Southampton Marine Services Ltd (SMS Group), the UK's largest independent ship repairer, has secured a major USD$3.94 million (£3 million) contract with German cruise company AIDA to refit the first of three
Southampton Marine Services Ltd (SMS Group), the UK's largest independent ship repairer, has secured a major USD$3.94 million (£3 million) contract with German cruise company AIDA to refit the first of three ships in Marseilles, thanks in part to a trade loan backed under the Export Working Capital Scheme (EWCS) by UK Export Finance (UKEF) – the government’s export credit agency.
The government-backed financing, issued by Santander UK, has enabled the Southampton-based company to deliver its largest European contract to date and positions the company to take on further orders from new clients in the rapidly growing cruise sector.
Each major outfitting project enables SMS Group to hire additional UK staff and several subcontractors, directly supporting job creation and skills development in the UK's marine engineering sector.
Founded in 2016, SMS Group brings together the expertise of shipping professionals from some of the UK's marine engineering companies, including Burgess Marine, Testbank and Small & Co. Today, it is a provider of ship repair and marine engineering services in both ship-side and shore-side environments.
Over the past five years, SMS Group has built a strong reputation for outfitting interiors for major US and European cruise lines. The AIDA contract marks a
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