Member Article

Beverley marine technology firm aims to expand after multi-million pound investment

Beverley-based Marine Rescue Technologies (MRT) is targeting UK and global markets after an ambitious multi-million pound expansion and investment.

The company manufactures specialist man overboard monitoring, alerting and tracking systems and has invested in new manufacturing and assembly facilities and offices, increasing its suite of products, and its employee numbers in the process.

Operating as a wholly owned subsidiary of Mobilarm, which is listed on the Australian Perth exchange, this is a company with big plans, says chief executive officer, Ken Gaunt, including opening new premises abroad and in the UK.

“We are here, we mean business and we’re really excited about the opportunities the next few years will bring,” said Mr Gaunt, who has seen staff headcount in Beverley rise steadily since 2012, from 13 to 28.

“We have already invested millions in facilities, resources, employees, product development and training in the first phase of investment and expansion. As a business we want to lead the industry with innovation and passion to constantly improve maritime safety. Our business is dedicated to saving the man in the water.”

MRT specialises in man overboard monitoring, alerting and tracking systems for a number of sectors, including oil & gas, helicopter transfer, offshore wind farms, aqua culture, seismic and general maritime.

Its customers include ABP, Bond Aviation Group, BP, Bristow Group, CGG, WesternGeco, Siemens, PGS, CHC Helicopter, Shell and Total.

As well as Marshall House, Grovehill Road, Beverley, the company operates in Australia with offices in Perth and Sydney, and in Nigeria through a joint-venture partner.

“We will open new facilities in Aberdeen and in the US in Houston, Texas, in the foreseeable future, extending our global reach so that moving forward and buoyed by our new products and facilities, we fully expect our customer rental and service base to grow significantly in the coming two to three years.

“We have a very different vision to other companies in the sector as 100% of our focus is on the man overboard market – we are a sophisticated, specialist, dedicated man overboard business.”

This clarity of focus can be seen in new product developments to clearly meet market requirements, such as the new helicopter transfer beacon.

The company has a long-established reputation on the Humber with roots firmly in East Yorkshire.

Mobilarm bought MRT in 2011 from David Marshall, who founded the business in 1974 in the aftermath of the Gaul trawler tragedy.

Mr Gaunt originally from Zimbabwe, but having lived in Australia before relocating to the UK to grow the business, moved MRT’s operations, and its successful Sea Marshall brand, to Beverley from Middleton-on-the-Wolds.

He has brought the bulk of Mobilarm’s Australian operations to East Yorkshire and enlisted the experience and guidance of high profile chairman Sir Tim McClement, the former Royal Navy Vice-Admiral.

“Our local and maritime connections are fundamental to how we move our business forward. We employ locally as much as we can and we have also entered into an apprenticeship programme with East Riding College here in Beverley.”

Many of its staff have been longstanding employees of the business set up by David Marshall, with professionally trained maritime safety advisers, including specialists with military and merchant navy backgrounds.

The majority of product components are manufactured in the UK and assembled on site in Beverley with specialised software written locally, too. Life jackets are manufactured by a UK specialist and designed to integrate with MRT’s range of beacons.Secondary manufacturing in the Far East compliments a robust, professional and reliable range of products.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Clare Burnett .