EMPLOYEE-OWNED Aberdeen company Optimus Projects has announced its first dividend.
All 20 shareholders, including 16 staff and four directors of oil and gas engineering consultant Optimus (Aberdeen) – which launched the projects business in March 2010 – will share a full-year dividend pot of around £75,000.
The half-year dividend was set at 3p per share and the shareholders are expected to receive 4.5p per 50p share – a return of 9% – for the whole of 2011.
Director Ian Bell said: “We’re delighted that our staff are receiving a great return on their investment already. The share offer was really popular among our team, with half of our headcount then taking it up.”
Optimus Projects made losses of £87,000 in the nine months to December 31, 2010, but has since moved into the black, notching up pre-tax profits of £200,000 in the year to date on turnover of £1.9million.
Headed by director Karl Green, it was established to undertake small to medium-sized engineering projects worth £50,000 to £1million.
Optimus Projects and Optimus (Aberdeen), which provides process and facility engineering, safety and project-management services, jointly turned over £4.1million in the six months to June 30, 2011, up 37% on the same period last year. Profits rose to £354,000, from £311,000, on tighter margins.
Bosses are aiming for £8.55million turnover in 2011, which would be a 50% rise on the £5.7million seen last year.
The group’s workforce has mushroomed to 71, from 46 at the start of the year, and the figure is expected to grow to 150 by next summer.