Tag Archives: Marine

News, North of England, South East

Twisted makes a splash with purchase of second marine engineering business

Twisted Marine has extended its capabilities with the acquisition of Brighton-based West Marine Services 

Twisted Marine, sister company to North Yorkshire-based Twisted Automotive, is expanding its capabilities and resources after a deal to acquire Brighton-based marine engineering business, West Marine Services Limited. 

West Marine, which turns over circa £700,000 and provides powerboat service, repair and supply services, will join the Twisted Marine group of companies and continue to scale its operations as part of the larger business. 

Twisted Marine said the acquisition would support its plans to grow its market presence in the marine sector and cement its growing reputation for building and enhancing power boats based on solid marine engineering foundations.  

West Marine is an authorised dealer for Volvo Penta, Mercury Marine and Yanmar and the business will strengthen Twisted Marine’s dealership links to support customers across the whole of the south coast.  

Based in a 1900 sq. ft facility in a prime location on the Brighton Marina Village, West Marine was founded in 2005 and has developed a reputation as a one-stop shop for all types of leisure craft, from small tenders to large yachts. The business’s current owner, Mike West, will exit the business. 

Twisted founder Charles Fawcett says: “There are some excellent synergies between our two marine engineering businesses, which together will provide us with a wider client base and expanded capabilities across the south coast. The cultures within the two organisations are remarkably similar, which will ensure a smooth integration and enable us to quickly get on with scaling Twisted Marine further.  

“West Marine Services is a second-generation engineering company, with significant engineering knowledge to bring to the Marine Services Group of the future. We very much look forward to welcoming the West Marine team to Twisted, and working together with them to create a centre of marine engineering excellence, firmly putting Twisted Marine on the map as a household name in the marine industry.” 

Twisted entered the marine market in November 2020 when Fawcett acquired Devon-based SMS (Salcombe) Limited for an undisclosed sum and rebranded it as Salcombe Marine Services. Twisted Marine is currently reviewing a number of additional acquisitions to bolster its growth plans. 

Twisted Marine is run by Fawcett and MD Jake Cronk, a fully qualified marine engineer and member of the Institute of Mechanical Engineer who holds a master’s degree in mechanical engineering. He joined the business following a successful career with the Mercedes AMG Formula 1 and Formula E teams.   

 

Picture credit:  

Back row (left to right): Carl Davey, Chris Bailey, Andy Cabell 

Front Row (left to right): Joe Bullen, Jake Cronk, Roz Swaffer 

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About Twisted Marine 

 Twisted Marine is part of the Twisted Group, founded in Thirsk, North Yorkshire, in 2000 by Charles Fawcett. 

 The group is globally recognised as the leading modifier of the Land Rover Defender, seeking to make the iconic vehicle the best it can possibly be through continual improvement with its team of in-house designers and engineers.  

 The business employs people across the globe – each committed to the shared ambition of making the best off-road vehicle better whilst never losing sight of what makes a Defender special in the first place.  

Following the purchase of a marine engineering business in Salcombe in 2020, the business was positioned to launch Twisted Marine. A team of experienced marine engineers and a management team with a pedigree in Formula 1, Formula E and Offshore Powerboat Racing now intend to grow the Twisted brand in the marine world. 

 Whether on land or water, the Twisted brands promise to deliver the best possible design and performance and are united in one mission; Making the best. Better.   

 Twisted Marine is headquartered in Salcombe. The Twisted Group has additional locations in Kensington, Salcombe, Silverstone, Austin (Texas) and Dubai and is headquartered in Thirsk. 

 Website: www.twistedmarine.com   

 

Appointments, News, South East

Cox Marine Strengthens Senior Management with Three New Appointments

Cox Marine, a leading British manufacturer of high-powered diesel outboard engines for the global marine industry, has appointed three new additions to its senior management, deepening the talent and experience in Cox’s team as it brings the innovative CXO300 from development and launch phase to full-scale manufacturing and marketing. David Gilbert has been appointed as Cox Marine’s new Chief Commercial Officer, while Paul Cavander joins as Head of Industrial Strategy and Heinz Stalhammar as Chief Engineer.

David Gilbert joins from McLaren Automotive Ltd, where he spent over 10 years in roles including Director of Strategy, Managing Director for EMEA, and lastly Commercial Operations Director. David has also previously worked for Element Six, Volkswagen, PA Consulting and Accenture. David will be joining Cox Marine’s executive committee.

Paul Cavander, has been appointed as Head of Industrial Strategy, beginning his new role last month. Paul has joined from GKN Aerospace where he was Projects Director, overseeing the operational strategy of the Special Products Group business globally on multi-million pound projects spanning several sites and countries. Prior to this he was a Site Manager, managing a team of 260 people. Paul previously held senior operations and management roles at Rolls-Royce Bentley and In2Tec. Paul will be responsible for ensuring the industrial efficiency and operations of Cox Marine are as effective as possible as it steps up its manufacturing in the coming months and years.

Heinz Stalhammar also joined Cox Marine as Chief Engineer last month. Heinz has more than 40 years’ experience working on automotive, marine and competition engines. He has joined from another engine manufacturer where he has spent the last ten years engineering diesel engines for marine use.

Regarding the new appointments, Gavin Wesson, CEO of Cox Marine, said:

“With extensive experience in driving businesses’ growth, product development and achieving significant market share, the appointments of David, Paul and Heinz are very exciting additions to the Cox Marine team. Their expertise, knowledge, and talent will play a key role in supporting the next phase of Cox’s story as we progress from engine development to full-scale product manufacturing. We welcome them all to the team here at Cox Marine.”

David Gilbert, new Chief Commercial Officer at Cox Marine said:

“It is a pleasure to be joining Cox Marine, an exciting and ambitious British engine manufacturer that has developed an innovative engine that promises to disrupt the marine outboard market significantly. I look forward to working closely with the Cox Marine team and its network of distributors to establish Cox Marine as a leading, best in class British technology brand.”

Paul Cavander, new Head of Industrial Strategy at Cox Marine, said:

“Joining Cox Marine is an extremely exciting opportunity. With a talented team, experienced leadership, an impressive manufacturing facility, and a disruptive new product, it is well-placed to grow and achieve significant market share over the coming years. I look forward to further developing the manufacturing process of the CXO300 and contributing to the business’ profitability and growth.”

Heinz Stalhammar, new Chief Engineer at Cox Marine, said:

“I am extremely excited to be joining the very talented and motivated team at Cox Marine. I have spent many years in marine engineering and Cox is leading the way in its product development with the innovative CXO300, and I look forward to working closely with the team to continue developing the engine and ensuring it remains a leading product in the market.”

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About Cox Marine

Cox Marine is a leading British design and technology innovator of diesel engines developed for marine applications globally.

Based on the South Coast of England, Cox Marine is backed by a solid base of private institutional investors. As a result, the company has been able to implement a long-term development programme of ground-breaking new products.

The high powered 300hp diesel outboard engine is an innovative product offering a new marine propulsion option and is redefining standards within the maritime industry. Delivering the same performance and packaging of a gasoline outboard but with the fuel efficiency and reliability of a diesel inboard, this purpose built outboard has begun to revolutionise the market and is now in full production at Cox Marine’s headquarters, in Shoreham-by-Sea.

Cox is supported by a worldwide distributor network made up of 35 distributors covering 100 countries.  To learn more visit www.coxmarine.com

News, South East

Cox Calls for More Entry-level Build Technicians to Meet Growing Production Demands

Twenty-three build technicians required for leading diesel engine marine manufacturer in West Sussex

Cox Marine, a leading British manufacturer of high-powered diesel outboard engines for the global marine industry, is implementing its latest recruitment drive to meet the increasing demand for the CXO300 – one of the world’s first high-powered diesel outboard engines. The company is seeking to recruit 23 new entry-level build technicians, to allow for a second shift in production at its site in Shoreham, at Brighton City Airport.

To add to the drive, Cox are conducting ‘flash-interviews’ at the Brighton Job Fair on 9 February, between 10am-1pm and are encouraging anyone interested to pay them a visit and to find out more about the positions.

Since May 2020, the 300hp diesel outboard has made a significant impact on the marine industry worldwide and, with a strong order book for 2022, Cox is responding by strengthening its team to keep up with demand.

Successful applicants can expect an excellent foundation on which to form an engineering career, with opportunities for longer-term prospects at Cox. Learning important skills from experienced technicians, new starters will train at Cox’s state-of-the-art headquarter facilities, which has seen significant investment to accommodate the changing marketplace.

Speaking about the plans, Ryan Thomas, both Production and hiring Manager said: “It’s an exciting time at Cox and we are looking forward to bringing new technicians onboard. This is a great opportunity for individuals new to the industry who want to build long-term careers in engineering. This is another important development in helping us to achieve our 2022 business goals.”

Cox would like to hear from anyone who would like to be part of a company that puts people and innovation at the forefront of all its working practices. Applicants can send their CV or 200-500 words explaining their background and why they would like to work at Cox Powertrain to recruitment@coxpowertrain.com