Full Charge Ahead as Coastal Workboats grow local Stornoway team
Our new yard in Stornoway has had such a busy start to the year that we thought we’d best take a breather and bring you up to speed on what we’ve been up to. Following the signing of our 10-year lease of Stornoway Port Authority’s Marine Engineering Workshop on the Isle of Lewis back in December, the months that followed have seen the roll out of a recruitment drive to grow our local team on the ground, a vast procurement undertaking to kit out the new workshops and the implementation of our group systems and procedures ready for the first day of building. That day arrived this week and it marks the start of our delivery of a £9m contract that will see Stornoway deliver the UK’s first all-electric vehicle and passenger ferry – our revolutionary E-LUV (Electric-Landing Utility Vessel).
A £9m contract is a significant achievement for a small, family-run yard and we’re proud of the opportunity to play our part in unlocking the associated investment for Stornoway and the Isle of Lewis that it will bring. These first few months of the year have already seen over £250k of that investment form our local spend to date as we secure the various materials, kit, haulage and logistics necessary to keep a thriving yard, thriving. The pipelines of onward work that we’ve worked hard to secure, such as our unique relationship with Dutch shipbuilder Damen, are an important part of how that scale of local investment can be trusted to continue into the future.
We’re a local-first company, we understand that longevity starts at home - with our people. Key appointments of locals Catherine Thompson as Business Manager and Billy Ferguson as Welding Supervisor are a critical part of this approach. Together with Catherine and Billy, we’re building our Stornoway team around them, partnering with the industry-leading talent that the island has nurtured and attracted. Working with local suppliers such as Breacan Training, D.R Macleod (DFDS), Woody’s Express and MacGregor Industrial Supplies to provide logistics and supplies for our new home is a hugely important part of this too. It’s a privilege to contribute to the many ways Stornoway is leading the UK’s reputation for maritime innovation and safeguarding our industry’s international future.
We’re big on story and we’ll be keeping you up to speed on ours as it continues to unfold with our continued growth and development. Follow across our social accounts, including our online HQ at coastalworkboats.co.uk and keep track as we update you. Don’t forget, you can always drop us a line via sales@coastalworkboats.co.uk anytime if you’d like to chat further.
about | Coastal Workboats Ltd
We are a leading builder of steel and aluminium commercial workboats and provider of associated support services. The company is based between Devon and Scotland.
For more information, please contact: Julie Pogson, Director of Coastal Workboats Ltd at:
+44 (0)1392 426542, sales@coastalworkboats.co.uk or visit coastalworkboats.co.uk.