Although not the oldest of the Govan shipyards, Kvaerner-Govan (formerly Fairfields) was and still is at the forefront of shipbuilding technology.
It was at this yard that the pupils of Napier, Elder and Pearce helped to make the River Clyde and the term 'Clydebuilt' renowned the world over for excellence and durability.
In 1864, part of the Fairfield farm was purchased by John Elder, an engineer, and Charles Randolph, a millwright, for the laying out of a new shipyard.
Their combined talents established a yard that has been continuously building ships for over 128 years.
Under the company name of Randolph, Elder and Co., ships with their newly patented compound steam engine were able to travel greater distances using 30-40% less coal. In 1869, Charles Randolph retired and John Elder became sole proprietor.
After John Elder's untimely death in 1869, Mrs Elder arranged a partnership with her brother J.F.Ure, J.L.K.Jamieson and William Pearce and the name of the company was changed to John Elder and Company, in his memory.
In the ensuing years, the control of the Company came under the sole guidance of William Pearce.
He developed new business opportunities with the creation of a new class of transport ships.
The first of these 'Atlantic Greyhounds', the SS Arizona, won the coveted 'Blue Riband', initiated by William Pearce, awarded for the fastest time between Britain and New York.
In 1885 he reorganised the yard and renamed it the Fairfield Shipbuilding & Engineering Co.Ltd.
On his death three years later, the control passed to his son, Sir William George Pearce who led the company to its greatest period of prosperity.
He died in 1907 and the yard was acquired by the Northumberland Shipping Co. which continued until 1935 when it was purchased by Sir John Henry Lithgow for the Lithgow Group. It continued under their leadership until 1965 when the recievers were called in as Glasgow's biggest shipbuilder faced bankruptcy. The events that followed proved to be a turning point for Clyde shipbuilding and indeed for British shipbuilding as a whole.
In 1966, the government intervened and set up a new company, Fairfields, which was backed by the Government, private industry and the Labour Unions.
The 'Fairfield Experiment' brought together management and employees in a way hitherto unknown in Clydeside shipbuilding, 'No more Bowlers and Bunnets' (Bowlers being the management and Bunnets being the tradesmen, who had an adversarial relationship.)
In 1967, the Government proposed almagamating all of the Upper Clyde Shipyards (Brown, Connel, Stephen, Fairfields and Yarrow).
The group became known as the Upper Clyde Shipbuilders or U.C.S.
This consortium was doomed to failure. What appeared to be a good solution in theory was in reality unworkable as each yard specialised in building different kinds of ships.
Yarrow withdrew in 1971 and U.C.S. collapsed and went into liquidation.
In july of that year, the workers staged a work-in which lasted for 14 months after which a new merger took place and Govan Shipbuilders was born.
The yard limped along until 1977 when it was nationalised by the Government.
In 1988, the yard was purchased by Kvaerner who brought in new methods of ship construction, putting the former Fairfield Yard once again at the forefront of shipbuilding technology.

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