The north-east businessman behind an oil and gas procurement firm which folded last year is celebrating an influx of work at his new company.
Warren Anderson said the fledgling Aberdeen-based firm had recently got involved in six new projects, contributing to a 50% increase in turnover during the last half year.
Mr Anderson said the new business, GOT Procurement Services, had already broken through the £1million turnover mark and was looking to hit £2million by the end of 2017.
He said most clients served by his former company − the similarly named GOT Services − had been “receptive” to his new venture, but admitted some had been “stung” after being left out of pocket.
GOT Services, founded in 1992, had specialised in providing services and supply chain management to onshore and offshore energy companies.
Mr Anderson joined GOT Services in the mid-1990s and bought the firm in 2008 in a management buyout.
The firm hit the wall in July 2015 as it did not have enough stock to fulfil its orders, administrators from KPMG said at the time.
It owed creditors more than £5million and was forced to lay off more than 20 employees, many of whom were long-serving.
Mr Anderson was back in business in less than a month, however. He set up GOT Procurement Services after agreeing a deal to buy the old company’s assets and intellectual property.
Mr Anderson said having to close the doors at GOT Services was “horrible” as it meant laying off employees he had known for years.
He still believes GOT Services could have been saved on the strength of its order book, but was unable to convince lenders not to pull the plug due to the size of its debt pile.
Mr Anderson said the first four months of leading GOT Procurement Services were about finding his feet again, but that he is now focused on growing the business.
The company is operating out of Altens Industrial Estate and has seven employees, most of whom worked for GOT in its previous guise.
Furthermore, GOT is close to announcing the recruitment of an experienced business development director to support its growth.
Mr Anderson believes he will be able to hire at least another two people and relocate to a “more suitable” base in the next year.
He said GOT is casting a wider net to bring in more work by offering procurement support for the renewable energy sector.
JDN, a renewable energy installation specialist, has chosen GOT to supply a range of products, including hand tools, operating spares and safety equipment, for one of its UK offshore wind farm projects.
But Mr Anderson is still keen to rebuilt relationships and secure work with former clients.
He said: “On the whole, the majority of our former clients have been receptive. There have probably only been one or two who have been stung by the previous company or have taken the view not to trade with us.
“We just need to start building up relations again. It will be the new business development director’s job to further enhance that.”
Mr Anderson said GOT was benefiting from having a small but experienced team. He also said there had been definite a “pick-up in activity” in the last two months in Aberdeen.
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