Former Southampton Port Director Doug Morrison awarded OBE in the New Year’s Honours list

London, UK, 9-1-2014 — /EuropaWire/ — Former Southampton Port Director Doug Morrison, who retired in December 2013, has been awarded an OBE in the New Year’s Honours list.

The honour is recognition of a lifetime devoted to working in the UK’s ports, including Southampton, where he has been port director since 2005.

Since Mr. Morrison’s appointment, the Port of Southampton has cemented its position as the UK’s premier cruise port, with passenger numbers swelling from 500,000 in 2004 to 1.7 million in 2013.

The port has become the most efficient container port in Europe and is on course to become the UK’s number one for car handling.

Mr. Morrison has overseen huge investment at the port, including £45 million for new cruise facilities and over £100 million for improvements to the port’s container terminal.

Mr. Morrison retires after 45 years working for ABP. Before working in Southampton, Mr. Morrison worked in a number of ports across the ABP group, including Hull, Goole and Ayr, where he began his career in 1968.

In 2005, Mr. Morrison was also appointed to ABP’s Holdings Board. As a result, he has played a central role in the wider leadership of ABP and its unique network of 21 ports handling around one quarter of the nation’s seaborne trade.

Mr. Morrison was also chairman of the Solent Local Enterprise Partnership from its inception until his retirement.

Mr. Morrison said: “I have enjoyed a fantastic career at ABP and it has been a great privilege to lead the Port of Southampton, widely regarded as the jewel in ABP’s crown.

“I am looking forward to going to Buckingham Palace to receive the award but I will be doing so on behalf of everyone at the port.”

“This honour is a recognition of how well the team down here has done and how the port is performing as a result. After 45 years in Britain’s ports, I am proud of all that has been achieved and I am confident that Southampton and the UK’s port sector has a bright future.”

ABP Chief Executive, James Cooper, said: “Doug has made an incredible contribution to ABP and to the ports industry over many years of service. This honour is well deserved. We all owe him a great deal and I would like to wish him a very long and happy retirement.”

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Doug Morrison

Doug Morrison

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