Cammell Laird
Cammell Laird is a historic shipyard in Birkenhead, UK, founded in 1828, providing shipbuilding, refit, and repair services to maritime operators, shipping companies, and research institutions, including a new shore power infrastructure capability for vessels undergoing maintenance.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1828
- HeadquartersBirkenhead, United Kingdom
- Headcount501–1,000
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Cammell Laird does
Cammell Laird is a historic UK shipbuilding and ship repair operator headquartered at a shipyard on the River Mersey in Birkenhead, England. Founded in 1828, the business has built an international reputation through complex naval, research, and commercial vessel construction, most notably the polar research ship RRS Sir David Attenborough. Its core offering consists of shipbuilding, refit, and repair services delivered through enterprise field-sales relationships with maritime operators, shipping companies, and research institutions that bring vessels into the Birkenhead facility for project-based work.
The company's physical platform comprises capital-intensive shipyard infrastructure — berthing, dry docks, and high-voltage electrical systems — supplemented by a £7 million shore power infrastructure project funded under the UK Department for Transport's Clean Maritime Demonstration Competition. This shore power capability enables vessels undergoing refit or repair to connect to clean shore-based electricity rather than running auxiliary engines, reducing emissions during shipyard stays. The site and its proprietary shore-side power connection points are described as a domain-specialist differentiator for the clean-maritime refit market.
Commercially, Cammell Laird generates revenue through project-based shipbuilding and repair contracts, with pricing negotiated case by case rather than published. Until June 2026 it operated as part of APCL Group alongside sister yards A&P Tyneside and A&P Falmouth, contributing to combined group turnover of £255 million; it has since been acquired by Cornish maritime group Balaena and rebranded as Balaena Birkenhead, bringing five shipyards and 12 dry docks under a single owner.
Cammell Laird firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Cammell Laird
- Legal name
- Cammell Laird Shipyards
- Website
- https://clbh.co.uk
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1828
- Operating status
- Acquired
- Headcount range
- 501–1,000 employees
- Short description
- Cammell Laird is a historic shipyard in Birkenhead, UK, founded in 1828, providing shipbuilding, refit, and repair services to maritime operators, shipping companies, and research institutions, including a new shore power infrastructure capability for vessels undergoing maintenance.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Cammell Laird industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Shipbuilding and Repair Services
- NAICS
- Ship Building and Repairing (336611), Ship and Boat Building (3366), Boat Building (336612)
- SIC
- Ship & Boat Building & Repairing (3730)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Hull, Structure & Steelwork Repair (TLAKAKAE)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Barge & Coastal Freighter Shipbuilding (IMAJAAAK), Utilities & Power Infrastructure (Electrical Distribution, Compressed Air, Steam, Water) (IMAJALAJ), Heavy Lifting & Material Handling Infrastructure (Goliath Cranes, Jib Cranes, Hoists) (IMAJALAD)
Keywords
Where Cammell Laird is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Birkenhead
- HQ country
- United Kingdom
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices1 record
Markets served
Cammell Laird business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Supply Chain, Technology or R&D
Revenue model
- Shipbuilding and Repair Services: Shipbuilding and repair/refit services for vessels including commercial ships, research vessels, and potentially naval vessels. Revenue generated through project-based contracts for ship construction and maintenance.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels1 record
Cammell Laird product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Cammell Laird is a historic UK shipyard providing shipbuilding, ship repair, and vessel refit services to maritime operators, shipping companies, research institutions, and naval clients. The company constructs complex vessels and maintains commercial and research ships at its Birkenhead shipyard on the River Mersey, including newly developed high-voltage shore power infrastructure that delivers clean electricity to vessels during maintenance periods.
Product overview
Cammell Laird is a historic shipyard company based in Birkenhead, UK, offering shipbuilding, ship repair, and refit services. The company operates a shipyard facility providing vessel maintenance capabilities including a shore power infrastructure project for vessels in refit or repair. The company traces its origins to the early nineteenth century and gained international recognition for constructing the polar research vessel RRS Sir David Attenborough.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Shipbuilding services Construction of commercial, research, and naval vessels at the Birkenhead shipyard, sold under project-based contracts to maritime operators, research institutions, and defence clients.
- Ship repair and refit services Ship repair, refit, and maintenance services for commercial and research vessels at the Birkenhead shipyard, including access to dry-dock facilities and the new shore power infrastructure.
- Naval redeployment services Naval vessel redeployment services supporting defence clients, positioning Cammell Laird as a major UK provider of naval redeployment alongside commercial ship repair.
Quantifiable outcome
- Clean power supply for vessels reducing emissions during refit or repair operations
Companies that use Cammell Laird
Customer profileSegments1 record
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Cammell Laird technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature1 record
Cammell Laird partnerships and signals
Strategic signalScale indicators3 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Cammell Laird competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Navantia: Spanish state-owned shipbuilder with extensive naval and commercial vessel construction and repair. Comparable to Cammell Laird in competing for European naval programs and complex vessel refits, though operating multiple yards versus Cammell Laird's single Birkenhead site.
- Fincantieri S.p.A. One of the world's largest shipbuilders with multiple European yards. Comparable to Cammell Laird in commercial and naval shipbuilding and repair, though operating at materially larger scale and with a continental European footprint rather than a single UK-focused site.
- Meyer Werft: German shipbuilder specializing in complex cruise, ferry and specialized vessels. Comparable to Cammell Laird's complex new-build execution capability (RRS Sir David Attenborough class) and for refit of specialized commercial vessels.
- BAE Systems Maritime & Naval Ships: UK's largest naval shipbuilder operating the Govan and Scotstoun yards. Comparable to Cammell Laird for naval and complex vessel programs but much larger in scale; a broad incumbent that bids for many of the same UK defence and shipbuilding contracts.
- Damen Shipyards: Netherlands-based global shipbuilder with repair yards and new-build operations across Europe and globally. Comparable to Cammell Laird in commercial vessel repair, refit, and standardized new-build for maritime operators.
- Babcock International (Marine sector): UK-headquartered engineering services group with significant ship sustainment, refit, and naval support operations (including Devonport, Rosyth). Comparable to Cammell Laird in providing ship repair and refit to the Royal Navy and commercial customers as part of a wider portfolio.
Direct peers
- Harland & Wolff: Historic UK shipyard headquartered in Belfast with fabrication, shipbuilding and repair capabilities comparable to Cammell Laird. Both are Tier-1 UK yards competing for the same naval, commercial refit, and complex vessel programs across the British Isles.
- Ferguson Marine (Port Glasgow) Ltd: UK commercial shipbuilding and ship repair yard based on the Clyde, directly comparable to Cammell Laird in ferry, naval support and refit work. Both yards compete for UK government and commercial marine contracts of similar scope.
- A&P Group (Falmouth & Tyneside): Pre-merger sibling shipyards (A&P Falmouth and A&P Tyneside) now unified with Cammell Laird under Balaena. Operates comparable commercial ship repair and refit services in the UK, sharing many of the same customer segments and competitive bid situations as Cammell Laird historically.
Regional players
- Forth Ports / Burntisland Fabrication: Scottish-based marine services and fabrication operator supporting offshore, energy and ship repair work. Comparable regional UK player that competes with Cammell Laird for Scottish and North Sea commercial marine work from a different geographic base.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights5 records
Customer concentration
Cammell Laird social profiles
Digital presenceCammell Laird financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Cammell Laird leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Cammell Laird funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds1 record
Investors1 record
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Cammell Laird M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Cammell Laird
What does Cammell Laird do?
Cammell Laird is a historic UK shipyard providing shipbuilding, ship repair, and vessel refit services to maritime operators, shipping companies, research institutions, and naval clients. The company constructs complex vessels and maintains commercial and research ships at its Birkenhead shipyard on the River Mersey, including newly developed high-voltage shore power infrastructure that delivers clean electricity to vessels during maintenance periods.
Is Cammell Laird a public or private company?
Cammell Laird is a private company. It is classified as corporate owned and is currently acquired.
When was Cammell Laird founded?
Cammell Laird was founded in 1828. It employs 501 to 1,000 people.
Where is Cammell Laird based?
Cammell Laird is headquartered in Birkenhead, United Kingdom, in the Europe region.
How does Cammell Laird make money?
One revenue line is on record: shipbuilding and Repair Services.
Who are Cammell Laird's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Navantia, Fincantieri S.p.A., Meyer Werft, BAE Systems Maritime & Naval Ships, Damen Shipyards and Babcock International (Marine sector). Direct peers are Harland & Wolff, Ferguson Marine (Port Glasgow) Ltd and A&P Group (Falmouth & Tyneside). Forth Ports / Burntisland Fabrication is listed as a regional player.
Does Cammell Laird have an API?
No public API is recorded for Cammell Laird.
What industry is Cammell Laird in?
Cammell Laird's product category is Shipbuilding and Repair Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is TLAKAKAE, Hull, Structure & Steelwork Repair, with a secondary code of IMAJAAAK, Barge & Coastal Freighter Shipbuilding. Its NAICS code is 336611 and its SIC code is 3730.