Facilities management group Richard Irvin Energy Solutions has returned to profit in its latest trading year and says it is ready to hire North Sea engineers who want to move back onshore.
The firm’s management team, led by chief executive Willie MacLean, has worked to turn the business from a £3.1million loss in 2014 to a small pre-tax profit of £74,000 this year.
Mr MacLean, who took over the role of chief executive at the end of 2013, said: “2014 was a year of turnaround for Richard Irvin and, having returned to a stable and profitable position, we can now focus on growing the business in the year ahead.
“We invested in key people, which is a bit of investment but we needed to do that. We got very granular about our processes and what people were doing. We are not wholly through that yet, but we see 2016/17 as the real start of growth.”
The firm’s expansion outside of its heartland of the north-east has seen it focus on establishing and extending operations in the central belt and Tayside.
“We have opened in Dundee, the new Glasgow office is functioning and we are expanding in Edinburgh as well. Our intent is to grow our business in the central belt and Tayside region. The north-east is and always will be our heartland but we want to make sure it is not the only part of our business,” said Mr MacLean.
The firm specialises in facilities management – taking care of buildings’ heating and air-conditioning, as well as fitting out newly built property with mechanical and electrical systems. It said it has won £9.5million of new business in the first quarter of this year, including commercial office developments at Kingswells Prime 4 Business Park, the Gateway Business Park and the Core Business Parks.
Work has also been secured for student accommodation and further education facilities across Aberdeen, with healthcare and education projects across the Highlands & Islands and Tayside areas. Mr MacLean said the company, which employs around 450, would boost its apprenticeship scheme and offer places for offshore workers affected by the oil price drop.
