Macduff Shipyards Group
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1940
- HeadquartersMacduff, United Kingdom
- Headcount101–250
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Macduff Shipyards Group does
Macduff Shipyards Group, operating legally as Macduff Shipyards Limited, is a privately held Scottish industrial services company founded in 1940 and headquartered in Macduff, Aberdeenshire. The group is structured around four divisions: Macduff Shipyards (vessel design, new builds, repair, and refit for vessels up to 65 metres, including specialised work on aquaculture vessels, deck machinery, stern gear, and deep sea seals), Macduff Crane Hire (24/7 mobile crane rental with CPA contract lift services), Macduff Profilers (CNC and manual profiling and fabrication), and Macduff Precision Engineering (specialised manufacturing). Primary customers are aquaculture operators and commercial fishing/maritime vessel owners in northeast Scotland, while Profilers and Precision Engineering also serve general industrial clients beyond the maritime sector.
Macduff Shipyards Group firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Macduff Shipyards Group
- Legal name
- Macduff Shipyards Limited
- Website
- https://macduffshipyards.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1940
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 101–250 employees
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Macduff Shipyards Group industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Shipbuilding and Maritime Engineering Services
- NAICS
- Ship Building and Repairing (336611)
- SIC
- Ship & Boat Building & Repairing (3730)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Hull, Structure & Steelwork Repair (TLAKAKAE)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Mechanical Systems Repair (Engines, Propulsion, Pumps) (TLAKAKAF), Underwater Hull Inspection, Cleaning & Propeller Services (TLAKAKAJ), Heavy Lifting & Material Handling Infrastructure (Goliath Cranes, Jib Cranes, Hoists) (IMAJALAD)
Keywords
Where Macduff Shipyards Group is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Macduff
- HQ country
- United Kingdom
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices4 records
Markets served
Macduff Shipyards Group business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Supply Chain, Technology or R&D
Revenue model
- Shipyard Services: Vessel design, new builds, repair and refit services for vessels up to 65m. Services include aquaculture vessels, deck machinery, stern gear, and deep sea seals.
- Crane Hire Services: Crane hire with fully qualified operators available 24/7. Includes standard crane hire and CPA contract lift services for heavy lifting projects.
- Profiling and Fabrication Services: CNC and manual profiling and fabrication services serving wide range of industries beyond maritime sector.
- Precision Engineering Services: Precision engineering services as part of the group's integrated service offering.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels1 record
Macduff Shipyards Group product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Macduff Shipyards Group provides integrated shipbuilding, vessel repair, and refit services for vessels up to 65 metres in length, alongside mobile crane hire with qualified operators, CNC and manual profiling and fabrication, and precision engineering services. Based in northeast Scotland with harbour-side facilities in Macduff and supporting offices in Buckie and Fraserburgh, the group delivers full lifecycle vessel services spanning design, new builds, repair, refit, deck machinery, stern gear, and aquaculture vessel support for maritime, fishing, and aquaculture operators.
Product overview
Macduff Group operates as a multi-divisional industrial group with four core business units. The flagship Macduff Shipyards division handles vessel new builds, repair, and refit for vessels up to 65m, including specialized work on deck machinery, stern gear, deep sea seals, and aquaculture vessels. Macduff Crane Hire provides mobile crane rental with 24/7 availability and contract lift services. Macduff Profilers delivers CNC and manual profiling and fabrication services across multiple industries. Macduff Precision Engineering provides precision manufacturing capabilities. The divisions share facilities in Macduff, Buckie, and Fraserburgh and serve clients from initial design through to repair and refit, functioning as an integrated shipbuilding and engineering services group.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Macduff Shipyards: Shipyard services including new builds, repair, refit, aquaculture vessels, deck machinery, stern gear, and deep sea seals
- Macduff Crane Hire
- Macduff Profilers
- Macduff Precision Engineering
Products and services
- Macduff Shipyards Shipbuilding, repair, and refit services for vessels up to 65m long, covering the full lifecycle from design through production to repair for commercial and aquaculture vessel operators.
- Macduff Crane Hire Mobile crane rental services operating 24/7 with a diverse fleet and qualified operators, including CPA crane hire and CPA contract lift options for heavy lifting projects.
- Macduff Profilers CNC and manual profiling and fabrication services delivered for a wide range of industries, operating from the Old Gamrie Road facility in Macduff.
- Macduff Precision Engineering Precision engineering services providing specialised manufacturing and fabrication capabilities to support shipbuilding and broader industrial applications.
- New Builds Design and construction of new vessels from concept through to completion, leveraging extensive experience in vessel design and production for commercial and aquaculture operators.
- Aquaculture Services Specialised shipyard services catering to the aquaculture industry, including vessel construction and ongoing maintenance for fish farming operators.
- Deck Machinery Supply and installation of deck machinery components for marine vessels.
- Stern Gear Manufacturing and supply of stern gear components for marine vessels.
- Deep Sea Seals Supply and installation of deep sea seal systems for marine applications.
- CPA Crane Hire Contract hire arrangements for cranes with fully qualified operators ensuring safe and efficient project execution.
- CPA Contract Lift Full contract lift services combining crane hire with specialised lifting operations managed by qualified personnel for complex lifting projects.
Quantifiable outcome
- Caters for vessels up to 65m in length
Companies that use Macduff Shipyards Group
Customer profileSegments3 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
Macduff Shipyards Group technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature3 records
Macduff Shipyards Group partnerships and signals
Strategic signalScale indicators3 records
Expansion highlights3 records
Macduff Shipyards Group competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Harland & Wolff: Iconic Belfast shipyard with broader shipbuilding, ship repair, and offshore fabrication capabilities serving naval, commercial, and renewables customers. A larger incumbent operating in the same shipbuilding and MRO space with overlapping but wider scope than Macduff.
- Damen Shipyards: Global shipbuilder with a wide portfolio of workboats, tugs, offshore vessels, and naval ships plus an extensive ship repair network. Comparable as a larger incumbent in marine construction and repair, with broader segment coverage than Macduff's niche focus.
- James Fisher and Sons: UK marine services provider offering vessel management, offshore support, subsea, and ship repair services across multiple geographies. Comparable as a broader incumbent providing integrated marine services with overlapping customer segments to aquaculture, fishing, and offshore.
- Sarens: Global heavy lifting and engineered transport specialist with large crawler cranes and contract lift services for industrial, energy, and infrastructure projects. Comparable as a broader incumbent in the same heavy lifting and crane hire services category Macduff Crane Hire operates in.
- Mammoet: Global leader in heavy lifting and transport with extensive crane fleet and engineered lifting services for offshore, energy, and civil projects. Comparable as a broader incumbent offering contract lift and crane hire services overlapping with Macduff Crane Hire's offering.
Direct peers
- Ainscough Crane Hire: Largest UK crane hire company operating a diverse mobile crane fleet with contract lift services across industrial, infrastructure, and energy projects. Directly comparable to Macduff Crane Hire in mobile crane rental and contract lifting in the UK market.
- A&P Group: UK ship repair and conversion operator with yards in Devon, Cornwall, and on the Clyde offering vessel maintenance, refit, and fabrication services. Directly comparable in marine MRO services targeting commercial, fishing, and naval customers in the UK.
- Ferguson Shipbuilders: Scottish shipbuilder based in Port Glasgow building and repairing smaller commercial and working vessels, including ferries and coasters. Directly comparable as a UK regional shipyard competing for similar sub-65m vessel new build and refit contracts in Scotland.
- Cammell Laird: Birkenhead-based shipyard focused on ship repair, complex refit, and new builds for commercial and naval clients. Comparable as a UK shipyard offering integrated fabrication and vessel services to commercial and government marine customers.
Regional players
- Vard Group: Norwegian shipbuilder specializing in offshore support vessels, specialized cargo ships, and aquaculture service vessels with global operations. Comparable in the aquaculture and offshore vessel niche but primarily serves different European geographies than Macduff's Scottish base.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Macduff Shipyards Group social profiles
Digital presenceMacduff Shipyards Group financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Macduff Shipyards Group leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Macduff Shipyards Group funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Macduff Shipyards Group 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 Macduff Shipyards Group
What does Macduff Shipyards Group do?
Macduff Shipyards Group provides integrated shipbuilding, vessel repair, and refit services for vessels up to 65 metres in length, alongside mobile crane hire with qualified operators, CNC and manual profiling and fabrication, and precision engineering services. Based in northeast Scotland with harbour-side facilities in Macduff and supporting offices in Buckie and Fraserburgh, the group delivers full lifecycle vessel services spanning design, new builds, repair, refit, deck machinery, stern gear, and aquaculture vessel support for maritime, fishing, and aquaculture operators.
Is Macduff Shipyards Group a public or private company?
Macduff Shipyards Group is a private company. It is classified as family owned and is currently operating.
When was Macduff Shipyards Group founded?
Macduff Shipyards Group was founded in 1940. It employs 101 to 250 people.
Where is Macduff Shipyards Group based?
Macduff Shipyards Group is headquartered in Macduff, United Kingdom, in the Europe region.
How does Macduff Shipyards Group make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Shipyard Services are the primary driver. The others are crane Hire Services, profiling and Fabrication Services and precision Engineering Services.
Who are Macduff Shipyards Group's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Harland & Wolff, Damen Shipyards, James Fisher and Sons, Sarens and Mammoet. Direct peers are Ainscough Crane Hire, A&P Group, Ferguson Shipbuilders and Cammell Laird. Vard Group is listed as a regional player.
Does Macduff Shipyards Group have an API?
No public API is recorded for Macduff Shipyards Group.
What industry is Macduff Shipyards Group in?
Macduff Shipyards Group's product category is Shipbuilding and Maritime Engineering Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is TLAKAKAE, Hull, Structure & Steelwork Repair, with a secondary code of TLAKAKAF, Mechanical Systems Repair (Engines, Propulsion, Pumps). Its NAICS code is 336611 and its SIC code is 3730.