Local companies hired to work on Mersey ferry project.
Cammell Laird announces the first suppliers it will work with as plans to develop and build the new Mersey Ferry – the first in more than 60 years – get underway.
The commission last December by Mayor Steve Rotheram and the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority for a new Mersey Ferry led to a commitment from Cammell Laird to use local suppliers wherever possible. This early engagement by Cammell Laird will bring nearly £6m back into the local economy.
The Birkenhead facility - part of the APCL group - recently secured a prestigious deal with the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority to design and build the new ferry exclusively on-site. Part of the ambition behind the project is to keep the majority of the build within the city region, by sourcing and using as many local businesses as possible.
Cammell Laird has made good on this ambition and will be working with local companies such as SeaKing, IPS and MPE, all of whom are based in Birkenhead, Stone Marine Services in Wallasey, James Troop in Runcorn, and WDC in Manchester to deliver the project. APCL company Neway Industrial Services has also been awarded a contract to complete the paintwork for the new ferry.
Steve Rotheram, Mayor of the Liverpool City Region, said: “It’s taken a Herculean effort to reach this agreement and deliver my ambition to build our new ferry here in the Liverpool City Region, ensuring that we can retain the well-paid jobs, apprenticeships and training opportunities it will create for local people. We’ve collaborated with lots of people who offer expertise in so many areas, ensuring that this project doesn’t just deliver best value for money – but best value for our residents too.”
Mike Hill, Managing Director at Cammell Laird, said: “We have an established and resilient supply chain in the Northwest which has been built up over many years, this enables everything to swing into action very quickly once we take on a project, enabling us to deliver work to the very highest standards.”
Mersey Ferries date back to the early 13th Century and are one of the most iconic modes of transport anywhere in the world. Cammell Laird itself has a long and proud history when it comes to the legendary vessels, having built 15 of them since 1836.
Securing the new contract was a major coup for the shipyard, and sharing the benefits with other local businesses means the heart of the new ferry will remain very much local too.
David McGinley, Chief Executive of APCL Group, said: “Cammell Laird is part of the Mersey and vice versa.
“We have a global reputation, but we take huge pride in our local links, whether it’s hiring local workers and apprentices, or doing business with other local companies. Bringing these excellent local businesses onboard as part of this project reaffirms this commitment and provides a massive boost to the local economy.”
The new ferry will bear the hull number 1,395 - being the 1,395th ship built at Cammell Laird.