Ferguson Marine
Ferguson Marine is a state-owned Scottish shipyard in Port Glasgow, wholly owned by the Scottish Government since 2019. It designs and builds ferries (including the UK's first LNG dual-fuel ferry), fabricates structural components for BAE Systems Type 26 frigates, and constructs commercial workboats for government and aquaculture clients.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1903
- HeadquartersPort Glasgow, United Kingdom
- Headcount251–500
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What Ferguson Marine does
Ferguson Marine (Port Glasgow) Limited is a state-owned Scottish shipyard located at Newark Works, Port Glasgow, on the lower Clyde. Founded in 1903 and wholly nationalised under Scottish Ministerial ownership in December 2019 following the administration of the former Ferguson Marine Engineering Ltd, the company is the last remaining commercial shipyard in Scotland and the only shipbuilder on the lower Clyde. It operates as a strategic national asset delivering vessel design, new-build construction, refit, and ship repair services. Headcount is reported at 500+, with 120 temporary workers added during peak production periods, supported by a sustained apprenticeship programme producing welders, fabricators, mechanical fitters, and electrical trades.
The core product portfolio centres on roll-on/roll-off passenger and vehicle ferries for the Scottish public sector, including the UK's first LNG dual-fuel ferry MV Glen Sannox (delivered November 2024, in service since January 2025) and the sister vessel MV Glen Rosa (launched April 2024, in final dry-dock phase ahead of 2026 delivery). The yard has built diesel-electric hybrid ferries MV Lochinvar, MV Hallaig and MV Catriona under previous contracts. Defence work comprises structural steel fabrication for BAE Systems' Type 26 frigate programme, including three units for HMS Birmingham. Commercial output includes specialised workboats for the Scottish aquaculture sector (notably the thermolicer-equipped Kallista Helen for Inverlussa Marine Services) and an Air Cushion Barge for offshore oil industry support. A 2026 four-vessel direct award from the Scottish Government covers a Marine Protection Vessel and a Marine Research Vessel for Marine Scotland, plus two further CalMac passenger ferries under the Small Vessel Replacement Programme, providing a five-year pipeline.
Revenue mechanics are dominated by long-duration, fixed-price contract work with government and prime-contractor customers — primarily CMAL and CalMac for ferries, Marine Scotland for marine protection and research vessels, and BAE Systems for defence fabrication — supplemented by smaller commercial and refit engagements. The yard has received over £270 million in cumulative Scottish Government funding tied to nationalisation, project completion, and ongoing operations, with an additional £14.2 million capital investment approved in principle in October 2025 contingent on a modernisation business case (only £570,000 disbursed to date). Geographic scope is predominantly Scotland and the wider UK, with the yard structurally limited to vessels under approximately 140 metres in length, a constraint that has already cost it major freight ferry contracts to Chinese shipbuilders.
Ferguson Marine firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Ferguson Marine
- Legal name
- Ferguson Marine (Port Glasgow) Limited
- Website
- https://fergusonmarine.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1903
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 251–500 employees
- Short description
- Ferguson Marine is a state-owned Scottish shipyard in Port Glasgow, wholly owned by the Scottish Government since 2019. It designs and builds ferries (including the UK's first LNG dual-fuel ferry), fabricates structural components for BAE Systems Type 26 frigates, and constructs commercial workboats for government and aquaculture clients.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Ferguson Marine industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Shipbuilding and Marine Engineering
- NAICS
- Ship Building and Repairing (336611)
- SIC
- Ship & Boat Building & Repairing (3730)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Auxiliary & Logistics Naval Vessels (Replenishment, Support, Hospital) (IMAJABAD)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Commercial Ship Repair & Drydocking (TLAKAKAA), Landing Craft & Amphibious Workboats (LCM/LCT-style, Beaching Craft) (IMAJADAK)
Keywords
Where Ferguson Marine is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Port Glasgow
- HQ country
- United Kingdom
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices1 record
Markets served
Ferguson Marine business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Personnel, Supply Chain, Infrastructure, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales
Revenue model
- Vessel Construction Contracts: Primary revenue from building vessels under contract for government bodies including CMAL, Marine Scotland, and CalMac. Revenue is project-based, derived from fixed-price contracts for vessel construction with payments tied to milestones.
- Defence Subcontracting: Revenue from subcontracting work on the BAE Systems Type 26 frigate programme, fabricating structural components for Royal Navy warships.
- Marine Engineering Services: Custom marine engineering projects including accommodation modules, repairs, and fabrication services for third-party clients like Voe Marine.
- Commercial Vessel Construction: Building commercial workboats and vessels for private sector clients including aquaculture companies.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| One time/ perpetual license | Multi-year contract | Four-vessel direct award contract |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels5 records
Ferguson Marine product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Ferguson Marine designs and builds commercial vessels, with a primary focus on passenger and vehicle ferries for the Scottish Government-controlled CalMac network. The yard also fabricates structural steelwork for naval frigate programmes under subcontract and constructs commercial workboats for niche sectors such as aquaculture. Services extend to vessel refit, repair, dry-dock support, and bespoke marine engineering including accommodation module outfitting.
Product overview
Ferguson Marine (Port Glasgow) Limited is a state-owned Scottish shipyard offering vessel design, construction, and engineering services. The product portfolio centres on ferry building for public sector clients (CalMac and CMAL), including the pioneering dual-fuel LNG ferry programme (MV Glen Sannox and MV Glen Rosa), defence work (Type 26 frigate components for BAE Systems), and commercial vessels (aquaculture workboats, offshore support vessels). The yard also delivers vessel refit and maintenance services, and operates an apprenticeship programme. The company is pursuing expansion through the four-vessel direct award announced in 2026, which includes Marine Protection Vessel, Marine Research Vessel, and additional CalMac ferries.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- MV Glen Sannox Dual-Fuel Ferry First of two dual-fuel ferries built for CMAL and operated by CalMac; the UK's first LNG-powered ferry capable of running on liquefied natural gas and marine gas oil. Delivered to the Scottish Government-controlled ferry network for service on the Arran route.
- MV Glen Rosa Dual-Fuel Ferry Second dual-fuel ferry for CMAL; a 102-metre roll-on/roll-off vessel carrying up to 127 cars, 16 HGVs, and 852 passengers, capable of operating on LNG and MGO. Built for CalMac's Arran route.
- Diesel-Electric Hybrid Ferries
Companies that use Ferguson Marine
Customer profileNamed customers7 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Ferguson Marine technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature4 records
Ferguson Marine partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- Marine ScotlandcoreAs part of the four-vessel direct award from Scottish Government, Ferguson Marine will design and build a Marine Protection Vessel (MPV) and Marine Research Vessel (MRV) for Marine Scotland to replace MPV 'Minna' and MRV 'Scotia'.
- University of StrathclydeminorStudents from University's Naval Architecture Department visited Ferguson Marine yard. Strathclyde hosts one of world's leading naval architecture programmes, and the visit reinforced importance of technical rigour in maritime education.
- West College ScotlandminorSix apprentices attend West College Scotland Clydebank campus and two attend Greenock campus, working towards SVQ2 in Performing Engineering Operations and NC Fabrication and Welding units alongside on-site training.
- Dales Marine ServicesminorMV Glen Rosa dry dock work being carried out at Dales Marine Services' facility in Greenock, including maintenance, repairs, inspections, rudder and stabiliser work, bow clam door welding, and painting repairs.
- BAE SystemscoreFerguson Marine signed contract with BAE Systems to fabricate three structural components for HMS Birmingham as part of the Type 26 programme. This is a significant contract for the shipyard as it seeks to secure new work, demonstrating the ability of the skilled workforce to win complex commercial contracts. The company previously built two units for the Type 26 programme.
- Voe MarineminorFerguson Marine completed outfitting a temporary accommodation module designed by Voe Marine for plug and play functionality, providing marine grade DNV approved flexible accommodation solutions for vessels.
- Caledonian Maritime Assets Limited (CMAL)coreCMAL is the owner of major vessels in the CalMac ferry fleet and has commissioned multiple vessels from Ferguson Marine including MV Glen Sannox, MV Glen Rosa, and vessels in the Small Vessel Replacement Programme.
- Inverlussa Marine ServicesminorBuilt Hull 805 (Kallista Helen), an innovative 26-metre workboat for Scotland's fish farming sector, featuring first thermolicer system design built in Scotland. Vessel operates on west coast of Scotland and Northern Isles on charter to Scottish Sea Farms.
Scale indicators10 records
Recent moves7 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Ferguson Marine competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Damen Shipyards: Large Dutch shipbuilding group with ferry, naval, and workboat construction capabilities globally. Broad incumbent offering the same vessel categories as Ferguson Marine but at much larger scale and international reach.
- BAE Systems: Prime contractor on the Royal Navy Type 26 frigate programme and a customer of Ferguson Marine (fabrication subcontractor). Comparable as a UK naval shipbuilder and the dominant buyer of UK warship fabrication capacity.
- Fincantieri: Italy-headquartered global shipbuilder with strong cruise and ferry franchises and naval operations via Vard. Direct comparability on ferry newbuilds and naval auxiliary vessels, operating at much greater scale than Ferguson Marine.
- Babcock International: Major UK defence and naval shipbuilding group running the Type 31 frigate programme, the direct larger incumbent to Ferguson Marine on UK naval programmes. Graeme Thomson, Ferguson Marine's current CEO, joined FMPG from Babcock.
Direct peers
- Cammell Laird: UK commercial shipyard based in Birkenhead that builds and repairs ferries, naval auxiliaries, and commercial vessels. Closest UK analogue to Ferguson Marine in terms of shipbuilding + ship repair scope and public-sector customer mix.
- Meyer Turku: Finnish cruise and ferry shipyard, a direct peer to Ferguson Marine in the passenger ferry newbuild segment, with comparable LNG/hybrid propulsion experience and similar public-sector ferry customers.
- Guangzhou Shipyard International (GSI): Chinese shipbuilder that won the £200m CMAL Northern Isles freight ferry contract directly over Ferguson Marine. A clear price- and capacity-led competitor in the same UK ferry tendering market.
- Remontowa Shipbuilding: Polish shipyard combining newbuild, ship repair, and conversions, with strong ferry and offshore fleet work. Closely comparable business model to Ferguson Marine across newbuild + repair on medium-sized commercial and naval vessels.
- Harland & Wolff: Iconic Belfast shipyard with ferry, naval, and commercial fabrication capability. Highly comparable to Ferguson Marine given similar UK/Ireland ferry customer base and history of administration and state intervention.
Emerging players
- Austal Ships: Australian shipbuilder of high-speed aluminium ferries and naval vessels, increasingly active in UK and European ferry tenders. Comparable in aluminium workboat construction, niche LNG/dual-fuel ferries, and defence auxiliaries.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Ferguson Marine social profiles
Digital presenceFerguson Marine compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance1 record
Ferguson Marine financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Ferguson Marine leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles6 records
Ferguson Marine funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Ferguson Marine 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 Ferguson Marine
What does Ferguson Marine do?
Ferguson Marine designs and builds commercial vessels, with a primary focus on passenger and vehicle ferries for the Scottish Government-controlled CalMac network. The yard also fabricates structural steelwork for naval frigate programmes under subcontract and constructs commercial workboats for niche sectors such as aquaculture. Services extend to vessel refit, repair, dry-dock support, and bespoke marine engineering including accommodation module outfitting.
Is Ferguson Marine a public or private company?
Ferguson Marine is a private company. It is classified as state government owned and is currently operating.
When was Ferguson Marine founded?
Ferguson Marine was founded in 1903. It employs 251 to 500 people.
Where is Ferguson Marine based?
Ferguson Marine is headquartered in Port Glasgow, United Kingdom, in the Europe region.
How does Ferguson Marine make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Vessel Construction Contracts are the primary driver. The others are defence Subcontracting, marine Engineering Services and commercial Vessel Construction.
Who are Ferguson Marine's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Damen Shipyards, BAE Systems, Fincantieri and Babcock International. Direct peers are Cammell Laird, Meyer Turku, Guangzhou Shipyard International (GSI), Remontowa Shipbuilding and Harland & Wolff. Austal Ships is listed as an emerging player.
Does Ferguson Marine have an API?
No public API is recorded for Ferguson Marine.
What industry is Ferguson Marine in?
Ferguson Marine's product category is Shipbuilding and Marine Engineering. Its primary akta.pro industry code is IMAJABAD, Auxiliary & Logistics Naval Vessels (Replenishment, Support, Hospital), with a secondary code of TLAKAKAA, Commercial Ship Repair & Drydocking. Its NAICS code is 336611 and its SIC code is 3730.