Our history

The story of ABPmer

  • 1948

    Ports developed or acquired by the private railway companies are passed to the British Transport Commission on nationalisation

  • 1950

    Research and development arm established to support the needs of the Ports. Hydraulics laboratory centred in Southall, Hayes

  • 1962

    British Transport Docks Board (BTDB) forms a government-owned body to manage various ports throughout Great Britain formerly owned by the rail industry

  • 1981

    The Transport Act provides for BTDB's privatisation. BTDB renamed Associated British Ports (ABP). Associated British Ports Holdings Ltd is created to oversee ABP as a subsidiary

  • 1982

    ABP becomes a public limited company quoted on the London Stock Exchange

  • 1985

    ABP Research and Consultancy Ltd created

  • 1992

    Relocation of hydraulics laboratory to ABP Southampton

  • 2002

    Company rebrands as ABP Marine Environmental Research Ltd (ABPmer) to better reflect its core services

  • 2005

    Relocation of facilities to Town Quay, Southampton

  • 2006

    ABP acquired by Admiral Acquisitions. The company is de-listed from the London Stock Exchange. ABPmer remains a wholly owned subsidiary of ABP Holdings Limited

  • 2012

    Relocation to larger facilities in Town Quay to enable ongoing growth

  • 2025

    ABPmer celebrates its 75th anniversary providing services to the marine sector

ABPmer provides marine consultancy support to organisations around the globe; for 75 years we have been advising clients and undertaking applied research.

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