Ferguson Marine news, interviews and updates on the shipyard
Latest Ferguson Marine news
As reported by The Herald, here is a selection of the latest Ferguson Marine news stories.
Who does control Scotland's ferries and why?
Call for review over future of CalMac and CMAL in ferries revolution
New concern as Ferguson Marine confirms revised Glen Rosa build plan
Ferguson Marine leadership
Graeme Thomson (below) was recently appointed as the shipyard firm's new chief executive officer.
Graeme Thomson (Image: Ferguson Marine) He started the new role on May 1 after the departure of interim head John Petticrew for 'personal reasons' in March.
Mr Thomson's appointment came days after the yard missed out on a major contract for seven new small, fully electric vessels for CalMac to Poland's Remontowa Shipbuilding.
He will oversee the delivery of the much-delayed CalMac ferry, MV Glen Rosa, as well as aiming to secure sustainable and new contracts.
He said: 'I'm thoroughly excited and enthused to be taking on the role as chief executive officer of Ferguson Marine, a cornerstone of Scotland's rich maritime history and an important employer in Inverclyde.
'The business, and its people, have faced challenging times but as we look forward we must focus on delivering key contracts that demonstrate our capability to exceed expectations and build world-class ships on the Clyde.'
Ferguson Marine criticisms and controversies
The state-owned shipyard is facing several difficulties, primarily due to financial sustainability.
Its failure to win a contract for seven new small ferries for CalMac from Scotland to Poland was a big blow and has left hundreds of jobs at stake.
The contract was a key part of the firm's five-year recovery strategy after delays and cost overruns in the construction of two much larger ferries for CalMac, the Glen Sannox and Glen Rosa.
The MV Glen Sannox (Image: Jane Barlow) Conservative MSP Sue Webber said: "This announcement is devastating for Ferguson Marine and could yet prove the death knell for the yard.'
In building the Glen Sannox and Glen Rosa ferries, the shipyard has run into major cost overruns.
The contract was awarded by CMAL in 2015.
The ferries were originally scheduled for completion in 2018 with a budget of £97 million, although the costs are believed to have quadrupled.
The Glen Sannox commenced service in January 2025, while the Glen Rosa is slated for a later delivery.
There are also concerns about Ferguson Marine's operational efficiency, as these delays and cost overruns have put a spotlight on its project management issues, along with concerns about leadership stability with a series of executive and managerial changes.
The Scottish Government announced last July plans to invest £14.2 million in the shipyard, with Deputy First Minister Kate Forbes stating that the investment would be focused on modernisation and improving productivity.
Ministers have also said that talks were at the final stages with BAE Systems about the shipyard being awarded further work on the Type 26 Frigate programme.
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The Herald Scotland
a day ago
- The Herald Scotland
Ferry service to return to Ardrossan - for one week only
CalMac say the vessel "remains unavailable for service", adding that "until we have a confirmed date for her return, we have put an alternative deployment plan in place". On September 15, the two vessel service will operate from Troon-Brodick with MV Glen Sannox and MV Alfred - and no service will operate from Ardrossan. That will be another heavy blow for both Ardrossan and Arran. Reduced capacity and longer travelling times from Troon have hit Arran's tourist trade. And in Ardrossan, businesses have been badly hit by loss of trade - both from tourists and regular visitors from Arran, who travel to the mainland on a regular basis to shop. The service between Ardrossan and Brodick was suspended in January after the introduction of the new ferry Glen Sannox, built too big for its main port at Ardrossan. Instead, the Sannox has been sailing from Troon, alongside the chartered vessel MV Alfred. The 41-year-old ship MV Isle of Arran made a brief return to Ardrossan last month while the MV Alfred left for a service Meanwhile, protracted negotiations between the Scottish Government and current harbour owners Peel Ports over a takeover continue. The Scottish government is looking to take the port into public ownership so that deadlocked plans to redevelop the harbour and allow larger vessels to return can proceed.
The Herald Scotland
5 days ago
- The Herald Scotland
SNP's Kate Forbes leaves big gap to fill on Scottish economy
The MSP for Skye, Lochaber and Badenoch declared she did not want to 'miss any more of the precious early years of family life'. While the decision is entirely understandable, there is no doubting Ms Forbes will be a major loss to the SNP. She has embraced her Cabinet responsibilities energetically, visiting many businesses. Ms Forbes has celebrated the success of Prestwick Airport, owned by the Scottish Government since 2013. However, she has also been up front when the news has been less good. When I interviewed Ms Forbes in June, she highlighted her disappointment at a further delay in the delivery of the Glen Rosa ferry for Caledonian MacBrayne which had been announced in May by Port Glasgow shipbuilder Ferguson Marine, which has been owned by the Scottish Government since 2019. Asked if she had been unhappy with recent progress at Ferguson Marine, in the context of this delay, Ms Forbes said: 'I, of course, was really disappointed with the delay to the Glen Rosa and the budget implications of that delay. And I was very clear in public at the time that I thought it was unacceptable. 'I felt that we need to deliver these vessels for the sake of the islanders, yes, but also because we need to restore confidence in the yard and those delays don't help with the public narrative about the yard, and it's hard enough for the yard to secure work with all of the political noise that goes on about Ferguson Marine.' As has been typical of Ms Forbes, she painted the bigger picture in relation to Ferguson Marine. While voicing disappointment about the Glen Rosa delay, she highlighted the importance of restoring confidence in the shipyard for it to 'succeed and survive'. And Ms Forbes declared she had 'full confidence in the ability of the yard to submit quality tenders' for future work. Shortly afterwards, it emerged Ferguson Marine had won another major contract from BAE Systems for the Type 26 frigate programme. Read more Ms Forbes also said in the interview: 'I would like to think that all parties in the Scottish Parliament want to see Ferguson Marine succeed and survive, which is why we need to build confidence, not knock it.' The point about the need to build confidence is absolutely on the money. And it should surely be in everyone's interests to continue to have a major commercial shipbuilder on the Clyde. Lamentably, however, we can expect the politics around Ferguson Marine to remain febrile. It has been heartening indeed to hear Ms Forbes's positivity about the prospects for Prestwick Airport, which has for years been another political football. She declared in the June interview that Prestwick Airport's work in building new alliances and relationships means the opportunities for the area around it are 'quite remarkable'. Read more Shortly before the interview, Prestwick Airport announced agreements with Air China Cargo and China Southern Air Logistics to operate freighter services between Guangzhou and Prestwick. And not long after the interview, there was further good news for Prestwick Airport when it was announced British aircraft manufacturer AERALIS had selected it as the location for the final assembly of its UK aircraft. AERALIS noted, when this major win for the Ayrshire airport was unveiled last month, that it is 'the only British programme designing and building a light jet aircraft to deliver a replacement for the Red Arrows and for a lucrative international export market'. In June, Ms Forbes highlighted the 'rapid growth' of the aerospace cluster at Prestwick Airport. She appears to have impressed many in the business community, including those who would disagree with her support for independence. And she has stood out as a serious thinker on business and the economy, in contrast to many politicians in the UK who seem to open their mouths before engaging their brains. Ms Forbes has been very forthright about being 'pro-economy' and 'pro-business'. She said in the June interview: 'Our sentiment, my sentiment is pro-economy, pro-prosperity, pro-business. 'And that underpins all of our other objectives. So without economic growth and prosperity, you don't raise the revenue to reinvest in resilient public services. Without a strong growing economy, you can't get to net zero because you have to partner with innovative enterprising businesses to develop the solutions that we need. And then you can't tackle child poverty unless parents in particular have access to well-paid secure employment created in many cases by the private sector. So I see their role as underpinning our other three objectives and my job is to try and make Scotland as successful and as prosperous as possible.' This is surely a reassuring message, not just for the business community but for all of those interested in a prosperous and socially conscious Scotland. First Minister John Swinney also seems to have been well received by many in the business community, in terms of his approach, and has been forthright about the economy being a priority. Unlike some other politicians who have flagged such a priority, his actions have supported his words. This is reassuring as Ms Forbes prepares to leave the political front line, but you would imagine Mr Swinney will be aware there will be a big gap to fill for the SNP.
The Herald Scotland
7 days ago
- The Herald Scotland
Prestwick Airport and Ferguson Marine causes for celebration
Prestwick Airport, owned by the Scottish Government since 2013, has enjoyed a flurry of good news. Last month it unveiled another major success when it announced British aircraft manufacturer AERALIS had selected Prestwick Airport as the location for the final assembly of its UK aircraft. My column last month for The Herald on this win observed: 'As well as offering the prospect of a significant number of jobs of high quality, like the thousands already at the aerospace cluster in and around Prestwick Airport, the news from AERALIS also grabbed the attention because of the Red Arrows (Royal Air Force Aerobatic Team) dimension. 'AERALIS notes it is 'the only British programme designing and building a light jet aircraft to deliver a replacement for the Red Arrows and for a lucrative international export market'.' Prestwick Airport has recently announced agreements with Air China Cargo and China Southern Air Logistics relating to the operation of freighter services between Guangzhou and Prestwick. China Southern began operating four flights a week from Guangzhou to Prestwick on May 16. And, on June 2, Air China Cargo started operating three flights a week. The column concluded: 'It is very pleasing to see a patient, long-term approach at Prestwick Airport bearing fruit, with the huge amount of good news in recent months. We should be very grateful indeed that Prestwick Airport was rescued for many reasons – notably including the economic contribution of the airport and the cluster around it and the valuable employment provided.' Meanwhile, the important boost amid turbulent times for the second asset owned by the Scottish Government was for the Ferguson Marine shipyard at Port Glasgow, in the form of a contract from BAE Systems for the Type 26 frigate programme. Read more My column on this contract win, for The Herald on Sunday on July 13, observed: 'The Ferguson Marine shipyard at Port Glasgow was in the headlines again last week – and it was thankfully good news this time. 'The yard has not had its troubles to seek in recent years, with attention focused on cost overruns and delays on the Glen Sannox and Glen Rosa ferries being built for Caledonian MacBrayne. 'So it was heartening to learn the yard, which provides such crucial employment in Inverclyde, had won a significant contract. Ferguson Marine (Port Glasgow) Ltd last week announced that it had signed a contract with BAE Systems to fabricate three structural components for 'Ship 4 HMS Birmingham', the fourth frigate being built as part of the Type 26 programme.' The column observed Graeme Thomson, the recently appointed chief executive of Ferguson Marine, had made some important points around the award of the work. It noted, in particular, Mr Thomson had declared it 'proves the ability of our skilled workforce to secure new business'. And the column highlighted the fact BAE Systems, which engaged Ferguson Marine previously to build two units on the Type 26 programme, had described its relationship with the Port Glasgow yard as 'productive' as the new contract award was announced. The column went on: 'This positive tone came from Simon Lister, managing director of BAE Systems' naval ships business, who also described Ferguson Marine as 'a key supplier of structural steelwork on the Clyde'. 'And his comments are particularly heartening because they are based on the work Ferguson Marine has done for BAE Systems already, with Mr Lister highlighting the fact the Port Glasgow yard has built two units for the Type 26 programme. This surely highlights the quality of work the yard can produce. This is a very significant positive in the context of all the noise around the Glen Rosa and Glen Sannox contract and given the importance of Ferguson Marine securing new work so, as [Deputy First Minister Kate] Forbes puts it, the yard can 'succeed and survive'.' Read more The column described the BAE Systems contract as a 'very positive development' in Ferguson Marine's journey and concluded: 'Hopefully, Ferguson Marine can now build on this momentum.' Another positive story I have covered in recent weeks is the ambition to create hundreds more jobs at the Methil fabrication yard, as its new owner aims to capitalise on opportunities arising from the offshore wind energy boom. In an exclusive interview, the head of the Methil yard, which was acquired earlier this year by Spanish state-owned group Navantia, revealed hopes of at least doubling the workforce from less than 180 to between 350 and 400 within the next two or three years. Matt Smith also highlighted a possibility the headcount could rise as high as 600, depending on the work that comes into the yard. Mr Smith, who has been at the Methil yard for 12 and a half years under various owners, highlighted 'ups and downs' over this period and described the current trajectory as 'probably the most significant up we have been on with the acquisition by Navantia this year'. He flagged the boost to the local economy when the Methil yard was busy, as well as underlining the scale of the opportunities in the renewables sector and the site's capacity to undertake defence work. Highlighting the scale of planned renewables development and his belief there is '20 years-plus worth of work that is sitting out there', with potential for this to grow, he declared: 'I really genuinely see Scotland playing a big part in this. It has to. The reality is it has to. 'I've stayed with this yard through all sorts of troubles and I'm staying with it now because of the fact I can see the potential for the success of the yard becoming what it used to be and what it should be again.' A column I wrote for The Herald on these plans, after breaking the story about the major ambitions on the jobs front, observed: 'Too many of the stories around Scotland's fabrication yards over the years and decades have been dismal: threats of closure which have often crystallised, job losses, hard times, and so on. There has been so much uncertainty for huge numbers of workers in this sector, at various locations, over the decades. Where there have been hopes of revival, sometimes these have been dashed. 'Much has changed over the decades for the fabrication yards, with a lot of the focus in recent times having been on renewables. And it has been difficult to shake the feeling that the renewables boom has not generated as much as might have been expected for Scotland in contracts and jobs.' However, the column went on: 'Chatting to the general manager of the Methil yard, Matt Smith, and to Abel Mendez Diaz, commercial director of Navantia Seanergies, what offered much encouragement was the detail of the strategy, the scale of the ambition and the positive tone about what could be achieved. It is important to have all of this as the yard looks to the future. 'The arrival of Navantia as owner and the plans and positivity about the future suggest there are grounds on this occasion for genuine optimism.' This article was first published in The Herald's Business HQ Monthly supplement
