Shetland engineering company Ocean Kinetics Limited is set to create 21 quality full time jobs.
The downturn in the oil and gas market has offered opportunities for companies such as Ocean Kinetics to look at different approaches to provide services offering savings and efficiencies.
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Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE) is contributing £420,000 towards the company’s £1.1m expansion project to support the company’s development of an innovative new one-stop-shop service for engineering solutions.
The ambitious company will invest significantly in extensive training and development of their staff over a three year period, as well as installing a bespoke new management information system.
Ocean Kinetic’s 73 staff are based at the company’s new headquarters at Lerwick’s Port Business Park, which includes engineering and fabrication workshops, design offices, a retail store and a dedicated inspection area. The company has grown its operations into mainland Scotland, the rest of the UK and overseas.
Managing director, John Henderson, founded the company in 1992 and has led Ocean Kinetics from strength to strength, to become recognised leaders in engineering, fabrication and manufacture, pipework, marine repair and corrosion prevention, and design.
John said: “We have expanded our business since moving into our new building and this project aims to extend our operations and further increase our turnover, capacity and staffing numbers over the next three years. By providing an innovative one-stop-shop for engineering services, we will be able to offer a single source efficient and cost effective solution to clients. We also plan to further expand our work offshore and internationally.
“This will benefit new and existing customers in the renewables, utilities, marine, decommissioning and the oil and gas industry. The modern digital system will help us improve budgeting and cost controls within the organisation, which will increase efficiencies and reduce waste.
“We are delighted that HIE is supporting us to invest significantly in training and development of staff which will ensure that we are well placed to compete for work and support for our new management system which will be key to success. It also helps us to capitalise on new emerging market opportunities in the renewables and decommissioning sectors which are increasing and in which Shetland will be a key player in the near future.”
Twenty-one jobs will be created over the next three years including in production, inspection, stores, marine, and additional apprentices.
Katrina Wiseman, head of Business Growth from HIE’s area team in Shetland, said: “Ocean Kinetics have real ambition to grow the company and create fantastic employment opportunities in Shetland. They have an innovative approach to providing engineering services to a wide range of customers across the UK and beyond, with a strong focus on quality.
“There are so many engineering opportunities in Shetland, the UK and around the world, and to convert these into real business, Ocean Kinetics will power on with this latest project. The company has a great reputation in the industry and we will continue to work with them to deliver that ambition for the benefit of Shetland as well as Scotland.”
