It’s been nearly six months since Tom Murdoch stepped in to the role of managing director at Aberdeenshire-headquartered Brimmond.
The 30-year-old admits it’s a job he landed much earlier than expected but one he’s embracing with the company, which was founded by his father, on track to record its highest ever turnover and in the midst a recruitment drive.
The business, a provider of hydraulic, lifting and mechanical equipment and services, is also looking to embark on a three-year strategy to diversify into new markets including marine, aquaculture and renewables.
Rebrand and restructure
Earlier this year Mr Murdoch was at the forefront of a restructure which saw “group” dropped from its from its title to be known as only Brimmond and it absorbed sister company Rigrun Europe.
It was then he was also handed the reins and became majority share holder of the business which was started by his late father Alistair in 1996.
The board has also been strengthened with the appointment of qualified engineer Nigel Jenkins who specialises in business improvement and growth and joins as a non-executive director.
New opportunities
Speaking about his experiences nearly six months into his role as managing director Mr Murdoch admitted: “I’m pretty young for my role and don’t know overly what I’m doing all of the time.
“I spent seven years at university training to be an engineer and none of that was teaching me to be a director of any sort whatsoever so Nigel is also in as a mentor to myself as well.
“Before my dad passed away it was always the plan to come back to Brimmond at some point.
“It hadn’t planned to be that soon but he got ill and passed very quickly.”
Following graduation with an MSc from Aberdeen University he had envisaged spending seven years or so years out in industry – he’d landed a job at Subsea 7 – before returning to the family business.
“I made it to my end of my graduate scheme and then came back to Brimmond in 2016,” he said.
“It’s been really really busy but I’ve enjoyed it.”
Record turnover
The rebranding and restructure followed a prosperous year for the engineering company, which announced new contracts spanning the renewables, subsea and production sectors.
Last year also saw the Kintore-based company record its highest ever turnover at £6 million.
Mr Murdoch said: “We had three years in a row of constantly increasing turnover.
“This year will definitely be the highest again by what magnitude I don’t know.
“I would like to think around 10% higher.
“The more exciting thing is we are looking towards the end of March for next financial year we have this unbelievable pipeline of projects that are very close to coming through.
“It’s looking as though next year is going to be a very very busy year which is a reason we are going through the recruitment drive.”
Recruitment drive
Brimmond currently employs 33 full-time staff and is looking to recruit another six including three engineering roles, business administrator and workshop apprentice.
Mr Murdoch said: “We want to allow the team to grow and to retain core staff.
“Staff turnover was 3-4 % last year which is really low and a lot of guys have been here for 10 plus years.
“Last year we took on two apprentices and it’s our plan to have a rolling apprenticeship scheme.”
Oil and gas back to top of the list
Part of the company strategy will see Brimmond look to move into new markets but Mr Murdoch is well aware of the importance oil and gas will continue to play.
He said: “Undoubtedly oil and gas would be the primary source of income. This year I’d estimate it to be 60-70% of the work we are doing and we’ve really done a lot out with oil and gas.
“We want to grow our core business, energy and oil and gas.
“We are not about to turn our back on that with everything that’s happened.
“As a SME it’s quite difficult to keep up with what the most recent trend is.
“Last year you couldn’t mention oil and gas and this year it’s changed, due to the situation in Ukraine, but now energy security is top of the list.
Last year you couldn’t mention oil and gas and this year it’s changed, due to the situation in Ukraine.
Now energy security is top of the list.”
“We spent all of last year developing this really in depth plan to help us do less in oil and gas and now we’ve got oil and gas doing really well.
“But we want to diversify into adjacent sectors that compliment what we do.
“We know that will be aquaculture. The West coast of Scotland is a massive aquaculture hub.
“Can’t say what it is we are doing yet but we’ve got some really exciting products that we are currently developing for that area.
“But it’ll be early next year before we can say anything about that.”
Renewables is ‘key’
In March, Brimmond received funding as part of Offshore Renewable Energy (ORE) Catapult’s Fit For Offshore Renewables (F4OR) programme.
It is aimed at helping companies prepare to bid for incoming renewables and energy transition opportunities.
Mr Murdoch said: “It’s key. Absolute key.
“The Fit for Offshore Renewables is a very intensive programme.
“I definitely see it as being the future and don’t think in 30 years time we’ll be building diesel power packs for oil and gas so we have to concentrate on how we’ll diversify.
“Offshore renewables is one of our main ones. But unlike other companies in Aberdeen it’s not our first to diversify in to. For us marine and aquaculture is the first because we already do so much in it.
“But offshore renewables will follow closely behind it.”
Looking to the future Mr Murdoch, who works alongside operations director Stewart Findlay and technical director Alan Glennie, said the company will continue to invest.
This includes expanding its purpose-built facility in Midmill Business Park in Kintore.
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