The chief executive of Hydrasun, Bob Drummond, was named the 35th Grampian Industrialist of the Year last night.
Nearly 300 people attended the awards dinner in the Mercure Ardoe House Hotel, near Aberdeen.
The annual event is managed by Junior Chamber International (JCI) Aberdeen. Its president, Jill Harris, said: “Bob is an inspirational example for upcoming entrepreneurs and leaders in business, and his achievements showcase what the Grampian Industrialist is all about.
“Since acquiring Hydrasun in 2002, Bob has led its growth to a global success story. His outstanding business achievements have deservedly won him the coveted title.”
Mr Drummond said: “I am both absolutely delighted and deeply honoured to have been chosen for this prestigious award. I think it also shows worthy recognition of the fantastic efforts and commitment of the entire team at Hydrasun over the past few years and everything we have achieved together.”
Hydrasun is a provider of fluid-transfer, power and control services to the energy, petrochemical, marine and utility industries worldwide.
Mr Drummond, backed by the Royal Bank of Scotland, Bank of Scotland and Invex Capital Partners, took control of the business a decade ago for an undisclosed sum.
Hydrasun added 100 people to its team last year, giving it a total of nearly 600, with about half of the workforce based in Aberdeen. It also plans to create up to 100 jobs this year amid growing demand for its services. It moved to a new £12million headquarters in Aberdeen at the start of last year.
Mr Drummond is dedicated to supporting the wider community.
The Hydrasun Athletics Academy was opened in October 2010 to nurture talented athletes aged 17-23 by providing access to top-level facilities and coaching. The academy, sponsored by Hydrasun, is a partnership between Aberdeen Sports Village, Aberdeen University and charity Blue Horizon.
It is Mr Drummond’s dream that the academy will bring an Olympic gold medal back to the north-east by 2016.
Hydrasun also sponsors the kids@asv initiative involving a programme of affordable sports clubs aimed at getting children from all backgrounds to participate in regular exercise.
Also at last night’s event, JCI Aberdeen revealed that its chosen charity for the year was Befriend a Child.
