​Local firm “sidelined” over new Goat Island deal

​MacMillan Engineering, who have a workforce of 18, says the deal now threatens their very survival and despite them using the facility for the last year have now been given two weeks notice to vacate, potentially causing disruption to an order they are currently undertaking.

They said they had been in discussions with the Stornoway Port Authority over a lease but when they were eventually given a price it was “unsustainable”.

In a public statement, the company said: “Whilst we welcome this new enterprise, unfortunately the continued attitude of the Stornoway Port Authority towards small community based businesses like ours has turned an opportunity to be part of this engineering scale-up into the complete opposite. In fact, it’s now a threat to our ability to sustain our business and support the wider aquaculture industry in the Western Isles.”

Last week it was revealed that Coastal Workboats, based in Devon, have been awarded a 10-year lease for the marine engineering workshop at Goat Island.

The company will construct an all-electric vessel, creating 25 jobs in the process.

The statement from MacMillan Engineering continued: “We had talks with Coastal Engineering earlier this year with a view to finding a way to work together and we remain open to solutions that will support the restart of boat building alongside the maintenance of aquaculture assets that we currently undertake work for.

“The Stornoway Port Authority are a Scottish Ports Trust, a mechanism set up to ensure that ports place responsibility to the stakeholders and the community they serve above that of profits.

“For MacMillan Engineering we are struggling to see that the way we have been treated in this respect has balanced their responsibility to small businesses like ours that make up that very community of stakeholders.”

Alex Macleod, Chief Executive at Stornoway Port Authority, said: “We appreciate the view of Macmillan Engineering. However, following discussions it became clear to us the critical need to find a long-term arrangement for the Marine Workshop. We would encourage Macmillan Engineering, and other local companies, to continue to liaise with the new tenants to take advantage of the opportunities that this business will present in the island.

“As a Trust Port, it is our primary responsibility to ensure stability and preserve the business for future generations. This new 10-year lease futureproofs the Port Authority and will create 25 jobs within the local marine manufacturing sector. Unfortunately, this decision has not been popular with everyone, but we believe it is of benefit to the wider community and reaffirms our commitment to growing the marine sector in Stornoway. With the stability of this lease agreed, Stornoway Port can now progress additional workshops which may be better suited for our existing tenants.”