HAVING been promoted to the role of managing director of marine manufacturing firm Caley Ocean Systems, one of Douglas Morrison’s first major tasks was delivering a new submarine launch and recovery system for the Indian navy.

“When we had the opening ceremony with the Indian Navy, when you see their commitment, you really ask yourself ‘who says Scottish engineering is dead?’,” says Mr Morrison. “You look at the equipment and think wow, look at what we’ve achieved in that period of time.”

The period of time in question was the year-and-a-bit between the order being placed and the delivery.

The system was designed for main contractor JFD, for the fast rescue of distressed submariners and can be mobilised in less than 24 hours onto suitable vessels.

“The loading and stress analysis and duty factors that went into it was quite significant,” he says.

“It is a package of 35 tonnes you’re lifting, but the system is tested to 100 tonnes. The overall weight of the system itself is around 350 tonnes and it comes in 12 or so different packages which are mobilised to provide one system.”

All in all, it has been a huge project for Caley, one which was being discussed even before Mr Morrison joined the business, he says.

He joined Govan-based Caley 12 years ago from MB Aerospace as a project manager and latterly a project director.

And after proving himself in those roles, Mr Morrison was appointed managing director in September 2017, replacing David Cooper, who also served as chief executive of Caley’s parent company, Aberdeen-based Seanamic Group.

Caley was founded 50 years ago and works with clients mainly in the international defence, energy and oceanographic science industries.

It was a founding company of the Seanamic Group, when it was formed in 2014 along with cable design firm Umbilicals International.

The engineering group has since acquired IMES International and Flexlife.

Seanamic Group is backed by the Piper Jaffray-managed Simmons Private Equity II (SPE II).

“The idea was about forming a business that would be able to provide a complete offering to clients, a full package of design, project management, execution, right from lifting equipment to inspection and monitoring of subsea items,” explains Mr Morrison. “We still have a majority of local vendors that we’re using and have been using the whole time I’ve been here and before. That’s important for us in terms of keeping the local area going. We’ve built up a lot of long-standing relationships, not just with clients, but with our supply chain.”

The managing directors of the four group companies speak regularly, and maintain a friendly competition over the size of each business.

In addition to its Govan offices, the company has a space at Westway Park in Renfrew, where Mr Morrison says there is “significant crainage” which allows the company to lift equipment onto the Clyde, from where – like so many vessels before – they make their way to all corners of the world.

With a keen eye on the river, Mr Morrison said work on the Clyde has picked up over the last decade.

“Certainly we’ve seen a lot more activity through some of the shipyards picking up, some through Ferguson’s which is good, because it’s important for trying to fill what is the skills gap from shipyards. There is a 10 to 15 year gap for various different trades.”

Caley Ocean has more than 40 staff, with a steady stream of apprentices and graduate engineers coming on board.

Revenue for the year is expected to be ahead of last year, with projections at about £14m for this year and the year after.

Business is steady but we are having to work significantly harder to get the same opportunities and convert them,” says Mr Morrison.

“You’ve got to try and keep your margin and you have to look at where you can get efficiencies. For us, it’s about trying to empower the teams we have to be included in a lot of those decisions.”

While work in the oil and gas sector is not what it once was, there has been an uptick in the far east, and from renewables – which includes cable handling.

The main change is that the company is seeing more projects, but they are not as large as in recent years.

“Previously you’d be seeing a lot of larger value projects and they are still there but they’re harder to get,” he says. “There are a lot of smaller contracts, they have probably doubled, so the management of the volume changes.”

Among the large contracts is the afore-mentioned job for the Indian Navy. For this Caley used virtual reality software to design and build the system and train the crew members from the Indian Navy.

Mr Morrison says: “We were able to verify the selection of every nut and bolt and see how different components work together. We spent two weeks training the crew to operate and maintain the equipment from Govan and will use it to provide continued through-life support.”

He speaks with enormous passion about Glasgow’s engineering heritage and it something he is determined to play his own small part in maintaining.

“Caley is a very good brand and it’s been around for many a year,” he says. “That is front and centre, continuing to improve how the brand is perceived and ensure the business is here for another 50 years.”

He says the business has a twin-focus of bringing in the right type of work, and making sure it develops and empowers staff.

“There are lots of other things on the go about improving technology and facilities but that is what it’s all about; making sure you’re well set up, you’re well received in the market, you’re strong and have a good solid base to work from and be known for being first in class from an engineering perspective. That’s the real objective for us.”