South Shields-based UK Docks restores shipyard to full capacity for first time in 40 years
A South Shields company has restored a North East shipyard to its former glory.
South Shields-based UK Docks returned a North East shipyard to full capacity as it continues to revive the region's ship repair and maintenance industry.
The milestone was achieved at the former Smith's Dockyard, on Teesside, where all four docks hosted vessels for the first time since the 1980s under one operator.
It marks a major vote of confidence in the North East by UK Docks, which has remained based in South Tyneside since its founding in 1992, despite growing into a national company that now operates globally.
A significant moment
It’s also a significant step in the family-owned company's 12-year journey, which began when it leased and revived two dry docks at the ex-Smith’s Yard in 2014.
Last year, UK Docks agreed a long-term lease on the adjacent shipyard, which meant the well-known Smith's Yard came under a single firm's ownership for the first time since 1987.
This week, the dry docks were occupied by the multi-purpose offshore vessel Atlantic Guardian, the Tees River tug Svitzer Alma, the suction dredger City of London, and the ex-Royal Navy ship HMS Enterprise.
Meanwhile, a patrol vessel was carrying out afloat repairs on one of the Yard's two Quays.
The full-house yard was a proud moment for UK Docks’ founder and executive chairman, Harry Wilson MBE, who founded the company on River Drive, in South Shields.
He said: “I know how big a name Smith’s Dockyard was for a lot of people - different generations worked there across almost the whole of the 20th century - and I hope they’re delighted to see the site thriving again under one owner.
“We’ve always believed in the UK’s marine industry, and while others were closing down yards over the years, we were seeking to reopen them and develop them further.”
‘We want that to become the norm’
Harry’s sons, Chris, Gary and Jonathan, have worked alongside him as the company has grown and are now directors.
They see this week’s landmark moment as a sign that the North East's proud heritage in ship repair and maintenance will continue.
Managing director, Jonathan Wilson, commented: “It’s great that we’ve had the shipyard fully operational across four dry docks, but we want that to become the norm, rather than the exception.
“We want to get the message out there that we have four dry docks, heavy lift quay space and highly skilled staff, fully operational for defence or commercial ships from the UK and international clients.
“It’s a new facility in a way, thanks to a multi-million-pound investment into the facility, workshops, craneage and operating equipment and because we’ve extended our services, our capacity and our infrastructure, to create a sizeable and fully-modernised yard.
“I’d like to congratulate everyone at UK Docks for the efforts they have put in over the last 18 months, as well as all those outside companies that have worked with us to make this happen."
Looking ahead to the future
The goal now is to make the region an even more important destination for ship maintenance and repair, nationally and internationally in the years ahead.
Jonathan added: “We see a lot of potential and possibilities in the site and have a five-year plan to maximise it as an asset.
"We are a service centre supporting that huge and growing industry all across the North Sea and beyond, hopefully bringing business to the yard for many years to come."