Hlaford Shipyards
| File:HlafordShipyards.jpg | |
| Public company | |
| Traded as | BRYT: HSY |
| Industry | Shipbuilding |
| Founded | December 1, 1671 |
| Founder | Messrs Smythe and Sloop |
| Headquarters | , |
Area served | Atlas |
Key people | Head of Operations Nathan Starbuck |
| Products | Naval Ships Ships |
| Services | Drydocking Ship repair |
Number of employees | 23,000+ |
| Parent | Owned by Wernham-Hogg (as of 1952) |
| Website | www.wernham-hogg.bry/hlafordshipyards |
The Hlaford Shipyards are a sprawling series of shipyards, harbours and drydock facilities located in Whitebay, Brytene. The Shipyards are a subsidiary branch of the Wernham-Hogg automotive company, and are one of the major suppliers of the Confederate Brytisc Fleet, producing and maintaining a range of naval ships alongside civilian and commercial vessels.
History
Whitebay has been a major port and ship-building site since the Dark Ages, thanks to a sheltered harbour and easy access to the world shipping lanes. In 1671, Messrs Smythe and Sloop pooled their capital to construct a working dry-dock and shipping company, investing in several trading vessels of their own and offering repair and maintenance work to other owners, as well as constructing ships on contract. The two gentlemen were unfortunately lost at sea in 1682, attempting to reach the rich trading ports of Valaran by sailing south, and so the Thegn of Whitebay generously purchased out their options in order to feed their widows and orphans, taking over the shipyard and giving it its current name, 'Hlaford' (bread-lord).
The company was broken into stock shares and made a joint enterprise, and expanded to become one of the largest dockyards in the southern hemisphere. During the First Atlasian Great War, the Shipyards massively increased their output in order to support the war effort, producing some of the leading ships of the Brytisc Fleet during that time.
After the war however, production slumped, with demand low and no need for the high-capacity military shipyards. The company was declared bankrupt in 1951, and in 1952 the industrial firm Wernham-Hogg bought the company for the equivalent of $20,200,000 dollars, a mere pittance.
Since then, Wernham-Hogg has diversified the shipyards, turning them into a major facility which services ships from across the globe and serves as a safe haven for cross-ocean shipping.
Following the receipt of a major contract from Valaran in early 2015, the shipyards began work on an expansion project to extend their capacity.
Formation
Hlaford Shipyards are a subsidiary of Wernham-Hogg. 51% of their stock is retained by the Wernham-Hogg firm whilst the remainder is publicly traded. 24% of the company is owned by the House Canillac. The Shipyards are currently managed by Head of Operations Nathan Starbuck, who reports to the board of Wernham-Hogg.
Ships built
The Shipyards have been home to a range of vessels over the years.
Military ships
- CFS Pelegiad
- Beluga class amphibious assault ships
- Moby-Dick class submarines
- Teorell-class destroyers
- Verden-class corvettes
- Dreadnought-Class Battleships (class retired 1951)
- Globe-Class frigates (class retired 1951)
Foreign contracts
- 6x Teorell-class destroyers for Valaran (ongoing)