V.Ships Offshore has revealed plans to open new Aberdeen headquarters.
The firm has whittled down a list of 40 prospective places to four in the Westhill and Aberdeen harbour area.
It comes after the firm bought out the Bibby Ship Management team.
Speaking at the this year’s Offshore Technology Conference, operations director Andrew Rodden said the move is aligned with the firm’s growth plans.
The company, which currently manages 100 vessels globally, is looking to add another further 10 vessel contracts to its books this year.
Rodden said: “We’re looking to make Aberdeen our centre of offshore excellence because of the experience and competencies we can get there, and we can then export those globally.
“We need our new headquarters to allow for future growth because there is nothing worse than moving into a place and having to move in a few years time.”
There are several “sizeable contracts” floating around the North Sea space, according to Rodden – any of which could spur hiring capabilities.
The new office is expected to open later this year.
The oil price dip has helped the firm make greater traction in the offshore arena as companies look to outsource certain capabilities, accord to Rodden.
“We provide cost effective solutions to run marine operations. It’s becoming more and more attractive to the market to have a partner like us,” he said.
“It’s still going to be a tough year. The biggest challenge for us is going to be how this affects the supply chain.
“Last year it was all about taking costs out and this year it’s trying to make an improvement on efficiencies and understanding that is just the way the cost base is.”
He added: “We’re lucky that we have good relationships with our clients in the supply chain, but we need them to still be here and survive.”