How a former art student turned skipper is helping to power ASCO’s growth on Teesside
ASCO, a global leader in logistics and materials management for the energy sector, is marking a significant milestone with its expansion into Teesside.
With more than 50 years expertise in supply chain and logistics services, the company plays a vital role in supporting both offshore and onshore energy projects.
Its move into the region last year highlights both a commitment to strategic growth and a dedication to sustainable, low-carbon energy solutions, aligning with the UK’s net-zero goals and supporting the nation’s transition to cleaner energy sources.
ASCO’s Teesside operations are centred at Teesworks, the UK’s largest industrial zone dedicated to sustainable energy and decarbonisation initiatives.
Teesworks is already home to major infrastructure projects, including SeAH Wind’s monopile manufacturing facility, one of the UK’s largest offshore wind investments.
By integrating into Teesside’s energy ecosystem, ASCO is not only expanding its service capabilities but also reinforcing its commitment to innovation, sustainability and regional economic growth – making it an indispensable partner in the next generation of global energy solutions.
At Steel River Quay, a newly constructed 450-metre heavy-lift quay, ASCO has been appointed as the exclusive provider of quayside management services, overseeing key services such as quayside planning, vessel coordination, stevedoring, materials and equipment management, environmental solutions, waste management and internal distribution for offshore energy projects.
Intrinsic to this contract is Ryan Thompson, ASCO’s Central UK business development manager, who has a career trajectory unlike most in the industry.
Born and raised in Marske, Ryan attended Sacred Heart School before moving on to Cleveland College of Art and Design to study fine art.
“After graduating, I wasn’t doing much until a family friend, a skipper on a workboat on the Tees, told me I needed a ‘proper job’,” recalls Ryan.
“That’s how I ended up on the deck of the Erimus Star, a bunk barge on the Tees. I was 18 and I fell in love with the life.”
Ryan spent three years working on deck, earning his certifications, before eventually taking command of the vessel.
He worked as a skipper for two years before the company was bought out by CSG, where he continued his role.
However, years of early mornings and battling harsh weather took their toll.
“After years of being rained on sideways and getting up at 2am, the role was wearing thin,” he laughs.
“So I reached out to LV Shipping, who were looking for a ship’s agent. I was taken on as a trainee and eventually became a fully-fledged agent.”
During Covid, with a number of the team retiring or choosing to leave, Ryan stepped up to manage the agency for a year, specialising in offshore project vessels, and looking after E.ON and MPI wind farm mobilisations and demobilisations.
Later moving to AV Dawson, he managed contracts for the Prysmian subsea cable project.
After 18 months a former colleague made the fateful call that ASCO was looking to open an office on Teesside and asked if he would be interested.
“ASCO told me, ‘We’re opening an agency – there's only a desk and a seat at the moment. Do you want to be our operations and business development manager and see what you can do?’
“It was a leap of faith, but one worth taking.”
Ryan subsequently helped ASCO establish an office in Sunderland and secured contracts with North Star and Equinor for the Dogger Bank project, which laid the foundation for further growth and a move ‘down the road’ to Teesside.
In 2023 the company was awarded preferred partner status for Teesworks, and by the summer of 2024, they officially secured the highly sought-after contract.
In just 12 years and at 32 years of age, Ryan has gone from sweeping ships decks as a deckhand to a business development manager with a glittering future ahead.
“It was a real ‘pinch me’ moment,” he reflects.
The success at Teesworks led to the establishment of ASCO’s Central UK location, bridging the gap between its strongholds in Peterhead and Aberdeen in the North, and Great Yarmouth in the South. The decision is already bringing strong economic benefits to the local community.
“We currently have three operational squads,” Ryan explains.
“A management team, plus three teams of 11 – a supervisor, two crane operators and eight forklift drivers/riggers.
“We’re taking on another squad in mid-March, bringing the total to 46, and we expect to reach 65-70 direct jobs at the port by summer.”
ASCO has also moved an environmental tanker into the area and has plans to establish a warehouse for materials management and storage for offshore clients. Marine fuel provisions are also under review.
“At ASCO, our recruitment focus is always on local talent,” Ryan states.
“We started the Teesworks mobilisation team with staff from Aberdeen and Great Yarmouth, but we hired locally.
“Now, the team is fully run by people from Middlesbrough, Hartlepool, Stockton and Redcar, supported by head office who are committed to workforce development, offering specialised training programs to ensure all employees meet the highest industry standards.”
Community outreach is also on ASCO’s radar.
“We are actively engaging with the local community by sponsoring New Marske’s under-9s football team and Kirkleatham Special School’s wind turbine model-building challenge, but we want to do more with schools,” he says.
“There’s so much potential for young people in this industry, and I acknowledge that shipping and logistics aren’t careers that most people actively consider.
“Hardly anyone leaves school thinking, 'I want to work in shipping and ports’. But ASCO wants to change that.”
The company is planning collaborations with key industry and educational groups, including the Tees Maritime Cluster, the Institute of Chartered Shipbrokers (led by Niki Sayer), the High Tide Foundation and Stockton Riverside College, which has launched a maritime course in partnership with the shipbrokers’ northern branch.
“All of these initiatives highlight that career opportunities in this sector are right on our doorstep,” says Ryan. “My journey, though unorthodox, is certainly proof of that.”
Read more about our presence in Teesside here.