Aberdeen fabrication and engineering firm Harlen Fabrication says it has seen revenue soar by £4.7million since investing heavily in its facilities and growing its workforce.
Harlen operates from two sites close to each other at Dyce, in Newton Road and Kirkhill Place.
Annual sales are said to have rocketed to nearly £7million in the past 18 months, about 51% better than expected, after the company spent more than £400,000 on growing the business.
Its workforce has mushroomed from 20 to 70 people over the same period.
Harlen was founded in 1980 as HSF Fabrication, since when it has grown from a small steel fabricating business to an established provider of structural fabrications, pipework and construction services to clients across the energy sector.
Bruce Gill, a former director at Global Energy Group, joined at the end of 2011 as managing director and acquired the business last year.
The £400,000 investment since then has given the firm an additional manufacturing site, comprising 25,250 square feet of accommodation on a 2.36-acre site, for structural and piping fabrications.
Harlen’s two sites have a combined 23,000 sqft of workshop space and 7,000 sqft of offices plus yardage and laydown areas covering 26,000 sqft.
Mr Gill said the firm had grown substantially over the past year alone, both in revenue and in the scale of its operations.
He added: “I’m confident that this rapid growth will continue.
“We have just reported our year-end figures to March 2013 which were £2.3million ahead of our projected revenue target.
“This is largely attributed to the investment we have made in the business and our continued focus on delivering for our clients.”
Mr Gill said he realised immediately he joined the company that its facilities would not support his expansion plans. He added: “Having investment in plant and infrastructure was, therefore, a priority.”
Harlen has also recently launched an apprenticeship scheme offering young people the opportunity to train in jobs such as welding and fabrication.
Mr Gill added: “Many of our managers started their careers as apprentices and I think it’s important for any successful business to give our young people the opportunity to learn new skills and gain experience in the workplace.”
Recommended for you
