Vickers Shipbuilding and Engineering

File:Vickers Advertisement Janes 1914.jpg

The company was founded in 1871 by James Ramsden as the Iron Shipbuilding Company, but its name was soon changed to Barrow Shipbuilding Company.{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/nationonfilm/topics/ship-building/background.shtml|title=The history of Shipbuilding in the North East|publisher=BBC|access-date=4 May 2013}}

In 1897, Vickers & Sons bought the Barrow Shipbuilding Company and its subsidiary the Maxim Nordenfelt Guns and Ammunition Company, becoming Vickers, Sons and Maxim Limited.[http://www.ingenious.org.uk/See/?target=SeeMedium&ObjectID=%7B27BF2E66-AA38-5C8C-49C5-002D9D635D27%7D&source=Search&viewby=images 'Armour Plate Planing Shop', 1902] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120213194251/http://www.ingenious.org.uk/See/?target=SeeMedium&ObjectID=%7B27BF2E66-AA38-5C8C-49C5-002D9D635D27%7D&source=Search&viewby=images |date=13 February 2012 }} Ingenious The shipyard at Barrow became the Naval Construction & Armaments Company. In 1911 the company was renamed Vickers Limited, and in 1927 became Vickers Armstrongs Limited after a merger with Armstrong Whitworth, whose shipyard at High Walker on the River Tyne became the "Naval Yard".

In 1955 the name of the shipbuilding division changed to Vickers Armstrongs Shipbuilders, Ltd and changed again in 1968 to Vickers Limited Shipbuilding Group.[http://www.waymarking.com/waymarks/WM37FC_Vickers_BAE_Sytems_Barrow_in_Furness_Cumbria_UK Waymarks: BAe Systems Barrow]

The shipbuilding group was nationalised under the Aircraft and Shipbuilding Industries Act in 1977 and subsumed into British Shipbuilders.

The ex-Vickers yard at Barrow was the first shipyard of the British Shipbuilders group to return to the private sector. It was sold in March 1986 to an employee-led company, VSEL Consortium, which also included its Birkenhead-based subsidiary, Cammell Laird. The company was floated on the London Stock Exchange in December 1986.{{Cite web |url=http://www.ftse.com/Research_and_Publications/Archive/FTSE_UK_Index_Series_1986.pdf |title=Actuaries Index 1987 |access-date=3 May 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100211143844/http://ftse.com/Research_and_Publications/Archive/FTSE_UK_Index_Series_1986.pdf|website=FTSE|archive-date=11 February 2010 |url-status=dead |df=dmy-all }}

{{Location map|Cumbria

|label =

|lat = 54.11

|long = -3.23

|caption = Map showing the location of VSEL within Cumbria

|float = right

|background = white

|width = 200

}}

In 1988, a mistake by senior management and changing shipbuilding methods meant that the Vickers shipyard in Barrow-in-Furness accidentally welded part of {{HMS|Triumph|S93|6}} (a nuclear submarine) in an upside-down position.{{cite news |first=Michael |last=West |work=Associated Press|date=8 April 1988 |title=Upside-down submarine section embarrassing |url=https://apnews.com/article/2695d37f681032d5e3bc388493b0c9f0 |access-date=29 May 2023 |archive-date=29 May 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230529135644/https://apnews.com/article/2695d37f681032d5e3bc388493b0c9f0 |url-status=bot: unknown }}

In 1994 VSEL was subject to two takeover proposals, one from GEC[https://www.independent.co.uk/news/business/gec-makes-rival-bid-for-vsel-1445530.html GEC makes rival bid for VSEL] The Independent 29 October 1994 and another from British Aerospace (BAe).[https://www.independent.co.uk/news/business/cashin-ahead-at-vsel-cambridge-don-stands-to-gain-nearly-pounds-1m-from-bid-for-shipyard-1440469.html Cash-in ahead at VSEL: Cambridge don stands to gain nearly £1m from bid for shipyard] The Independent 2 October 1994 VSEL was willing to participate in a merger with a larger company to reduce its exposure to cycles in warship production, particularly following the Options for Change defence review after the end of the Cold War. Both bids were referred to the Monopolies & Mergers Commission (MMC) which issued its conclusions and advice to government in May 1995.[https://www.independent.co.uk/news/business/bae-fuels-vsel-hopes-in-cash-call-for-vsel-hopes-deckys-1613599.html BAe fuels VSEL hopes in cash call for VSEL] The Independent 31 March 1995 BAe's bid was approved, while the MMC concluded (with two of six members dissenting) that GEC's bid was likely to "operate against the public interest".[https://api.parliament.uk/historic-hansard/commons/1995/may/23/vsel Parliamentary debates] Hansard, 23 May 1995 However it was GEC's bid that was approved and accepted by VSEL, since Secretary of State Michael Heseltine did not accept the MMC's recommendation and allowed the bid to proceed.[http://www.janes.com/articles/Janes-Navy-International-95/GEC-S-KNOCKOUT-BID-WINS-FIGHT-FOR-VSEL.html GEC's knockout bid wins fight for VSEL] Janes Information Services 1995

Following GEC's purchase VSEL became Marconi Marine (VSEL), part of the company's GEC-Marconi division. With the merger of British Aerospace and GEC's defence business – Marconi Electronic Systems – VSEL passed to the resulting company, BAE Systems as part of BAE Systems Marine. In 2003 it became an independent division known as BAE Systems Submarines after BAE systems split its ship and submarine building operations. This was renamed BAE Systems Submarine Solutions in January 2007.[http://www.baesystems.com/Businesses/SubmarineSolutions/index.htm BAe Systems Submarine Solutions] BAE Systems

{{Main|List of ships and submarines built in Barrow-in-Furness}}

• Royal Port of Barrow
• Vickerstown

{{Reflist}}

{{British shipbuilders evolution}}

{{Barrow-in-Furness}}

{{General Electric Company}}

{{Authority control}}

Category:Companies established in 1871

Category:Defence companies of the United Kingdom

Category:Defunct shipbuilding companies of the United Kingdom

Category:General Electric Company

Category:History of Barrow-in-Furness

Category:Science and technology in Cumbria

Category:British Shipbuilders