North Sea helicopter operator Bristow Helicopters has beefed up its presence in the north-east by opening offices at Kintore Business Park in Aberdeenshire.
Three floors of office accommodation and a warehouse facility on a site of just over an acre are now home to 46 Bristow employees from the company’s centralised operations business unit (COBU).
They were previously split between two bases in Dyce, Aberdeen.
COBU provides a centre of excellence for aircraft support activity, with functions ranging from procurement and supply chain to heavy maintenance.
The unit supports all oil and gas aircraft in the UK and Norway as well as Australia, Canada and Africa.
It also supports the group’s search and rescue (SAR) aircraft in the UK, Norway and Africa.
A growing number of aircraft, both for oil and gas work and SAR contracts, has led to COBU’s recent move to Kintore.
Bristow’s fleet is poised for significant expansion through the arrival of new-generation AgustaWestland AW189 aircraft for both oil and gas and SAR operations, while Sikorsky S76D’s are being introduced in Nigeria.
Bristow global supply chain manager Scott Fyvie said: “We deliver a 24/7 support service to our global fleet and our new facility in Kintore will now serve as the epicentre of our operations around the world.
“The expansion demonstrates the growing role for the COBU team as new contracts come on board and the business continues to grow.
“It is an exciting time to be with the company and we continue to recruit successfully, both locally in Aberdeen and globally, across all operations to reflect this.”
Bristow will occupy the new Kintore facility until 2029 after signing a 15-year lease.
With one floor of office space currently unused, there is plenty of room for future growth.
Local firms helping with the move included Aberdeen Office Supplies, MK Joinery Services, Thistle Couriers, Hutcheon Services, Active Air Conditioning, FG Burnett, Expeditors International (UK), Alarm Maintenance Company, Grampian Blinds, Donside Fire Protection, Anderson Construction (Aberdeen) and Signs Express (Aberdeen).