartygsservice offered,” continues Bato.
Today there are 2-3 employees who work at the company and the business consist with other services that are not as close to the port. However, they still offer service work in the port such as ship trading, delivery of fresh water and city weighing and are one of the oldest operators in the port.
“For a period, the municipal director actually worked at the company because his mother was co-owner” smiles Bato, “but that was a while ago now”.
