Fast-growing Scottish mechanical engineering group EnerMech has announced further expansion south of the border.
It has opened a base in Bristol and plans to recruit up to 20 engineers for the site in the next 18 months.
EnerMech is targeting south-west England and south Wales in a recruitment drive to maintain an international expansion programme which has seen it grow its workforce to 1,000 less than four years after start-up, with plans to add another 400 in 2012.
The Aberdeen firm provides engineering services to the global oil and gas industry, including cranes, lifting, valves, hydraulics, equipment rental and training.
EnerMech estimates the cost of setting up the latest English base at £250,000 and, if successful, it will consider opening another, potentially in Yorkshire.
The company has bases at Great Yarmouth, in Norway, the UAE, Singapore, Indonesia, China, Africa, America and Australia, and says it has some acquisitions planned this year in Asia and Africa.
EnerMech UK country manager Stuart Smith said yesterday: “Engineering competence and technical capability have been key to EnerMech’s success and forms the foundations of its future.
“To continue to grow and extend our international footprint, it’s important the company attracts the right kind of engineering talent. Bristol was chosen due to its connection with a number of engineering industries, its heritage and its catchment area remote from Aberdeen where we have a skills shortage in key disciplines.
“We are in the process of hiring five engineers to kick-start the Bristol facility and envisage that will grow to around 20 within the first 18 months. Once the engineering capability and capacity is proven, the Bristol base will grow organically and make an important contribution to the future of the company.”
EnerMech revealed last month that it expected annual profits to hit £10million in 2011 and rise to £20million this year.
Continued investment in the business helped to create 580 jobs in 2011 alone, including 340 in the UK.
The firm added that the doubling of earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation should come as turnover rockets to £142million in 2012, from £103million last year.
EnerMech’s forecasts came as it also announced a bigger funding agreement, potentially worth an extra £20million, from Lloyds Banking Group to support additional investment in equipment and premises.
Managing director Doug Duguid said: “We have invested more than £60million in facilities, equipment and five acquisitions since mid-2008.”
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