Editing Bibby Line (section)

== Current operations ==

As of 2023 the Bibby Line labels itself a diverse company which has three separate services split into: Financial Services, Marine Services, and infrastructure applications. These businesses within the Bibby line group, operate across multiple countries and currently it is recorded to employ 1300 colleagues. It is now recording management of 1 billion pounds in funds.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Home |url=https://bibbylinegroup.co.uk/ |access-date=2023-10-09 |website=Bibby Line Group |language=en-GB}}</ref>

After suffering through COVID-19 and ultimately undertaking a restructuring it was recorded that generally after working at a net loss they were able to run more profitably. In reports sent to the Uk companies house it can be seen that on December 31, 2021, the group made a net profit of £35.5m, compared with a net loss of £29.9m in 2020.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2022-08-23 |title=Bibby Line Group returns to profit following key disposals linked to realignment {{!}} TheBusinessDesk.com |url=https://www.thebusinessdesk.com/northwest/news/2102391-bibby-line-group-returns-to-profit-following-key-disposals-linked-to-realignment |access-date=2023-10-09 |website=North West |language=en}}</ref>

=== Leadership ===
{| class="wikitable"
|+
!Generation
!MD
!Management tenure
!Key events
|-
|First
|John Bibby
|1807–1840
|Creation of the Bibby Line in 1807
|-
|
|
|
|Built fleet of 18 vessels
|-
|
|
|
|Established Mediterranean trade
|-
|
|
|
|Some trade with Bombay and Canton
|-
|Second
|James (son)
|1840–1897
|Fleet of 23 steam ships by 1865
|-
|
|
|
|Association with Harland and Wolff
|-
|
|
|
|James ‘retires’ in 1973
|-
|
|
|
|James establishes limited liability
company in 1890
|-
|
|
|
|Separation of owners and managers
|-
|Third
|Arthur
(nephew of James)
|1897–1935
|Consolidates links with Burma
|-
|
|
|
|Seven ships less than 10 years old in 1914
|-
|
|
|
|Fleet requisitioned for World War I
|-
|
|
|
|Post-war turbulence
|-
|
|
|
|Focus on Burma trade
|-
|Fourth
|Harold
(Arthur's son)
|1935–1965
|Fleet requisitioned for World War II
|-
|
|
|
|Decline of Far East trade
|-
|
|
|
|Containerisation and air travel
|-
|Fifth
|Derek
(Harold's son)
|1965–1985
|Two bulk carriers from Japan in 1965
|-
|
|
|
|Borrowed finance
|-
|
|
|
|Oil shocks of 1970s
|-
|
|
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|Marine diversification
|-
|
|
|
|Regained financial control
|-
|
|
|
|Appointed Simon Sherrard MD
|-
|
|
|
|Diversification into financial
services and logistics
|-
|Sixth
|Michael
(Derek's son)
|2000 to present
|Continued diversification
|-
|
|
|
|Rapid growth of the business
|}
<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Jones |first1=Oswald |last2=Ghobadian |first2=Abby |last3=O'Regan |first3=Nicholas |last4=Antcliff |first4=Valerie |date=September 2013 |title=Dynamic capabilities in a sixth-generation family firm: Entrepreneurship and the Bibby Line |url=http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/00076791.2012.744590 |journal=Business History |language=en |volume=55 |issue=6 |pages=910–941 |doi=10.1080/00076791.2012.744590 |s2cid=153480048 |issn=0007-6791}}</ref>

Since 1965 Bibby has come into its modern era of leadership with the fifth generation, Derek Bibby becoming MD. He led diversification into new areas specifically financial services and infrastructure applications. Following his retirement Simon Sherrard was appointed the first non-family managing director and helped continue to modernize and drive diversification before handing over to the sixth generation Michael Bibby in 2000. Since then Bibby Line has continued to rapidly grow and diversify further and Michael stepped back from managing director to chairman. Currently the board is composed of 5 members; Jonathan Lewis the Executive Director (Group Managing Director, ), and the Non-Executive Directors including: Sir Michael Bibby Bt. DL (Chairman), David Anderson (Senior Independent), Susan Searle, and Geoffrey Bibby.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Board & Executive Team |url=https://bibbylinegroup.co.uk/about/senior-team/ |access-date=2023-10-09 |website=Bibby Line Group |language=en-GB}}</ref>

=== Financial Services ===
[[Bibby Financial Services]] was set up in 1982, is seen to be the UK’s largest independent invoice finance company. It offers services providing factoring and invoice discounting financial support for growing [[Small and medium-sized enterprises|SME's]]. Through It aims to “help businesses around the world grow, combining international scope with expert local knowledge”.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Bibby Financial Services |url=https://bibbylinegroup.co.uk/companies/bibby-financial/ |access-date=2023-10-09 |website=Bibby Line Group |language=en-GB}}</ref> In a report released in 2023 it note that it employed 900 people and had expanded to nine different countries. After a restructuring of the company in 2020 turnover was reported to have increased by 2022 from £132.4m to £150.5m for 2022, while its pre-tax profits increased from £255,000 to £9.4m.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Robinson |first=Jon |date=2023-07-06 |title=Bibby Financial Services eyeing 'sustainable profitability' |url=https://www.business-live.co.uk/professional-services/bibby-financial-services-eyeing-sustainable-27258574 |access-date=2023-10-09 |website=Business Live |language=en}}</ref>

=== Marine Services ===
Bibby Marine Limited, established in 1982, currently has 1 "Wavemaster" that can operate up to 30 days at a time and 1 Bibby Challenge that contains 337 rooms known as the Bibby Stockholm. This has led to the current dominant trait of the Bibby Line fleet being the application of these vessels for “walk to work service” where special operations ships, "Wavemasters", can take off shore workers out to their remote locations. Part of this then also extends into floating off shore worker accommodation locations providing floating barges where workers can live on or off duty. These marine services aim to provide cost effective and environmentally friendly options for workers on large scale marine infrastructure projects. There have been large controversies with Bibby Stockholm which aims to provide support housing for asylum seekers. Claims of prison like conditions were leveled and according to the Financial Times, governments were only saving £9.28 per person per day.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Clare |first=Horatio |date=2023-07-22 |title=A boat to stop the boats? Bibby Stockholm and the battle over asylum |work=Financial Times |url=https://www.ft.com/content/ed6d313c-81f0-418e-89bd-c15c8c87761d |access-date=2023-10-09}}</ref>

=== Infrastructure ===
Existing for the last 30 years and employing 230 people, "Garic" has worked in the welfare and plant hire market. This is through the “hire and sell welfare accommodation, modular buildings, plant and storage products, tower lights, environmental solutions, wheel washing, dust control and site shelters”. These can be set up, serviced and broken down by Garic and are generally aimed towards fields like construction, infrastructure, industrial, house building, water and waste, power, utilities and renewables and commercial property sectors. They have moved into sustainable sectors as is one of their goals as seen in an article where Garic promotes sustainable solutions to business growth on the ground.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2023-10-03 |title=Putting your business on track with sustainable site solutions |url=https://news.railbusinessdaily.com/putting-your-business-on-track-with-sustainable-site-solutions/ |access-date=2023-10-09 |website=RailBusinessDaily |language=en-US}}</ref>