Dryad Maritime wins national recognition with Queen's Award for Enterprise
Dryad Maritime received the award in recognition for their outstanding achievement in the innovation category for their work developing intelligence-led systems that improve the safety of seafarers. Innovations include a bespoke geo-spatial tracking system named ‘Moneypenny’, which monitors the positions of client vessels, pirates and friendly forces as well as risk exclusion zones and the award winning Fleet Security Management Service which optimises the performance of vessels through its provision of route guidance based on fuel efficiency, risk, SOLAS convention and weather patterns.
Graeme Gibbon Brooks, Managing Director: "This award is testament to the hard work, dedication and fortitude of the Dryad Maritime team who have given their whole-hearted commitment to supporting the company's growth ambitions over the last five years, whilst continuing to deliver unrivalled service and support to our existing and new clients. Our team continue to deliver and delight in equal measure with a level of service that is at the heart of our continued growth and reputation in the maritime industry. Given the tempo and scale of our growth, it should also serve as an encouragement to other entrepreneurs and UK start-ups who strive to achieve commercial success in as short amount of time as possible. It seems like only yesterday that we embarked on this journey with an idea, a small loan and just two colleagues.”
Councillor Donna Jones, Leader of Portsmouth City Council: "I'm delighted that Dryad Maritime, a local Portsmouth business that operates internationally, has been awarded the Queens Award for Enterprise and Innovation to commemorate Her Majesty's 90th Birthday. Dryad Maritime was created only a few years ago and is one of the fastest growing maritime companies in the South. They provide expert commercial services to shipping around the world with intelligent data to help mitigate the dangers present in the maritime industry, including in some of the most dangerous waters in the world. Well done to everyone at Dryad Maritime."
Dryad Maritime was founded in 2009 with just three employees and a business loan of £25,000. Since then, the company has grown exponentially with the opening of new offices and the recruitment of 33 new employees. The company’s success has been recognised internationally; in 2013 they secured the highly competitive IHS Safety at Sea Award and over the past five years turnover has soared almost 12-fold.
Ian Millen, Chief Operating Officer, Dryad Maritime: "We are thrilled that our work has been recognised with this prestigious award; a testament to our tight-knit team of professionals whose efforts help mariners to deal with complexity, uncertainty and danger at sea and ashore. Most importantly, Dryad’s people understand the people that they support, through a thorough knowledge of the environments and pressures our clients operate in and under. From our former mariners who instil confidence in ships’ captains and crews to those that develop our technologies, processes and supporting administration, we deliver products and services that are tailored to the needs of all our customers. This award is not just a testament to the culture of innovation that exists in Dryad, but to the constant motivation of our staff to deliver excellence."
The Queen’s Award for Enterprise is valid for five years and follows Dryad’s recent landmark acceptance as the first maritime operations company to be granted membership of the UK’s Chamber of Shipping. The award is the highest business accolade a UK company can receive and is recognised globally.