Floating ideas to restore region’s shipping heritage

Jun 16 2008 by Andrew Hebden, The Journal

It was at that point that the team came across a touch of good fortune because of an emerging demand for new units capable of producing and storing oil in the North Sea. The team found their ability to create these floating production storage and offloading units (FPSOs) from existing tankers were in great demand.

The new company they founded in 1994, known as Armstrong Technology, quickly grew from eight to 20, then up to 30 staff. The business was mainly concentrated on the oil and gas sector but also included some defence conversion work, but it came under pressure to find new investment when the price of oil slumped dramatically in the late 1990s. The decision was eventually taken to sell the business to Babcock International, and being part of a larger group helped the company expand.

“In the early years, there was not a lot of difference, but we had the benefits of being part of a larger company. We had created a worldwide reputation for ourselves and were working on projects all over the world.”

As Babcock evolved into the giant support services company it is today (it now ranks in the top 200 biggest firms in the UK), Mr Hewitt eventually took up a new role as marine technology director, before a hankering to get back to something on a smaller scale prompted him to set up his own consultancy in 2005.

He had not been in his new role long when the idea of establishing a marine design centre occurred to him.

“When Swan Hunter went down, there had been concern amongst officials at the council that a whole skill set would be lost,” he said. “The idea came out to set up a cluster of companies which would work together to cover a complete spectrum of functions in the industry, from design to support.”

An approach to One NorthEast was rebuffed on the grounds the collective was too broad, but the idea of an organisation focused on the design element would be considered.

With projects such as the Future Aircraft Carrier (CVF) on the horizon, there was a clear indication of the scale of the potential prizes on offer.

“By ploughing resources into a centre of excellence, we could create something that would focus the marine design activity and that group to grow and develop in the market place,” he said.

Funding for the project was secured in 2006, with the centre opening 18 months later. There are now 24 member companies, and that is growing at a rate of one a week, while awareness is being raised through a series of events including an industry recruitment fair early next month.

Mr Hewitt is still clearly convinced there is a future for the shipbuilding industry in the North East.

“It might not be ship production and construction in the way it was, but we have still got a very strong knowledge base in marine design skills which we can nurture and which can keep us at the forefront of marine design on an international scale,” he said.

And how might the industry look in 10 years’ time? “I think the industry will be more cohesive in terms of being able to offer a very attractive package to an international client base,” he said.

“It will have a very strong mix of skills, a more balanced age profile, and will use the very latest technology, which is where the links with the universities are important.”

CV

1968-75 Newcastle University – BSc, PhD

1979-80 British Shipbuilders – Technical manager

1980-87 Brooke Marine Technical – general manager

1987-88 Marindesign International – General manager

1988-89 Swan Hunter Shipbuilders – General manager, technical projects

1989-1994: Swan Hunter International Limited – Head of design

1994-2004 Armstrong Technology – Managing director

2004-2005 Babcock Engineering Services – Director of marine technology

2005-2007 David Hewitt Associates – Managing director

2007-date Marine Design Centre – Director and general manager

QUESTIONNAIRE

What car do you drive?

Peugeot 406.

What’s your favourite restaurant?

Boat Shed, Perth.

Who or what makes you laugh?

Billy Connolly.

What’s your favourite book?

The Bridge of San Luis Rey by Thornton Wilder.

What’s your favourite film?

Rarely stay awake along enough to remember.

What was the last album you bought?

Ikon by The Sixteen.

What’s your ideal job, other than the one you’ve got?

Wooden boat builder.

If you had a talking parrot, what’s the first thing you would teach it to say?

“Where’s the catch?”

What’s the best piece of business advice you have ever received?

“Invest in people”.

And the worst?

“Your pension funds are safe with us”.

What’s your poison?

Green & Black’s chocolate ginger.

What newspapers do you read, other than The Journal?

The Guardian and Lloyd’s List.

How much was your first pay packet and what was it for?

£3 4s 0d as an apprentice ship draughtsman.

How do you keep fit?

Walking, cycling... and using the stairs.

What’s your most irritating habit?

...refusing to use the lift.

Which historical or fictional character do you most identify with or admire?

Isambard Kingdom Brunel.

Which four famous people would you most like to dine with?

IK Brunel, Admiral Lord Collingwood, Sir Christopher Wren and Fabian Stedman.

How would you like to be remembered?

Fondly.