Marine News – Early June 2026

Peel Group owner, the Whitaker family, has sold Birkenhead shipyard Cammell Laird’s parent group, APCL, to a Cornish maritime group, for an undisclosed sum.

Privately-owned Balaena, founded by Simon Gillett and based in Delabole, Cornwall, now owns Cammell Laird and two other APCL shipyards in Tyneside and Falmouth, which boast a combined turnover of £255m.

The £36.4m-turnover Cornish group operates facilities in Gibraltar and Padstow.

Tokenhouse, an Isle of Man-based entity controlled by the Whitaker family, had owned APCL.

Cammell Laird, alone, employs around 700 staff with contracts including a long-running deal with the Royal Navy to maintain and repair its Royal Fleet Auxiliary flotilla.

Sourced from TheBusinessDesk