Liverpool beat three others to Maersk UK HQ
Liverpool outfought Birmingham, Felixstowe and Southampton to become home to the UK headquarters of shipping giant Maersk, the company's directors revealed this week.
Doug Bannister, managing director of Maersk Line UK and Ireland, was among 30 staff previously based in London to relocate to the company's existing divisional office in Bruntwood's The Plaza around a month ago.
Speaking at a press conference hosted by inward investment agency The Mersey Partnership, Liverpool Vision and the North West Development Agency, Bannister said the swift and strong response from the city's public support agencies was crucial.
Bannister said Maersk had major operations in the three rival destinations competing for the relocation. He added: "If this is the type of encouragement and help you can get when relocating from the south to the north then Liverpool's got a great future."
The savings Maersk would make from the move were put at "substantial" though Bannister declined to reveal the precise sums involved. The North West Development Agency said it awarded Maersk €200,000 for job creation and matched investment as an incentive.
Mark Basnett, director of investment at The Mersey Partnership, said the Maersk relocation helped drive discussions with other maritime firms considering moving to Liverpool.
Maersk, the world's biggest shipping line by container capacity, now employs 160 people in Liverpool. However, it did not take additional space at The Plaza, where it has 20,600 sq ft on the 12th floor.
