US group Emerson has started work on a new £20million office and service centre for 150 Aberdeen-based employees.
The diversified global manufacturing and technology company said the new facility was needed to support the North Sea oil and gas industry.
It one of a number that group subsidiary Emerson Process Management (EPM) is opening around the world to provide local support, training, and services for customers.
Stuart Brown, EPM general manager for the UK and Ireland, said the “milestone” ground-breaking in the D2 Business Park at Dyce reflected demand from a growing number of North Sea oil and gas installations needing lifecycle support to keep their operations running efficiently and profitably.
The new service centre, covering nearly 61,000 square feet, will support products and services supplied by EPM and sister company Emerson Network Power (ENP).
It will house ENP’s global training centre for industrial systems, as well as sales, design, project management, commissioning and maintenance services.
In addition, a lifecycle service centre will service EPM customers’ North Sea installations.
The new facility, which will be one of more than 400 service centres Emerson has worldwide, is expected to be up and running by the middle of next year and will replace the group’s existing offices in Dyce.
A spokesman for Emerson said the 150 employees would include about 40 new jobs for the area.
D2 developer Miller Developments, a division of Scottish construction firm Miller Group, said Emerson’s investment was another coup for the new business park.
Miller Developments joint managing director David Milloy added: “Since its launch last year, D2 is quickly establishing itself as a prime location for business in Aberdeen.
“We are delighted Emerson has recognised its potential.”
Emerson, based in St Louis, Missouri, is a £14.5billion turnover business comprised of five business segments: process management, industrial automation, network power, climate technologies, and commercial and residential solutions.
Earlier this year, it announced that EPM had won a £4.2million contract from oil giant BP to train people how to use a control and safety system for the Quad 204 deepwater project west of Shetland.
BP had previously awarded EPM a £12.6million contract to supply control and safety systems for the project’s new floating, production, storage and offloading vessel to replace Schiehallion.