Not the Bibbys I remember :-(

[Paul Steel]

Bibby completes Costcutter takeover - Retail Gazette

[Gulliver]

That is the main reason why this great old British company has survived....diversification... That,and great family leadership and loyalty.

[Neil Hay]

Welllllll I think that loyalty got streched beyond breaking point when the dagger turned around and stabbed me in the mid 80's.

A personal view of course, but Costcutter.....sigh. A once great shipping line reduced to running cheap shops is a sad reflection of the world we now live in.

[Paul Steel]

That is the main reason why this great old British company has survived....

Possibly, but can just see a conversation from yesteryear.

Q:"Who do you work for"
A: Bibby Line, oldest shipping company in the UK.

And from Today

Q:"Who do you work for"
A: Bibby LIne, have you heard of Costcutters?, well we own them.

[John Arton]

For all you ex Bibby guys
Bibbys have diversified into many areas including buying out Costcutter (cannot remember their previous owners.
Bibby also have a leasing division that finance the lease of such items as shop refrigerated display units via 3rd party equipment sales companies. We have two units on lease from them in the business me and my family now run. I guess Bibby leasing is just one of a number of Companies within the general group.
As an aside, in my family tree I have distant relatives named Bibby who have a faint claim to be members of the original Bibby family, but that could be just wishfull thinking on their part with pound signs behind their eyes.
rgds
Capt. John Arton (ret'd)

[Capt Bill Davies]

John,

The son taking over from the father does not always work. Look at Jebsens Bjorn will never be an Atle.

I do not know much about Cost Cutters but I do know that they outsourced ship management of a coaster to a Norwegian company some years back. That tells me a lot.

Bill

[Gulliver]

John,I do not know much about Cost Cutters

I don't see what Cost Cutters(retail chain) had previously to do with shipping,and doubt your statement,but am always willing to learn new facts.

Gulliver

[John Callon]

For the record Bibby Line is now part of the Bibby Line Group which comprises Bibby Distribution, Bibby Line,
Bibby Financial, Bibby Holdings, Bibby Maritime, Bibby Ship Management, Bibby Retail and Bibby Offshore.
The deal involving Cost Cutter means that the Group has taken complete control of over 1550 stores across ther U.K. and fully intends to to increase their retail division. Bibbys first became involved with Cost Cutter as far back as 2007. Bibby Line is to take delivery of a new Bulk Carrier in March 2012 with either more new buildings or acquisitions to follow. I would say they have done pretty well for themselves which is a damn sight more than you can say for all of the other now defunct British Shipping Companys. And before anybody starts complaining that Bibbys no longer employs British Seafarers I am well aware of that fact but perhaps that is how they survived. I for one am proud to have served the Company for 16 years and was fortunate enough to leave before the long knives were drawn. By the late 70's the writing was on the wall.

Regards,
John