All four dry docks at the former Smith's Dockyard on Teesside were full last week under one operator for the first time since the 1980s after a major spend from UK Docks Marine Services. It’s a big boost for the ship repair and marine engineering sector, which has long roots in the region but has been falling down in recent years. Now UK Docks Marine Services has made a multi-million-pound investment to restore and expand the historic site to create a modern ship repair and maintenance facility serving commercial and defence customers across the UK and the world. The milestone brings the former Smith’s yard under a single operator for the first time since the famous name closed in 1987. This week’s line-up included the multi-purpose offshore vessel Atlantic Guardian, Tees tug Svitzer Alma, suction dredger City of London and former Royal Navy survey ship HMS Enterprise. A survey vessel and a patrol vessel were also undergoing afloat repairs at the yard’s East and West Quays. For UK Docks, the full house is proof that investment in ship repair infrastructure can unlock new capacity and business opportunities in a sector vital to offshore energy, port operations and naval support. “I know how big a name Smith’s Dockyard was for a lot of people in Middlesbrough – 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,” said founder and executive chairman Harry Wilson, MBE. “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.” Exhibitor: UK Docks Marine Services
