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OUR HISTORY
The Beginning . . . .1933
The Beginning . . . .1933
Established in 1933, The Craig Group has spanned four generations. Founded by George Craig Snr, a trawler skipper, the company operated three deep sea trawlers based in Aberdeen.
The second generation saw the company develop, piloted by one of Aberdeen's leading skippers, David Craig, who together with his brother George directed onshore and seagoing operations. For more than half a century, they pioneered fishing in the North Sea, Faroes, Iceland and the North East Arctic. The fleet grew steadily reaching a peak of 23 vessels in 1975. Along the way, associated services of ship chandlery, ship repairing and fish selling were added to the company’s capabilities.
In 1965 North Star Shipping (Aberdeen) Ltd was established to manage Craig Group's fishing fleet.
1970s: Oil & Gas Discovery
1970s: Oil & Gas Discovery
With the reduction of fishing and the discovery of oil and gas in the North Sea in the seventies, The Craig Group was ideally placed to offer emergency response and rescue support to the production companies with vessels which could sustain all kinds of weather with low freeboard to facilitate rescues and a wealth of sea-going experience.
From 1975 the group capitalised on the emerging oil and gas industry and the downturn in fishing by gradually converting their fleet of fishing vessels to emergency response and rescue vessels.
The third generation saw David's son, Douglas, join the Group in 1976 to develop and co-ordinate the financial, shipping and service divisions, before becoming Managing Director in 1988.
1980s and 1990s: Growth, Acquisition, Divestment
1980s and 1990s: Growth, Acquisition, Divestment
The service divisions continued to grow over the next decades either organically or through acquisition. North Star Shipping (Aberdeen) Ltd grew during the 1980s and 1990s providing emergency rescue and response services to the North Sea. This division currently manages 30 Craig Group "Grampian" vessels, consisting of Platform Supply, ROV, and ERRV vessels. In fact, North Star Shipping Ltd is the only UK owned ERRV fleet.
From the 1980's Craig Group Catering mushroomed from a traditional fishing gear chandlery store and meat processing factory to become a leading supplier of meat, groceries, janitorials, protective clothing and marine procurement to every major port in the UK and internationally.
In 1996, this core activity doubled by winning two major offshore catering contracts. It now supplies provisions to the majority of North Sea installations, as well as schools, hotel and restaurants. Re-branded Craig Group Foodservices in 2006, the company has invested in people and technology to provide a “one stop drop” service.
Grampian Sea Fishing Ltd. was acquired in1991 and underlines the Group's continued commitment to its fishing heritage. Based in Peterhead, the company owns and operates 12 fishing vessels. Recognising the need for diversification, the Group began pursuing other interests and established Craig Group Leisure Ltd. in 1996 with the acquisition of Kings Links Golf Driving Range, which is now the largest independent retail outlet in Scotland.
Craig International Supplies Ltd. was formed in 1998 after a merger
between Craig Marine and two other well-established supply companies. The oilfield procurement business now provides services for the major oil and gas companies throughout the world. In the late nineties, the Craig Group developed new services and divisions in the areas of chain testing and inspection, rental of mooring systems(International Mooring Systems Ltd) and the sale and rental of subsea electronic equipment (Seatronics Ltd) both in the UK and also internationally. These divisions were built up to become market leaders in the areas in which they operated and then, to make way for further growth in shipping and global energy services, were sold to Acteon in 2007.
Today and the Future
Today and the Future
With a turnover in excess of £100 million, the Group provides employment for over 1,000 people. Its strong financial base, coupled with a heritage in fishing and oil related activities both on and offshore is the foundation for a strategy of on-going expansion, diversification and investment in people and technology.
The Craig Group is one of Scotland’s top 100 companies, ranked in the top 20 offshore service providers in the North East of Scotland, and in 2006 Craig Group were awarded the prestigious Queens Award for International Trade.
The Craig Group now focuses on its core businesses of shipping through North Star Shipping, the further internationalisation of oilfield procurement division, Craig International Supplies and the management of its Grampian Sea Fishing
operation, and Retail Golf Range Facility. The Group is rightly proud of its reputation for safety, service and quality and is committed to constantly developing its greatest asset - its people.
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