Graham sets sail after more than a quarter of a century of service
A founding member of Humber Marine and Renewables has stepped down, calling time on more than a quarter of a century of support for the vital sectors.
Graham Billany, former Dunston Ship Repairs managing director, was instrumental in its development, having helped steer it from a “self help” group of business owners facing shared issues to a leading regional trade organisation.
He was presented with a bottle of whisky as a token of the gratitude of the board, marking his dedication and service at his final directors’ meeting.
“We were a group of businessmen in the marine industry – not an official group – but there were issues to address with competition from places like Rotterdam,” he recalled. “We got together and resolved them, enlisting the support of the region’s MPs to aid our work.”
Team Humber Marine Alliance – as it was known prior to the 2022 merger with Grimsby Renewables Partnership – was soon established, and potential to have a real positive impact was identified. A £2.5 million grant received from regional development agency Yorkshire Forward was later secured, with sector champions appointed, and a structure and strategy forged.
Mr Billany, a passionate figurehead for marine engineering in the estuary, said: “We were competitors in the same room, talking to each other, it felt unique. We were all running our own businesses and trying to support the marine industry, and then the renewables business community. It was difficult, but it worked.”
Offshore wind became a major interest as the scale and opportunity emerged, while reinvigorating ports and re-energising demand for services of shipyards, chandlers and the wider supply chain.
House of Commons visits, international exhibitions and the hosting and participation in overseas delegations to share knowledge and best practice have become part and parcel of the operation, with a national-scale conference on the Humber – Offshore Wind Connections – well established, and recently added to with the adoption of the Humber Renewables Awards.
“It is an area that has grown and grown, it has been remarkable really,” said Mr Billany, who sold Dunston in 2008, after 15 years as MD.
Camilla Carlbom Flinn, vice chair of Humber Marine & Renewables, described him as a real stalwart who fostered collaboration from the very beginning.
“We could not have asked for more support, knowledge and contribution to the board and the development of the organisation,” she said.
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Camilla Carlbom Flinn, vice chair of Humber Marine & Renewables, presents retiring director Graham Billany with a bottle of whisky.