OIL and gas industry subsea contractor Hallin Marine has begun work on new £3million premises for its western division headquarters which will house 180 staff.
Hallin Marine UK managing director Mike Arnold dug the first shovelful of earth at a greenfield site at Arnhall Business Park, Westhill, near Aberdeen, where the company expects to add to its workforce by the time it moves from its Dyce base next spring. Mr Arnold said: “We started our business from nothing four years ago and have grown it at a fantastic rate, a rate that resulted in us recently being chosen to receive the Queen’s Award for Enterprise.
“The vast majority of our team has come from Aberdeen and the surrounding area and, by the time this building is ready to move into in 2011 we will need another 50.”
The new 50,000 square-foot office, warehouse and yard complex is required by the company as it moves into vessel operation and saturation diving in addition to its remotely operated vehicle (ROV) activities.
The complex has been designed by Aberdeen firm Tinto Architecture.
Hallin has four divisions: subsea operations west and engineering consultancy Prospect Flow Solutions, both based in Aberdeen and which will move to the new premises, and subsea operations east and manufacturing, both based in Singapore.
In December, recommended proposals were announced for the £103.5million cash acquisition of Hallin by Superior UK, a wholly owned subsidiary of Superior Energy Services, of New Orleans, formed for the purpose of making the offer for the company. Hallin said that by joining a financially strong and successful group it would be better placed to take advantage of opportunities as they arose.