Calvey Marine Ltd Celebrates 30 Years in Industry
Thursday, 2nd September 2021
Calvey Marine Limited was established in 1991 and supports UK-based ship owners and managers with all their ship repair and maintenance needs, from drydocking and retrofits to procurement and services.
You would be easily mistaken to assume that this is a large corporate company, but in truth, this small, family-run business has a lot of heart. Family values, exceptional customer service, professionalism and a lot of hard work are at the forefront of Calvey’s ethos, and they are exceptionally proud to be at the forefront of the ship repair and marine industry. Pastoral care and philanthropic activity also separate Calvey Marine from its competitors and measure their success not just by realised and ongoing growth but their moral obligation to make our industry and the lives of those they interact with better than they found them.
Whilst clients are mainly UK-based, Calvey Marine project manages the enquiries for repairs and maintenance works to ships globally, from the UK to the US, Europe, Dubai, China and Singapore. Building firm and lasting relationships is key to Calvey Marine’s business and our reputation is everything. Calvey is immensely proud to support the global maritime industry and keep shipping afloat despite any challenges the industry faces. This is achieved by continually evolving our operations to meet any challenges they face and exploring all opportunities with proactivity and forward-thinking.
Despite a recent decrease in their ability to visit face-to-face, Calvey Marine has taken a proactive approach to maintaining these hard-earned relationships and has teamed up with GOWI Consulting to present regular webinars for their clients and principals. The sessions are aimed to inform those in the maritime industry how best to maximise both business and personal potential, which has never been more relevant in this ever-changing world.
Topics have included; ‘how best to manage your team remotely’, ‘looking after your employees’ and your own pastoral needs, and addressing some of the challenges that working remotely presents, such as ‘managing global teams from afar’. All sessions have resulted in glowing feedback and high numbers of attendees. For businesses, pastoral care has never been more important and, if successfully managed, can not only support the wellbeing of staff but also maximise the existing commercial opportunities available. A ‘sales free’ environment with all members aiming to accomplish this goal for their teams was a refreshing reminder of the intimate and close-knit climate that still exists within the maritime industry and certainly one that Calvey Marine is very proud to be a part of, leading from the front line.
Whilst some of our projects were put on hold due to the pandemic, Calvey quickly adapted to increase our portfolio of products and services in order to support our Clients best, resulting in more enquiries received than ever before. Calvey Marine strives to increase both the support they can offer their Clients and the number of Clients they support, leading to overall more business for their Principals worldwide.
The difficulty with business development over the last 18 months has been a lack of ability to visit shipyards worldwide to manage projects in person to build rapport with new clients, and maintain strong bonds with existing clients without being able to meet and market face-to-face. Strong communication skills have been key to our operations both at our company and also to their clients and principals. Despite challenges, the team are optimistic about our expansion plans and has recently been asked to represent our principals’ services further afield in Europe. Calvey Marine is experiencing a record year so far and is thrilled with our progress, continuing to grow our business by providing exceptional support and service to our clients. Expansion is on the horizon, with recently appointed Business Development Director Jessica on the hunt for the right candidate to join our team in 2022.
As family is at the heart of our company, looking after the wellbeing of our own during the Pandemic has been an essential and more personal focus for us. Honest and open communication, flexibility, understanding and compassion have never been more key, and Calvey Marine has focused on its own pastoral care greatly over the last year.
A note from the MD…
“For me the marine industry must be one of the most challenging, engaging and rewarding sectors to work in. The opportunity to constantly be challenged and to learn throughout my career, to travel the world and to build long-lasting relationships with our clients and principals is a true privilege. Having a real passion for the industry means that we can approach every interaction with enthusiasm, determination and genuine interest.
I would like to take this opportunity to thank both our Clients and Principals for their great support during the last 30 years. We are looking forward to working closely with you on all your onward endeavours and continuing a very bright future for all.” – Steven Black, Managing Director.
