ENGINEERING specialist STATS Group is to set up a branch in Texas.
The Aberdeenshire company has identified a site at Richmond, near Houston.
It will become the main hub for all operations in the US, central and South America.
Managing director Peter Duguid spoke about the STATS expansion plans at OTC, where the firm launched its new Tecno Plug range of isolation tools.
He said the US onshore and offshore pipeline markets – in both shallow and deep water – offered excellent potential for the firm’s intervention, isolation, and repair products and services.
The managing director is at OTC with technical director Angus Bowie, and Martin Davidson, who has been appointed general manager of the US subsidiary, STATS International, and will be based at Richmond.
Mr Duguid said: “We would find it difficult to justify not having a presence in the US as a central part of our overall growth strategy and we fully expect this market to produce around one-third of our overall group turnover in the coming years.
“The onshore processing and refining markets are ideal for our shutdown and turnaround service provision and is another important factor in deciding to make a significant capital investment in Houston.
“We have been very encouraged by the high level of interest in our new Tecno Plug range of isolation tools and that strengthens our belief that we have a lot to offer the US market and can grow a substantial business here.”
Last month, STATS moved into a new £5million HQ at Kintore. This brought together its 125 UK staff at a single location.
It has a branch in Alberta, Canada, and plans to open a regional office and workshop in the United Arab Emirates.