V.Group is a leading provider of outsourced asset management services to the global shipping, energy and defence industries. It employs 1,600 office staff and 24,000 contract staff.
V.Group's ownership is an equal partnership between management/employee shareholders and Exponent Private Equity, which acquired Close Bros. Private Equity's shareholding in V.Group in March 2007.
Its broad portfolio of services include:
- Ship management for more than 900 vessels ranging from oil and product tankers and container ships to passenger liners, Mississippi River cruise boats and yachts;
- Personnel recruitment, management and training;
- Technical support services such as underwater maintenance and repair, bridge communications systems, naval architecture and offshore exploration engineering;
- Capital and commercial services such as ship finance, ship broking and insurance.
V.Group evolved from V.Ships, which was founded in 1984. Today V.Ships is the world's largest ship manager and ship management is still V.Group's core business.
Since its founding, the company has grown both organically and through strategic alliances and acquisitions. Recent milestones include:
- Formation of China International Ship Management joint venture with China Shipping Group in 2006;
- Acquisition of underwater maintenance and repair specialist, UMC International in 2006;
- Acquisition of RC Consultants, providers of specialist engineering consultancy to the North Sea energy industry in 2007;
- Formation of environmentally responsible ship-recycling alliance with noted shipyard Harland & Wolff and environmental consultants Golder Associates;
- V.Funds joint venture with Merrill Lynch in 2007.
