Caithness firm set to expand after being bought by Aurora Energy Services Ltd of Inverness

A CAITHNESS firm is set to extend its operations after being acquired by Aurora Energy Services Limited which is based in Inverness.

The value of the deal for Northern Marine Services (Scotland) Ltd (NMS) has not been disclosed but is expected to result in additional investment and jobs in the Wick firm which was founded by Alasdair Noble in 2017.

NMS is a specialist provider of non-conventional lifting, inspection, logistics and marine services with customers including SSE, Subsea 7 and a number of windfarm, hydro power, telecoms and rail network clients. The firm has expertise in supporting windfarm turbine inspections, telecom mast installations and infrastructure projects

Mr Noble will continue to lead the re-branded Aurora NMS, as lifting and marine services director. He said: "We are finding that many utility companies, which are an important part of our client base, are more comfortable dealing with larger businesses. In becoming part of the Aurora group, we now have that scale and financial and organisational backing which utilities are seeking, and we believe this will take the business to a higher level.

Mr Noble, who enjoyed a successful career in the marine industry before focusing on specialist transport and lifting, added: "With investment from Aurora, we can drive forward the business in ways which were simply out of reach previously, and we are excited that we will be able to offer opportunities for the local workforce in Wick not just locally, but internationally, as Aurora NMS grows its market share and geographic reach."

Aurora chief executive, Doug Duguid, said the company expects to create 10 new jobs or trainee positions in the next three years.

He said: "Alasdair Noble has built an excellent business across a number of diverse sectors and NMS’s strong track record in renewables aligns well with our own ambitions of becoming a leading energy services provider."

"Aurora will invest capital in NMS to strengthen its regular and specialist lifting equipment and vehicle assets and provide an infrastructure to introduce its unique offering to a wider client base. We will also put resources into recruiting staff and offering trainee opportunities in and around Wick, which as a Scottish business is an important element of our overall growth strategy.

"The strong links NMS enjoys with major wind farm operators and in the infrastructure sector is something that we can support and strengthen, and we believe Aurora’s growing reputation in those areas can, in turn, act as a springboard for continued success."

Aurora’s Inverness facility, which hosts the Highlands only Renewable Energy Training Centre, will supplement NMS’s Wick operation.

This is Aurora’s third acquisition of well-established Scottish businesses and follows the purchases of Huntly-based offshore services and fabrication company, R&M Engineering, and rope access and training specialist, Inverness Access Training Services.

Aurora’s business plan is to create a £100 million turnover over the next five years by supporting the energy industry’s transition from oil and gas and by developing a strong presence in wind, solar, hydrogen, carbon capture and storage, pumped hydro and waste to energy sectors.

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