Repair yard a Beacon for economic growth
A& P Falmouth in the UK has joined an elite group of just 23 companies in Cornwall to gain membership of Beacon South West, an initiative which encourages companies with a proven track record of success to work together to spearhead economic growth in the region.
The ship repair and conversion specialists, which employs more than 450 staff in Falmouth, applied to join the initiative to share business expertise and best practice with forward thinking businesses across a diverse range of industries.
Peter Child, managing director of A&P Falmouth, was pleased to receive the accreditation, saying, ‘Beacon South West has an impressive membership so it is a tremendous honour to be accepted to join the initiative and I’m confident that it will make a valuable contribution to the development of the management team here at A&P Falmouth.
‘As the largest private sector employer in West Cornwall, opportunities to meet with other large local businesses and share expertise are limited, so the contacts we will make with other Beacon companies throughout the South West will be invaluable.’
Beacon South West is a leading business initiative supported by the South West Regional Development Agency (SWRDA), bringing together the region’s most pioneering and rapidly expanding organisations.
Sue Baker, Beacon Southwest project director said, ‘It’s a pleasure to welcome A&P Falmouth to the Beacon South West, they will further enrich the initiative by sharing and learning from the experiences and expertise of fellow Beacon accredited companies. With a reputation for growth and a culture that is as cooperative as it is forward thinking, I am in no doubt A&P Falmouth will be an excellent ambassador for successful businesses in the region.’
Beacon businesses are ambassadors for outstanding achievement. In return for helping to raise the profile of the South West region, all Beacon businesses receive the full professional support of their peers, gaining access to new ideas and strategies as well as high quality resources and training.
Beacon status is only awarded to businesses which can demonstrate outstanding achievement across a range of criteria including significant growth in productivity and performance, delivery of a strategic development plan and the active pursuit of best practice.
Located in the world’s third largest natural deepwater harbour, A&P Falmouth is well situated for customers operating in the shipping lanes of North West Europe and offers extensive ship repair facilities with three dry docks, vast quay space, craneage and workshops, extending across a 2.5 km site.
Last July the UK Ministry of Defense awarded a £50m five year contract to A&P Falmouth to provide upkeep support to the Royal Fleet Auxiliary (RFA), guaranteeing a quarter of the yard’s work for the contract period and providing the company with vital security for the future.
