Aberdeen-based Scopus Engineering is ready to tackle new markets, according to its new non-executive chairman John Forrest.
The former Talisman Energy senior VP joined the energy services company in March this year following a £13million investment from Growth Capital Partners in return for a 25% stake in the business.
Forrest has ambitious plans for the company, which currently employs 255 staff, and says he wants to double its turnover in the next three years.
“It’s such a vibrant company to work in. The business is growing and we are retaining people,” he told Energy, adding that the key to staff retention is the company’s focus on in-house training.
Last month, Oil & Gas UK chief executive Malcolm Webb opened the company’s new and improved training facility in Dyce following a £100,000 investment.
Scopus claims the training academy, which was first launched five years ago in a bid to tackle a skills shortage, has resulted in a 190% rise in turnover to £20.6million for the year ending April 30, 2013, versus £7.1million in 2008.
The company attended the Adipec show in Abu Dhabi last month and Forrest hopes to build on contacts made during the trip, targeting the Middle East as a new growth area for the firm.
He believes Scopus is well placed to offer skilled services to companies in Iraq and Iran as both countries carry out a complete regeneration of their oil and gas industry.
“That’s our business to go into ground fieldwork and replace old rusty pipes,” said Forrest, citing Oman and the UAE as other target markets in the Middle East.
However, the majority of the company’s work – 60% – will remain in the UK though, as North Sea operations decline over time, work in the Middle East and Far East will become more important.
Forrest: “The main growth strands right now are with the upstream sector, but we think there is potential for us to grow and increase the engineering content of our work. Right now we are largely a surveying company.”
As a result, the expectation is that some engineers will be sought in the company’s drive to recruit 30 new staff over the next six months.
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