 In 1997 the British shipbuilding company Cammell Laird based in Merseyside, were looking to expand their operations outside the UK and in early 1998 a management team arrived at Gibraltar.The yard was reopened and the first ship docked within a few weeks.The dockyard's future was again put at risk when in early 2001 "Cammell Laird Group PLC" ran into difficulties, which eventually led to its closure.