Kevin Hobbs will take on responsibility for all operations at Pembroke Port and Milford Docks, including ferry and stevedoring, operation of the marina and Milford Haven Ship Repairers, as well as the Estates department.
Mr Hobbs will bring to the various MHPA trading operations based at those facilities, strong commercial leadership and a wealth of operational management experience at a time when the Port is evolving. He’ll be taking forward plans to attract marine renewables investment to the Port, as well as putting together plans for new development in both Milford Docks and Pembroke Port.
Having begun his career with Ready Mixed Concrete Group with particular responsibility for sea dredged aggregates in South Wales, Kevin moved into ferry operations in 1991 when he joined Merchant Ferries. He went on to progress through various roles, culminating in becoming CEO and Managing Director of Seatruck Ferries from 2000 through to 2008, during which time he took the business from start-up through to becoming a profitable ferry business operating five ferries across the Irish Sea.
Commenting on his appointment, Mr Hobbs said, “This is a very exciting time to be joining the team at Milford Haven Port. Our Deep Sea Operations are very well established of course and we are associated strongly with that business. However, in the Short Sea operations, there are some exciting plans emerging to make the most of the outstanding facilities we have at both Pembroke Port and Milford Docks. Our tenants include some world-class companies with exciting plans of their own too. And there is the huge opportunity presented by marine renewable energy. Those are the kind of challenges I am really looking forward to”.
CEO of MHPA, Alec Don, said, “We are delighted to welcome Kevin aboard. Milford Docks and Pembroke Port are our principal port assets offering 80m alongside the various quays and berths. They fundamentally serve different markets to the Deep Sea part of MHPA’s business, and need a dedicated management focus in order to fulfil the plans we have been developing for these important facilities. This appointment is very much about the future, and I and all of our colleagues at MHPA look forward to working with Kevin in the months and years to come.”
Over the past three years Kevin Hobbs has provided consultancy and interim management services to clients such as Dublin Port Company, Peel Ports, Stena, Poole Harbour Commissioners, and Milford Haven Port Authority.