Started as a British Naval Dockyard, Sembawang Shipyard was handed over by the British garrison to the Singapore government for a token fee of $1. With that, Sembawang Shipyard Pte Ltd was established on 19 June, 1968, ushering in a new chapter in commercial ship repair in the region.

1968 - The Journey Begins

On 1st December, Swan Hunter (International) Ltd. was appointed Managing Agent. Reg Ibison was appointed the first Managing Director of the shipyard and Hon Sui Sen became our first Chairman.

1969 - Carving a Niche in Commercial Ship Repair

The first commercial ship arrived in March. By November, we have repaired a total of 462 ships, out of which, 66 were commercial ships. This marked the beginning of a new life for Sembawang Shipyard. In November, R. E. “Rab” Butler, Shipbuilding Director at the Furness Yard of Swan Hunter was transferred to Singapore to be the second Managing Director of Sembawang Shipyard but the shipyard was already on the fast track of localisation, replacing expatriates with locals. This was to cut costs as well as to increase the skills and training of the local workforce.

1970 - The Shipyard Grows

By year-end, Sembawang Shipyard had docked 486 vessels, comprising 342 navy ships and 144 commercial ships. A total of 200 foremen and chargemen were promoted from the local workforce, with only 12 British Navy and 40 Swan Hunter personnel left.

1972 - Sembawang’s Training Centre

We set up our very own training centre to train apprentices, which was also the key to localisation. The Safety Centre was also established to assure ship owners that the shipyard placed great emphasis on safety. All employees in the shipyard were put through safety training.

1973 - Going Public

Sembawang Shipyard was listed on the Singapore Stock Exchange and became a public-listed company on 17th April.

1974 - A Safety Tradition

We started our tradition of conducting weekly safety briefings to keep our employees updated on all safety matters. This practice continues to this day.

1975 - Lee Kuan Yew Opens Premier Dock

On 25th May, then Prime Minister of Singapore, Mr Lee Kuan Yew officially opened the 400,000 dwt Premier Dock. The $50 million dry dock equipped Sembawang with the capacity to repair Very Large Crude Carriers (VLCC).

1976 - Building Finger Pier

Work began on the 2-year project to build the 183m by 15.25m Finger Pier. Costing $9 million, the new pier joined 3 existing floating docks and offered additional berthing facilities for ships. The pier was completed in 1978.

1978 – Localisation, End of Swan Hunter Era

In 1978, the Swan Hunter contract was not renewed. Almost all positions, except for Managing Director Neville Watson and General Manager E.S. Ware, had by then been filled by locals. We also repaired our first cruise ship, the 28,871 grt Arcadia since commercialisation 9 years ago.