James Fisher & Sons
Encyclopedia
James Fisher & Sons plc is a large British
provider of marine engineering services. The Company is listed on the London Stock Exchange
and is a former constituent of the FTSE 250 Index
.
as a ship-owning business transporting haematite from the Cumbria
n hills. In 1868 it had 70 ships and by the 1870s it owned the largest coasting fleet in the United Kingdom
. It acquired the Furness Shipbuilding Company in 1870 but only went on to build one ship, the Ellie Park. During the 1880s it slowly moved from operating sailing ships to operating steamers.
It was first listed on the London Stock Exchange
in 1952. From the 1960s the Company was managed by Directors with no family connection. At that time it established a reputation for moving heavy equipment, including even locomotives, by sea. By 1965 it had built its first ship suitable for transporting irradiated nuclear fuel
.
The Company, who operate a submarine rescue service for the Royal Navy
, provided a Scorpio 45
submersible
to save the lives of seven Russia
n sailors in their AS-28
submarine
in 2005.
In 2007 the Company acquired Buchan Technical Services for £5m and FT Everard, a leading competitor, for £350m.
, and provides the following services:
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
provider of marine engineering services. The Company is listed on the London Stock Exchange
London Stock Exchange
The London Stock Exchange is a stock exchange located in the City of London within the United Kingdom. , the Exchange had a market capitalisation of US$3.7495 trillion, making it the fourth-largest stock exchange in the world by this measurement...
and is a former constituent of the FTSE 250 Index
FTSE 250 Index
The FTSE 250 Index is a capitalisation-weighted index consisting of the 101st to the 350th largest companies on the London Stock Exchange. Promotions to and demotions from the index take place quarterly in March, June, September and December...
.
History
The Company was founded by James Fisher in 1847 in Barrow-in-FurnessBarrow-in-Furness
Barrow-in-Furness is an industrial town and seaport which forms about half the territory of the wider Borough of Barrow-in-Furness in the county of Cumbria, England. It lies north of Liverpool, northwest of Manchester and southwest from the county town of Carlisle...
as a ship-owning business transporting haematite from the Cumbria
Cumbria
Cumbria , is a non-metropolitan county in North West England. The county and Cumbria County Council, its local authority, came into existence in 1974 after the passage of the Local Government Act 1972. Cumbria's largest settlement and county town is Carlisle. It consists of six districts, and in...
n hills. In 1868 it had 70 ships and by the 1870s it owned the largest coasting fleet in the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
. It acquired the Furness Shipbuilding Company in 1870 but only went on to build one ship, the Ellie Park. During the 1880s it slowly moved from operating sailing ships to operating steamers.
It was first listed on the London Stock Exchange
London Stock Exchange
The London Stock Exchange is a stock exchange located in the City of London within the United Kingdom. , the Exchange had a market capitalisation of US$3.7495 trillion, making it the fourth-largest stock exchange in the world by this measurement...
in 1952. From the 1960s the Company was managed by Directors with no family connection. At that time it established a reputation for moving heavy equipment, including even locomotives, by sea. By 1965 it had built its first ship suitable for transporting irradiated nuclear fuel
Nuclear fuel
Nuclear fuel is a material that can be 'consumed' by fission or fusion to derive nuclear energy. Nuclear fuels are the most dense sources of energy available...
.
The Company, who operate a submarine rescue service for the Royal Navy
Royal Navy
The Royal Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Founded in the 16th century, it is the oldest service branch and is known as the Senior Service...
, provided a Scorpio 45
Scorpio ROV
The Scorpio [Submersible Craft for Ocean Repair, Position, Inspection and Observation] is a brand of underwater submersible Remotely Operated Vehicle manufactured by Perry Tritech used by subsea industries such as the oil industry for general operations, and also by the United States Navy and...
submersible
Submersible
A submersible is a small vehicle designed to operate underwater. The term submersible is often used to differentiate from other underwater vehicles known as submarines, in that a submarine is a fully autonomous craft, capable of renewing its own power and breathing air, whereas a submersible is...
to save the lives of seven Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
n sailors in their AS-28
AS-28
AS-28 is a of the Russian Navy, which entered service in 1986. It was designed for submarine rescue operations by the Lazurit design bureau in Nizhny Novgorod...
submarine
Submarine
A submarine is a watercraft capable of independent operation below the surface of the water. It differs from a submersible, which has more limited underwater capability...
in 2005.
In 2007 the Company acquired Buchan Technical Services for £5m and FT Everard, a leading competitor, for £350m.
Operations
The Company operates from its base at the Port of BarrowPort of Barrow
The Port of Barrow refers to the enclosed dock system within the town of Barrow-in-Furness, England. Morecambe Bay is to the east of the port and the Irish Sea surrounds it to the south and west...
, and provides the following services:
- Defence (design, construction and operation of rescue submarineSubmarineA submarine is a watercraft capable of independent operation below the surface of the water. It differs from a submersible, which has more limited underwater capability...
s) - Marine oil services
- Offshore oil services
- Shipping services
- Specialist technical services
Further reading
- Watson, Nigel, Round The Coast And Across the Sea, St Matthews Press, 2000 ISBN 978-0953410125