Aberdeen-based subsea installation contractor Bibby Offshore is to move into a new purpose-built HQ as the business continues to grow. The company has outgrown its current offices at Waterloo Quay and is moving to accommodate an increase in staff numbers and services as it expands operations both in the UK and internationally.
The new 52,000sqft office facility at Prospect Park, Westhill, will be three storeys high and can accommodate more than 400 people. The 15-year lease agreement represents a multi-million pound investment by Bibby Offshore.
Bibby Offshore’s Chief Executive Howard Woodcock said: “Bibby Offshore has evolved considerably since we first opened in Aberdeen in 2003 with offices at the Science and Technology Park. We have moved twice since then and looked for accommodation with the capacity for us to keep growing.
“Activity in the North Sea is up and we are already seeing the impact of the recent Budget announcement. We have invested in vessels, recruitment and the office premises because we see the market continuing to do well and our ships and assets being kept very busy.’’
Bibby Offshore currently has over 200 onshore and 450 offshore staff and operates from Aberdeen, Singapore and Trinidad. It recently added two new vessels to the fleet and has expanded its in-house capabilities to include ROV support and survey provision, as well as diving services.
The company will relocate in the spring of 2013 from its current premises. The new building will include a gym and a cafeteria area.
The HQ is being developed by Knight Property Group. Howard Crawshaw, Director of Knight Property Group, said: “We are delighted to have been able to accommodate Bibby Offshore at Prospect Park. We were aware they had been on the look-out for larger premises for some time now and they have secured this development on a pre-let basis with planning now granted and work commenced on site.
“It suits their requirements perfectly and will accommodate the company’s ever expanding staff base and service offering. We look forward to completing the property to schedule, ahead of their relocation next spring.
“We are currently awaiting planning permission for several new developments in and around the city which will hopefully provide for the constant demand from companies trying to establish a base in the area and others, like Bibby Offshore, who require larger offices to reflect their company’s positive growth”.
[mappress] Press Release, July 4, 2012