Highland firm Weldex (International) Offshore said yesterday it was looking to add about 20 people to its 140-strong workforce this year.
Chief executive Doug McGilvray said growing global demand for the Inverness-based company’s services was also likely to lead to continued improvement in its finances, particularly next year and beyond.
He added he was glad to see the firm now doing more work in Scotland because most of its business during the past five years or so had been elsewhere in the UK and overseas.
The UK’s largest heavy-lift crane hire company plans to open a maintenance, repair and storage depot in the north, at Nigg Energy Park on the Cromarty Firth, as reported in January. Discussions about the new base continue but Weldex already has some cranes on site.
The firm has invested more than £30million in upgrading its crane fleet over two years and is spending a further £20million-plus during 2012.
Accounts released by Companies House showed Weldex made pre-tax profits of £7.54million during the year to November 30, 2011, compared with a surplus of £6.28million in the previous 12 months. Operating profits rose nearly 16% to £11.16million, from £9.64million previously, as turnover rocketed by 25% to £27.69million.