Mechanica Launches Marine Engineering Business
A Seajet fast ferry – Mechanica Marine has established a new relationship with the Greek company (Photo: Mechanica Marine)
Mechanica Utilities and Mechanica Marine managing director James Horsham (Photo: Mechanica Marine)
Mechanica Utilities Ltd has formed a new company to specialize in supporting the maritime sector in the U.K. and overseas.
Having worked nationally in partnership with several marine engineering companies for very many years, Mechanica Utilities has stepped into to fill the void generated by ship repairer Burgess Marine’s recent sale and the vast reduction in its Dover footprint.
The newly formed company Mechanica Marine, which acquired and redeveloped a marine engineering purposed 25,500 sq ft workshop just outside the Port of Dover, has been established to focus on ship care and repair, the support of maritime infrastructure, and marine grade fabrication.
“The sale of the Burgess Marine business has created an opportunity for us locally, nationally and internationally,” said James Horsham, the founder and managing director of Mechanica Utilities. The MD said Mechanica will look to "develop relationships with many of Burgess Marine’s local legacy customers well in to the future."
Mechanica Marine was created to help support the core business of Mechanica Utilities, which was established in 2015 and has seen significant year-on-year growth of circa 50 percent per annum since.
“The expertise inherent in Mechanica Marine stems from our sister company Mechanica Utilities: welding and fabrication, marine mechanical engineering, motor refurbishments and rewinds, pump refurbishment and repairs, machine shop services and electrical installations and repairs,” Horsham said.
“We’ve excellent workshop facilities and excellent, trained, marine engineers.”
The company said it has already developed significant relationships with Eurotunnel, Wartsila, Boskalis, Volker Stevin, the Port of Dover, Seajets in Greece, and Incat in Tasmania.
Horsham said, “Our aluminum welding and fabrication team have already undertaken major fast ferry repair jobs in Greece and in Argentina, and we’ve a workshop full of Eurotunnel equipment.
“As our marine engineering business grows we hope to employ more skilled resources locally and really push to expand our operations across the South Coast and further afield.
“Our five-year plan sees annualized revenues in excess of £10 million, and we’re already two years in and very much on track.”
Danny Gunner, the marine superintendent of Mechanica Marine, said, “My background is 100 percent marine centric, as is many of the team here in Dover.
“Given the infancy of our business we’ve already had several major wins.
“We’ve manufactured bespoke lobster back bends for Boskalis Westminster, scrubbers for Wartsila, pipework for Holyhead Towing, two major aluminum repairs for Incat, as well as the provision of support to Svitzer and the Port of Dover.
“Our niche, and perhaps biggest advantage, is the size of our facility here in Dover.
“Our intent is very much to grow the marine fabrication side of the business and the ship-side support piece.”
He added, “Both the marine and utilities sectors endure a big element of emergency response and last-minute support - that’s us. That’s what we do.”
