Issue 26 | Page 44

SKILLS
River point - the Port of Middlesbrough is situated close to the Transporter Bridge .

ANTARCTIC

Expert team propels Port of Middlesbrough forward

R esourceful , experienced and committed - just some of the words used to describe the workforce that powers Teesside ’ s newly rebranded Port of Middlesbrough .

Although the name may be new , over the last 82 years AV Dawson has built up a wealth of experience , expertise and knowledge in handling the most complex cargoes .
AV Dawson ’ s Port of Middlesbrough facility , based at the heart of Teesside , has an enviable status as one of the bestconnected ports in the north of England and is still the only port in the North-East with heavy and high access . This key positioning attracts a host of national and international companies including Prysmian Group and Modus Seabed Intervention along with 36 other permanent tenants .
Traditionally recognised for its expertise in handling bulk materials including agribulk , minerals and steel products , to name a few , the port is now building an impressive track record in delivering some of the most complex and demanding specialist cargo projects .
AV Dawson illustrated the level of resourcefulness and agility it has when it secured a new stream of projects managing cargo destined for the Antarctic . Beating competition from other ports across the country , these ambitious projects required the company to adapt whole areas of its Port of Middlesbrough facility to become bio-secure zones to avoid the risk of cargo carrying animal or plant life to the frozen continent .
These shipments were then used to build a wharf to accommodate the UK ’ s state-ofthe-art polar research vessel , RRS Sir David Attenborough .
Charlie Nettle , AV Dawson ’ s commercial and marketing director , says : “ As is the case for many of our other projects , our customer selected Port of
Middlesbrough because of its ability to adapt and transform to their specific needs .
“ We can also adapt the site to accommodate separate secure access points , which is a real benefit and allows us to segregate and dedicate areas of the site for various projects depending on their requirements .
“ We also have the added benefit of the port ’ s excellent logistical connectivity , not just to the North Sea but to existing road and rail networks . However , the real asset to any project is our team , their can-do attitude and resourcefulness to deliver solutions for our customers avoids problems , issues or added complications , which is vital to the successful delivery of any project , ensuring it is executed on time and on budget .
“ This specific project utilised multiple areas of our site , including two large fabrication halls on our quayside site which we segregated to create a
44 | Tees Business