Cammell Laird back on Merseyside

Today sees the Cammell Laird name return to its historic Birkenhead shipyard home in a move the yard?s owners say could help them win new business from around the world. Cammell Laird, one of the best-known names in the shipbuilding world, has been absent from the Mersey since 2001 when the previous company bearing the name collapsed.

Since then, new business Northwestern Shiprepairers and Shipbuilders (NSL) has resumed work at the yard and won many major contracts, including a Ministry of Defence deal potentially worth up to £1bn over 30 years.

Today, the business once again begins trading under the name Cammell Laird Shiprepairers and Shipbuilders. It is a proud day for the firm?s managing director, John Syvret, a former apprentice at the old Cammell Laird. But Syvret says the name change is more than just symbolic. He said: “The reality is that, whenever we?re talking to customers, employees or suppliers, people always asked where NSL was. When we said Cammell Laird, they said ?we know where you are?.

“NSL has done a fantastic job and it?s built up a very enviable reputation in the refit, conversion and ship repair market in the UK. But, as far as the brand is concerned, Cammell Laird has much more goodwill and much more international recognition. The marine community worldwide is quite small. A lot of people have experience of Cammell Laird whether it?s visiting the shipyard, serving their apprenticeships here or sailing on Cammell Laird ships. It?s a massive brand and our intention is to use the power of that brand to catapult the company into the international marketplace.”

Cammell Laird boasts one of the world?s largest covered shipbuilding halls, giving it the capacity to take on much more work. Syvret says he also wants the company to win more ship conversion work, rebuilding ships for the offshore oil and gas industries. He added: “The conversion market made up 75% of our sales historically. Today, that market probably accounts for 10% of our sales, with the rest being commercial and military work. Going forward, I hope the name will bring that conversion work up to similar levels that we?ve had in the past. The name will go a long way. It?s known worldwide in these industries.”

Syvret bought the rights to the Cammell Laird name last year, but waited for the business to grow still further before renaming it. In June, Cammell Laird won a £180m contract from the MoD to maintain 11 of its Royal Fleet Auxiliary ships, which carry supplies around the world. If performance targets are met, the contract will be extended for another 25 years and the work could be worth up to £1bn to Cammell Laird.

The shipyard is also in line to build parts of the UK?s new aircraft carriers after it was approved as a ‘second-tier’ supplier to the main contractors of the £3.9bn contract to build two 55,000 tonne vessels.

Last month, it signed a partnership deal with Italian shipbuilder Fincantieri, which is bidding to build six supply tankers under the MoD?s Military Afloat Reach Sustainability project. If the consortium wins the contract, two of those ships could be built at Cammell Laird. The company forecasts its turnover next year will be more than £90m. The yard employs more than 1,000 people directly and indirectly.