New Irish Sea repair group

A number of former Cammell Laird directors have formed a new shiprepair organisation in the shadow of their old employer?s mothballed shipyard on Merseyside, UK. North Western Ship Repair is leasing two drydocks from the Mersey Docks & Harbour Company. The company is targeting ferry work, small-scale conversions and military work. John Syret, the former managing director of Cammell Laird, is in charge of 107 employees, including a team of naval architects. Tom Williams, the company?s operations director, explained that the company has the support of many local shipowners. “Owners have expressed fears that now that Cammell Laird is owned by A&P, and the yards mothballed, A&P will funnel any work down to Falmouth rather than do the work locally,” he said. Kevin Hobbs, managing director of Seatruck, said he was delighted that North Western was able to carry out work on its freight ferry MV Moondance. “We are seeing growing demand on the route [between Heysham and Warrenpoint] and we want to use local facilities so that the ship is out of service for the minimum time possible,” he said.