History – Proud to Be a Part of the J.R. Rix Group of Companies

1873

The Rix group dates back to 1873 when a sea Captain and Merchant Adventurer called Robert Rix traded out of the Port of Hull. Robert Rix started in business as a shipbuilder, building small coastal craft on the south bank of the River Tees in Stockton. Robert Rix & Sons took delivery of four steamships, which for the first time bore the family name. These were the Magrix, Robrix, Jarrix, and Ebbrix.

1920s-1950s

Rix Renewables’ parent company Rix Shipping is the oldest of the Rix Group of companies, established in 1950. The success story started in 1927 with Robert Rix & Sons importing tractor vaporising oil for the post-war agricultural revolution. Lamp oil was packed in oak casks and carried from Russia to the Humber on Rix ships. In 1939, Rix owned eleven ships spread between four companies.

1960s

In the early 60s, Rix Limes Ltd was formed to supply lime to the Scottish agricultural market through an extensive network of inland depots. These depots were serviced by road and rail from Montrose, where it was imported on Rix dry cargo ships. This lime was sourced from Humber quarries and transported by rail to Hull docks for forwarding to Montrose, where it was discharged by J. M. Piggins Ltd, later to become Piggins Rix Ltd, the Rix Group’s first owned interest in Scotland. Shortly after this, an opportunity arose to build a fuel depot in Montrose, servicing the extensive offshore industry and this in turn soon developed into Rix’s domestic heating oil, agricultural and haulage sectors.

1970s

In 1977, J.R. Rix & Sons Ltd bought the Paull-based shipbuilder J.R. Hepworth & Co (Hull) Ltd and formed a new company, Hepworth Shipyard Ltd, which built small craft such as trawlers and tugs at its location on the north bank of the Humber.

1990s-2010s

The Rix maritime tradition continues to this day with a fleet of coastal dry cargo vessels trading across the North Sea and into the Baltic. In the autumn of 2008, Rix also launched its brand new 2000 tonne oil tanker, the Lizrix, named after Elizabeth, the daughter of JR Rix and Sons Managing Director, Tim Rix.

2010+

Moving Forwards

Rix Sea Shuttle was founded in 2012 to provide high-speed crew transfer boats for wind farm personnel and equipment from the east coast of the UK to offshore wind farms in the North Sea. After partnering with a leading personnel provider via Joint Venture to explore synergies in the supply of personnel alongside Crew Transfer Vessels to windfarm owner/operators; the Rix Group of companies take full ownership and in 2018 Rix Renewables is born. The company continues to provide the industry with tailored, streamlined solutions to their windfarm maintenance needs and is proud to support the UKs Energy Revolution.