The historic Wirral shipyard Cammell Laird has been officially rebranded as Balaena Birkenhead following a £150 million takeover by the Balaena Group. The change, effective from today, has sparked a range of reactions from the local community.
New Ownership and Name Change
The APCL Group, which operated the site, was acquired by Balaena, a company that also owns shipyards in Gibraltar and Padstow. The rebranding aligns the Merseyside yard with Balaena's other facilities. Simon Gillett, CEO of Balaena Group, admitted the decision was difficult, stating internally they had "flip-flopped all over the place with the name change."
Public Reaction
Many residents and workers expressed disappointment. One commenter on the Liverpool Echo's story argued the rebranding "should be against the law," highlighting the generations of families who worked there. Others predicted the official name would not stick, with one reader writing, "Doesn't matter what they change the name to, it'll always be known as Lairds." Another added, "I assume almost everybody on Merseyside will continue to refer to it as Lairds."
Political Response
Birkenhead MP Alison McGovern emphasized the importance of investment in the shipyard and new opportunities for young people, while acknowledging local pride in the Cammell Laird heritage. She said, "The most important thing about the new ownership is that they invest in the shipyard and new opportunities for young people to join the highly skilled workforce. I am sure people locally will still celebrate our history and heritage as Cammell Laird whilst we want to see this strong future in shipbuilding."
