Amanda Martin MP visits Griffon Marine's shipyard in Portchester

During the visit, Amanda met shipyard workers including apprentices, members of the Griffon Marine Solutions design team, and the dedicated crew from Griffon Marine Support — the division responsible for maintaining and supporting the company’s global fleet of advanced marine craft.

The visit marked a significant milestone for Griffon Marine, as Amanda Martin became the first VIP guest to tour the facility since the company rebranded from Griffon Hoverwork earlier this year.

“It was a real pleasure to welcome Amanda to our shipyard and give her a first-hand look at the work we do here,” said Mark Downer, CEO of Griffon Marine. “We had a valuable conversation about the funding challenges that UK SME exporter manufacturers like us face. Griffon Marine currently exports over 90% of what we produce in the Solent area, so these issues are front and centre for us. Being able to share that directly with Amanda was a great opportunity.”

Amanda Martin MP said: “It was fantastic to visit the team at Griffon Marine, to meet the workforce, see the brilliant work they are doing in our city and hear about their plans for growth.

I’ll be feeding back to ministers on our discussions, particularly on how these can feed into the government’s new industrial strategy. I’m clear that by building long-term stability, renewing our commitment to free and fair trade, easing the investor journey and being a strategic, growth-focussed state, we will see businesses like Griffon Marine grow and go from strength to strength.”

Griffon Marine continues to play a vital role in the local economy, with a growing workforce, many local supply chain partners and a strong focus on skills development, including its apprenticeship programme. The visit from Amanda Martin reflects the company’s commitment to engaging with local and national stakeholders as it navigates a period of growth and transformation.