Ferguson Marine boss complains of ‘unfair’ tender process for new CalMac vessels after contract rejected

The boss of embattled Ferguson Marine has blasted the Scottish government for forcing the shipyard into an “unfair” tender process for seven new CalMac vessels. John Petticrew, who is the acting chief executive of the nationalised shipyard, also said he would be “disappointed” if it did not win the contract.

We previously reported how Kate Forbes refused to let CMAL award Ferguson Marine the £175m contract for small vessels, opting instead to open up the procurement process. This means the taxpayer-funded shipyard is unlikely to win and will have to scramble for work.

Instead, the Deputy Prime Minister has awarded £14.2m to modernise and upgrade the company in the hope of winning more contracts in the future and staying afloat. The tender for the seven ferries outlines how it is looking for evidence of 0-3 similar sized vessels being built in the last five years.

Ferguson Marine built only one small fishing vessel during this period, with the two CalMac vessels, the Glen Sannox and the Glen Rosa, being delayed by five years and hundreds of millions of pounds over budget. They were plagued by many problems from the start, including bankruptcy and the need to save them.

LEARN MORE: ‘Catastrophic failures’ Ferguson Marine confirms further delays to ferry fiasco days after Kate Forbes assured MSPs they were on time

Mr Petticrew was appointed to the role earlier this year after former CEO David Tydeman was abruptly fired after announcing further delays to construction. Previously living in Canada, he had to partially relocate for the job and received taxpayer money for it.

Speaking to reporters at Ferguson Marine on Thursday, he said he was “disappointed” not to have been awarded the contract and that the shipyard was in an “unfair” bidding situation. He also insisted that it needed to abandon ferry building and move on to something else to keep the company afloat.

Asked if he was “frustrated” by the situation, he replied: “No, frustration is not the word. I think we need to invest in this business for the future. I think we need to focus on getting these ferries finished now. Focus on getting the workforce to the level we need for future work.