Maritime & Marine
David McCarthy, operations director at SMS Group.
Published: January 31, 2025 | Updated: 3rd February 2025
Marine engineering firm SMS Group has welcomed David McCarthy as its new operations director.
David’s career spans three decades, including roles both on land and at sea for P&O Cruises and Carnival UK, as well as time at London-based design agency AD Associates and at Independent Maritime Advisors working on various building projects.
“I join SMS at an exciting time for the business, with a solid pipeline including numerous major projects for Norwegian Cruise Line, a three ship, two-year programme of works for AIDA, and many other work streams running right through to 2026/27,” said David.
“SMS has a great reputation, and I relish the challenging of building the brand and helping scale the business.”
His appointment comes following the company’s move to a new 10,000 sq ft headquarters at Empress House in Southampton last summer, housing its interior outfit and marine refurbishment operations.
“Our growth story is somewhat unique,” said director of outfit Dan Lockyer.
“We’ve moved into new, dedicated premises perhaps 12 to 18 months earlier than we predicted, and our team – alongside our pipeline – has grown considerably.
“To have someone like David join the business at this key juncture is genuinely exciting.
“We’re building something special, and I speak for the entire team when I say ‘welcome’.
“We’re very much looking forward to working with David and seeing how we further enhance, improve and grow the business.”
Dan added of the firm’s new home: “Moving from Western Avenue to Empress House is a huge step in the right direction.
“Having dedicated warehousing, logistics and storage – perfectly integrated with the office suite – is a big help.
“So too are our meeting rooms, breakout areas and social spaces.
“It’s the perfect home to grow the business.”
SMS Group trades from eight locations in the UK, including Southampton, Poole, Portsmouth and Bristol.
It also has a base in Miami, Florida.
