10 Years of iPowerboat.
New Years day 2021, a decade has passed since iPowerboat was founded. When reflecting back on distant memories, the phrase “hasn’t time flown by” frequently comes to mind. However, it’s a little bit different for me…
Upon reflection, I am astonished that we’ve built a business to be the success that it is today. To increase our vessels and equipment to the high standards that they are. To being a local employer, paying above the National Living Wage. To making a difference to the safety of a significant number of seafarers on the west coast of Scotland, and to the very far reaches of the globe.
Most companies that were formed in the past 10 years are counting their blessings that they survived a recession, and a global pandemic. You can only therefore imagine my satisfaction that we have not only survived these testing times, but in fact the company has continued to thrived in the process.
Myself & Kerry set this company up, with the help of family, and some truly loyal friends; having the right people around you, really does make the job somewhat easier! The company wasn’t formed from a wealthy background, in fact its origins are very humble. It goes to show, that an idea, a desire to make a difference, sheer hard work, determination and a little luck are the fundamentals to being successful.
The company was never originally designed to be the scale that it is, but we’ve naturally grown to help our customers. Today we train the biggest aquaculture companies in the world, and working closely with them we provide support to ensure they meet their requirements. My sincere thanks goes out to our loyal customers - the aquaculture companies, and aquaculture support companies that we work so closely with. It has been rewarding and a privilege to work alongside you.
The company’s assets are now a match to our successful reputation. Tamo, Anthem 2 and MV Katie Louise provide some of the most advanced and suitable training vessels in Scotland to meet the ever growing commercial industry.
The biggest achievement to date will be our brand new purpose built training centre. After working closely with local land owner Jahama Estates, we finally managed to get our dream project off the ground - just as the global pandemic struck! This facility has been 100% funded by the company, without the use of any grants of state funding. We see it as a reward for 10 years of hard work, and hopefully demonstrates our commitment to you, by reinvesting into bigger and better facilities. I am extremely proud that every tradesman has been local to the Lochaber area, as well as using local suppliers. To build a facility like this when other businesses are sadly having to close their doors due to the ongoing pandemic is what pushes me to keep going. Operating through the pandemic to provide key workers with essential training has been tough. We have faced new challenges, but we were happy and prepared to step up when required.
I am truly thankful for every single person who has attended a training course with us, every single person that has popped by to say hello and those that are about to undertake their training with us. Our aim is to ensure that each and every one of you achieve your highest potential. Only by pushing you hard on our courses can we get the very best out of you. There have been happy, worrying and some testing times, but each and every single one of you have made it “rewarding”. Every smile, thanks, handshake, like and comment on social media make our jobs the best in the world, and is what fuels our team to keep pushing.
iPowerboat Ltd has many new exciting plans for the next 10 years, new courses, new vessels and additional facilities that will be unrivalled. The past 10 years is just the tip of the iceberg of what I seek to achieve.
I hope 2021 brings some form of stability/predictability to our world, to allow us to get back to doing the things we love.
Keep smiling & stay safe.
