MST acquires Carmet Shipyard

Above: (left to right) MST’s Ben Kerfoot, Andy Phillips and Philip Hilbert.
Courtesy MST

MST will move its boat building, servicing and maintenance operations to the new site during the second quarter of 2022 and begin a new exciting chapter for the company which was originally founded in 2002 in Liverpool and has been locally based ever since.

The company secured the site during the second half of 2021 and has already embarked on a £1 million refurbishment programme covering the entire 6.5-acre site with total refurbishment of the existing 80 metre main and 50 metre secondary boat building halls, brand-new offices, new carparking facilities and the erection of additional composite and fabrication facilities.

The new facilities boast 25T overhead travelling gantry cranes, a 90 metre 700 tonne slipway that launches directly into the River and a 100T WISE Amphibious Boat Travel Hoist which provides additional boat launch and recovery facilities and access onto the hard standing areas.

The company has a long-term plan for further investment which will see the facilities expanded and enhanced even further to create a centre of excellence in the North West for small craft design, manufacture and service.

The shipyard was originally founded in 1974 by McTay Marine and produced 119 vessels before going into liquidation in 2015 and subsequently being taken over by local tug operator Carmet Marine.

Marine Specialised Technology (MST) manufacturers and maintains high-speed boats for global defence and security markets and the new facilities will allow the company to significantly expand its operations including the ability manufacture much larger craft than current facilities permit.

Philip Hilbert, MST’s Sales Director, said: “We secured these new premises at just the right time as we embark on several major contracts for our flagship “HPB” High-Speed Patrol Boat range which have been, up until now, limited to a maximum 19 metres in length due to launching and logistical restrictions. The new larger facilities with its direct access to water now enables us to not only manufacture more craft at any one time but also to manufacture significantly larger vessels and we already have a 23 metres design being worked on as I speak.”

The new site’s direct water access is also a huge boost to the groups dedicated service and maintenance division; MST Fleet Services who can now offer their services to much larger craft arriving by water and substantial contracts have already been secured with local operators which, combined with the planned expansion of the company’s new build division, will be fuelling a significant recruitment drive over the remainder of 2022 which is excellent news for the wider local area.

Marine Specialised Technology Group (MST Group) is a designer, manufacturer and maintainer of inflatable, rigid inflatable and high-speed workboats up to 24 metres in length. Formed in 2002, the company operates from two sites in the North West of England and serves global defence, law enforcement and workboat markets.