World-leading hovercraft factory Griffon Hoverwork looks to double its staff as it moves from Southampton to Portchester

A WORLD-LEADING hovercraft maker has moved its production from Southampton to Portchester with plans to double its workforce, as it nabs a £25m deal.
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Griffon Hoverwork has relocated its factory facilities from Southampton to the Trafalgar Wharf industrial estate to begin productions of three cutting-edge vessels for the Japanese government.

The multi-million order from the Oita regional government will see the hovercraft providing a vital passenger service connecting the area’s main airport with Oita City, reintroducing a ferry route last used about 10 years ago.

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Now the hovercraft firm wants to make its new workshop the heart of a world-famous ‘hovercraft centre of excellence’, leveraging the ‘excellent’ talent in Portsmouth that attracted the firm to the area, according to operations director Mike Chalkley

Hovercraft manufacturer Griffon Hoverwork is celebrating after landing one of its biggest ever deals to supply three of its latest 12000TD craft to Japan
The hull of a hovercraft being made at Griffon Hoverwork factory 
Picture: Habibur RahmanHovercraft manufacturer Griffon Hoverwork is celebrating after landing one of its biggest ever deals to supply three of its latest 12000TD craft to Japan
The hull of a hovercraft being made at Griffon Hoverwork factory 
Picture: Habibur Rahman
Hovercraft manufacturer Griffon Hoverwork is celebrating after landing one of its biggest ever deals to supply three of its latest 12000TD craft to Japan The hull of a hovercraft being made at Griffon Hoverwork factory Picture: Habibur Rahman

The 62-year-old said: ‘This site suits strategically for what we want to do. There’s tremendous amount of skills in this area that we can use, good rail links, good bus links.

‘I wouldn’t underestimate the good colleges in the area – places like Havant and South Downs College and Highbury College.

‘Between Portsmouth and Ryde we are trying to set this up as the hovercraft centre of excellence for the world.

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‘Griffon Hoverwork is the global player, we produce the largest range of hovercraft in the world. We’re the natural choice for people to come to us. We have a proven product that people can see across the Solent.

Mike Chalkley, operations director in the Griffon Hoverwork factory in Portchester 
Picture: Habibur RahmanMike Chalkley, operations director in the Griffon Hoverwork factory in Portchester 
Picture: Habibur Rahman
Mike Chalkley, operations director in the Griffon Hoverwork factory in Portchester Picture: Habibur Rahman

‘These customers will be staying in Portsmouth – it will be great for the whole area.’

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Earlier this year the company delivered two of its new craft to clients in Hong Kong, and the firm, which has built craft for the Royal Marines and organisations across 41 countries, has its eyes on business in America.

Mike added: ‘We have been involved in studies in San Francisco – the bay is very congested but the water is underused.’

Alfie Kneale-Cohen near the hull of a hovercraft being made at Griffon Hoverwork factory
Picture: Habibur RahmanAlfie Kneale-Cohen near the hull of a hovercraft being made at Griffon Hoverwork factory
Picture: Habibur Rahman
Alfie Kneale-Cohen near the hull of a hovercraft being made at Griffon Hoverwork factory Picture: Habibur Rahman
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In order to achieve its orders, the workshop is looking to double its staff to 160, with around a tenth of these new roles going to apprentices.

Current apprentice Alfie Kneale-Cohen, who is in his final year of a three-year mechanical engineering course, said he was ‘really proud’ to be working on machines that would be used around the world.

The 19-year-old said: ‘I would say definitely go for the apprenticeship, you get to be on the tools, you’re not learning the theory in a classroom every day.

‘It’s really, really good seeing (the hovercraft) going out. It’s an iconic British invention. It’s quite cool to be working on them.’

The hull of a hovercraft being made at Griffon Hoverwork factory 
Picture: Habibur RahmanThe hull of a hovercraft being made at Griffon Hoverwork factory 
Picture: Habibur Rahman
The hull of a hovercraft being made at Griffon Hoverwork factory Picture: Habibur Rahman
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Residents should see the new hovercraft, which carry 80 people and can reach a top speed of 45 knots, being tested on the water around Portsmouth next spring.

Griffon Hoverwork is a sister company to Hovertravel, which runs passengers on a hovercraft ferry service between Portsmouth and the Isle of Wight.

A message from the Editor, Mark Waldron

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