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Armada began as a supplier of “widgets” – a small cog in the regional manufacturing chain. The company has evolved to design, engineer and install hydraulics systems for ship equipment including steering systems to cranes, cargo loading ramps and watertight doors. Its engineers now also run training days for major engineering firms within the marine sector.

Clients include some of the biggest names in global shipping, including Vships and AngloEastern Group. Recent projects have taken its engineers to Norway, Egypt, Uruguay, China, the USA, Brazil and Turkey. 

Closer to home, Serco Marine Services is a client and Armada has also been involved with superyacht and military projects at Babcock, Pendennis and A&P shipyards and Devonport Docks.

Managing director Martin Doney said: “I wouldn’t want to boast, but the company has not seen recession yet. The business has grown by 15 per cent year on year, for the last four years, with its most significant expansion coming from its development overseas.

“Most of our work is project-based and we go to where the client is based,” said Mr Doney. “This developed from an existing client that was taken over by a French company – by default, we began supplying them. Despite the recession in shipping, those ships still need to be maintained. We are also a fairly aggressive team – our sales director really knows what we want to achieve.”

Although 95 per cent of the company’s clients are players within the luxury yacht and shipping sector, Armada’s trade counter also numbers far smaller, local businesses among its clients. “Even the small farmer who has a problem with the ram on his tractor is important to us,” said Mr Doney.

Investing £200,000 of its returns into the business has seen the company open a state-of-the-art hose-making equipment and testing bay. This has enabled it to manufacture 95 per cent of the certificated hoses it uses in its hydraulics systems – which used to be bought in from Sheffield. The company also has a local ordering policy for those components it uses and supplies, that it does not manufacture itself.

During this year’s investment, Armada also branched out to develop a mobile response unit, with a branded van on call to respond to clients on-site throughout the South West.

It has also overhauled its IT database; commissioning Penryn-based NCI Technologies to upgrade its servers and introduce a facility to allow its engineers remote access to the company’s databases. 

The company’s 22-strong workforce was recently boosted by four new recruits across the firm’s design, technical sales support and engineering divisions.

“Possibly the major factor restricting our growth is getting skilled people – skilled hydraulic engineers are hard to find,” said Mr Doney.

“Senior people in the company, like myself, are starting to really build on the next generation within the business. We have four people with degrees here now. Four years ago, we had just one.”

Cambourne-based agency ACI has enabled the company to source engineers from across the UK and Armada’s existing workforce has undergone NVQs as the business expands its research, development and engineering side further.

“We also train our staff and are becoming increasingly involved in running training courses for one of our customers,” said Mr Doney. “Although we don’t do apprenticeships yet, it is on the list.”