Vertech Invests in Growth

International oil service firm Vertech, part of  Global Energy Group (GEG) has announced plans for rapid growth at its new Aberdeen office in the next five years.

Only a few months old, the Granite City arm of the Australian company, said it aims to achieve £40 million annual turnover from the base.

Its ambitious growth plans were revealed today by UK managing director John Marsden, as millions of pounds worth of new equipment for the venture arrived in Aberdeen.

Marsden said the Aberdeen operation offers an integrated service using divers for subsea work and rope-access technicians for topside activities. It also supplies drones for aerial inspections of installations, plus micro-ROVs for subsea work.

“GEG put a lot of advance planning and money into the launch of Vertech in Aberdeen and that investment is paying off. We have got off to a good start and are already winning North Sea work. We are working on our first rope-access projects and expect to announce our first diving contract soon. Vertech has also been growing in the southern hemisphere, with three sites in Australia, one in New Zealand and plans to expand in Asia. We are aiming to replicate that success from here by targeting areas including the North Sea, Africa and Gulf of Mexico,” added Marsden.

According to reports, the two new dive systems and a diving vessel worth around £5 million in total have just been delivered, while about £250,000 has been invested in rope-access equipment.

The new dive systems and vessel were purchased from Unique System (UK), and the company announced further investment in the year ahead.

The newly delivered vessel, Vaila  is nearly 50ft long and has been specially designed for air diving activity. According to the company, the Vaila is to be based at a north-east port, with the ability to be deployed anywhere in the world.

Vertech’s worldwide workforce has now grown to nearly 300 staff and contractors, with around 60 of them in Aberdeen.

Diving manager, Alan Melia, said: “It’s not only important to invest in state-of-the-art equipment, but also our people. We are focusing on the development of our staff, we are growing at a time of cuts, and continue to take on trainees to invest in the leaders of the future.”

Marsden concluded: “We have an advantage over competitors who don’t offer divers and rope-access technicians together in one package. We will be able to do the work quicker and therefore more cost effectively, as clients will only have to use one firm instead of two. Our topsides and subsea teams will be working together as part of one operation for the splash zone and that will also be safer because you will have a single point of management.”