Bibby Line

The history of Calderstones Park in Liverpool notes that 'although John Bibby & Co was founded in 1807, the year Britain abolished the slave trade, the family’s business activities and investments can be traced back further.

(*Note: The company has not addressed an open letter from the Refugee Council requesting it acknowledge potential links to the transatlantic slave trade.[5]).

The parent company is now called Bibby Line Group, and is a £800 million global business, operating in 14 countries, employing 4,000 people in sectors including retail, financial services, distribution, shipping, marine and infrastructure.

[10] In 2008, the Bibby Line Group continued to diversify with the purchase of the construction asset hire company Garic UK.

Bibby Line Group’s investment enabled Garic to remain a key market player, in a competitive sector.

Following his retirement Simon Sherrard was appointed the first non-family managing director and helped continue to modernize and drive diversification before handing over to the sixth generation Michael Bibby in 2000.

Since then Bibby Line has continued to rapidly grow and diversify further and Michael stepped back from managing director to chairman.

This has led to the current dominant trait of the Bibby Line fleet being the application of these vessels for “walk to work service” where special operations ships, "Wavemasters", can take off shore workers out to their remote locations.

This is through the “hire and sell welfare accommodation, modular buildings, plant and storage products, tower lights, environmental solutions, wheel washing, dust control and site shelters”.

These can be set up, serviced and broken down by Garic and are generally aimed towards fields like construction, infrastructure, industrial, house building, water and waste, power, utilities and renewables and commercial property sectors.