Latest news with #Aberdeen-based
Press and Journal
a day ago
- Business
- Press and Journal
Aberdeen IT firm sets sights on £2m turnover and 60 staff as growth accelerates
Aberdeen-based IT and cybersecurity specialist Alto is setting its sights on significant expansion, with plans to increase its workforce and double turnover. The firm, based in Tullos, has already more than doubled revenue since Bruce Skinner took the helm – breaking the £1 million mark for the first time. It currently employs 11 people and is looking to expand its headcount to 60 staff within the next five years. Bruce revealed the ambition is also to double turnover within the next two years. Alto provides managed IT and security products and services to a range of businesses with its specialist consultants' combined experience totalling more than 100 years. It has a growing base of clients in the UK and overseas locations including Spain, France, Denmark, Canada, the US and the Philippines. Alto, based at Citrus House on Greenbank Road, was founded in 2009 – under the Pisys brand – through a franchise arrangement. When Bruce first took over the business in 2020 it generated a revenue of £500,000. The 50-year-old said: 'It's a case of now looking to double turnover over the next two years. 'I believe once we go over that £2m that'll be quite a significant landmark. 'The plan is to keep growing the business by the number of employees and clients. 'In five years' time, if we've got to 60 staff and 100 clients, that would be an awesome place to be.' Alto works in a number of sectors including manufacturing, food, energy services, healthcare and renewables. The company has also shown a strong commitment to developing talent, taking on six apprentices since Bruce took the helm – one of whom, Dawid Szymaniuk, is now chief technology officer. Bruce is now looking at different ways to keep growing Alto and the services it offers. He said: 'We offer a unique proactive service where we're an IT department for companies that don't have the capacity to employ their own full-time IT people. 'My desire would be to look to potentially employ or start up smaller pods of Alto, in other towns and cities, but still grow the business in Aberdeen with the amount of help desk staff and business team. 'We've worked with Opportunity North East on their business growth programme, and that's been brilliant. 'It's really made me realize that the north-east of Scotland needs to grow the technology sector, rather than just focusing on energy. 'Although energy is a fantastic resource and it's got a lot of engineering capability in Aberdeen. 'There's loads of opportunities out there right now, especially with the cybersecurity stuff and proactive work we're doing with businesses. 'And I think there's a lot to be excited about in terms of our industry.' For the third year in a row, Alto has been named as one of the best places to work in the UK. Bruce said: 'When I took over the business I had this dream of having a place where people wanted to come and thrive and are really supportive of each other. 'Being recognised by the Sunday Times Best Places to Work reflects the culture we've built around being supportive, committed and authentic in everything we do. 'It's a credit to the whole team and the environment we've created together.' Alto recently won a three-year contract, in parntership with Cobra Wind and Dragados, to maintain internet connectivity for five floating offshore wind turbines at the Kincardine Offshore Wind Farm.
Scotsman
6 days ago
- Business
- Scotsman
Pinsent Masons major hires bolster Aberdeen energy offering
Multinational law firm Pinsent Masons has announced two Partner appointments which significantly strengthen its Aberdeen office. Sign up to our daily newsletter – Regular news stories and round-ups from around Scotland direct to your inbox Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to The Scotsman, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... Energy sector specialist Chris Sawyer has joined the firm's corporate team while former Burness Paull director Gillian Harrington joins as a partner to lead the Granite City-based employment team. Both appointments have been described as 'headline hires' by Pinsent Masons Partner and Aberdeen Head of Office Richard Scott. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Chris Sawyer has held a number of C-suite level in-house legal roles over a 20 year period with major oil and gas operators including bp, and more recently EnQuest where he was General Counsel. Gillian Harrington, Partner and head of Pinsent Masons employment team in Aberdeen. His international experience, including a three year period as head of legal for bp's Russian business in Moscow, aligned with two decades of UKCS focused activity, bolsters Pinsent Masons expertise in oil and gas, energy transition, risk management and regulatory compliance. Gillian Harrington is well-established in the north-east having spent her entire career in Aberdeen and for the last six years was a director in Burness Paull's employment team. Her experience of advising executive boards on complex, contentious and non-contentious employment issues, will be an asset to the firm's broad range of UK and international clients. Julia Maguire, Pinsent Masons' Global Sector Head, Energy, said: 'The energy sector, both in the North Sea and globally, offers huge opportunities. Many larger energy companies are selling their mature assets to the smaller independent energy businesses who then redevelop them to extend their lifespan while reducing carbon emissions. Our clients need guidance on navigating shifting markets, driven by the energy transition and the need to ensure a secure energy supply in the context of continuing geopolitical uncertainty. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad 'Chris' and Gillian's expertise will help ensure we capitalise on these opportunities and continue to deliver our energy clients' most important and most complex deals across the globe. Having seen our global energy practice grow by 90% over the last four years, we appreciate the continuing and growing client need for the kind of deep sector expertise and experience which Chris and Gillian can offer.' HSE litigation specialist Willie Park has been promoted to Legal Director at Pinsent Masons. Pinsent Masons also recently announced the promotion of Aberdeen-based HSE litigation specialist, Willie Park, to Legal Director. Richard Scott said: 'Both Chris and Gillian are very highly regarded in their respective fields and the stature of these appointments underlines our commitment to clients in Aberdeen and beyond to continue to provide market leading expert legal counsel across the energy sector. 'As Chris and Gillian settle into the team, and with Willie Park's appointment as Legal Director recognising his expertise in and out of court, our offering goes from strength to strength and we will continue to seek out the best practitioners who can add to value to our client portfolio.' Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Chris Sawyer said: 'I worked with Pinsent Masons at bp and again at EnQuest so know the firm very well and as a recipient of its client outreach seminars and thought-leadership initiatives, I think Pinsent Masons as a truly sector-focused law firm offers clients something quite unique. Energy specialist Chris Sawyer joins Pinsent Masons as a Partner in the corporate team. 'The risk portfolio of operating in the North Sea has gone up significantly in recent years, be that through climate action and awareness, regulation or the taxation system. Those risks are starting to play out in a way that lawyers are being called upon to assess them differently from say five years ago, and coming at this with a 'GC mindset' I will be able to advise clients on navigating those complex issues.' Gillian Harrington added: 'Pinsent Masons has an excellent reputation in the energy sector both in Aberdeen and globally. I see a significant opportunity to further grow our employment practice and to continue to deliver market-leading advice to our clients.
Press and Journal
27-05-2025
- Business
- Press and Journal
Aberdeen firm invests in new base for 200 engineers
Energy consultancy Penspen has marked a major milestone in its north-east growth story by opening a new, larger office in Aberdeen. The hub brings together 200 specialist engineers under one roof as the company ramps up delivery of energy transition and infrastructure projects across the UK and Europe. Penspen says the move to Balmoral Business Park in Altens shows its long-term commitment to Aberdeen, where it has had a presence since the late 1980s. The purpose-built office replaces the company's former base at Queens Gardens and brings in staff from C&I Engineering Solutions, the local firm it acquired in 2024. 'Aberdeen is a critical hub for us – a region where we have deep roots and long-standing relationships with key clients,' said Darren Bartlett, Penspen's director of engineering and energy transition. 'This move reflects both our history in the north-east and our ongoing commitment to its future.' From its new base, Penspen will lead on serval major low-carbon infrastructure projects. These include engineering work on the HyNet CO₂ pipeline in Liverpool Bay and a hydrogen infrastructure gap analysis for the Trans Adriatic Pipeline, part of the EU's Southern Gas Corridor. The company is focused on two key areas: energy security and the repurposing assets for hydrogen and carbon transport – sectors seeing fast-growing demand. The Balmoral office will also serve as a training hub, for skills in hydrogen systems, CO₂ transmission, and infrastructure reuse. These skills are considered vital to the UK's future energy system and local workforce development. Penspen has operated globally for over 70 years. Its workforce has grown from 750 in 2019 to 1,200 today, including more than 200 staff in Aberdeen. 'Bringing the Penspen and C&I Engineering Solutions teams together under one purpose-built roof will strengthen collaboration and further enhance the service we deliver to our clients,' said Mr Bartlett. 'Investing in our Aberdeen presence enables us to grow our team and our capabilities to deliver technically challenging projects that support global clients at every stage of the energy project lifecycle. 'We're proud to make a commitment to the city as it positions itself at the heart of the energy transition.' Although headquartered in London, Penspen is part of Sidara, which is currently in talks to acquire Aberdeen-based engineering giant Wood.
The National
27-05-2025
- Business
- The National
UK's only female-founded wave energy firm secures £531k in funding
Aberdeen-based ZOEX secured £531,000 in funding including investment from Equity Gap, one of Scotland's leading angel investment syndicates, The University of Strathclyde and Scottish Enterprise. The private investment by Equity Gap has been matched by Scottish Enterprise unlocking a contribution of £196,000 from Innovate UK, enabling the company to scale development of its wave energy converter technology. The 100kW full scale prototype, which was tested in Aberdeen Harbour last year, will now be transported to Ordu, Turkey and tested there for a year to assess the seasonal performance differences. READ MORE: New campaign launched to remind tourists to drive on left in Scotland Founded by entrepreneur, CEO Ash Penley, ZOEX aims to replace diesel generators with "clean, cost-effective wave power". The system can be deployed across various blue economy sectors such as aquaculture fish farms, offshore wind, oil and gas, and remote ports and harbours. To date, Penley has raised over a million in public and private funding for the venture. Wave energy is the most concentrated form of renewable energy on earth, with power density much higher than wind and solar energy. With the global wave and tidal energy market projected to grow from $1.3 billion in 2024 to $19.8 billion by 2032, ZOEX is hoping to position itself to lead in both niche and large-scale markets. READ MORE: Prosecutors overturn 'lenient' sentence for Scotland Office protester Commenting on the project, Penley said: 'This investment is a huge step forward for ZOEX and for women in marine energy. Our technology has been designed not just to survive at sea, but to thrive efficiently, sustainably, and at scale. "We're grateful for the latest backing from Equity Gap, Scottish Enterprise and The University of Strathclyde, who share our vision for a cleaner, more resilient energy future.' Fraser Lusty, managing director of Equity Gap added: 'At Equity Gap, we're focused on backing bold innovation and exceptional founders. ZOEX ticks both boxes. Ash has built a solution with global potential, and we're proud to play a part in helping this technology reach the market.' READ MORE: Scottish airports face summer disruption as strikes loom Derek Shaw, director of entrepreneurship and investment at Scottish Enterprise said: 'Our investment in Zoex underscores our commitment to creating an internationally competitive energy transition industry in Scotland. "By supporting ambitious companies in areas such as wave energy we can help them drive innovation and capitalise on the significant economic opportunities linked to the shift from the production and consumption of fossil fuels to sources of renewable energy.'
The Courier
21-05-2025
- Business
- The Courier
MOD raises 'bird strike' concerns over £16m Craigtoun development in St Andrews
The Ministry of Defence has expressed 'bird strike' concerns over a £16 million St Andrews retail plan. The proposed Craigtoun site is within the safeguarding zone for Leuchars Army base, just 3.6 miles away. And the MOD is concerned it could attract flocking birds, which could then collide with aircraft heading to and from the aerodrome. Assistant safeguarding manager Fi Morrison has now advised on measures to prevent roosting, particularly under solar panels on the roofs of the new buildings. Developers West Coast Estates say they are confident their proposals fully address the risks. The MOD was consulted on the planning application due to its proposed location. Ms Morrison says the department has no objection to the St Andrews development. However, she adds: 'Within this zone, the principal concern of the MOD is the creation of new habitats may attract and support populations of large or flocking birds close to an aerodrome.' And she advises that any solar panels with gaps underneath should be proofed to exclude access to pigeons. 'This can be achieved by netting or other material secured to the panel and the roof, or by a solid barrier in the gap,' she said. A spokesperson for the developer has responded to the MOD's observations. They said: 'The solar panels proposed are designed as a solid block with no gaps between them, and they sit tightly against the roof sheets. 'This eliminates the usual nesting spaces found behind tilted panels on flat roofs, so we're confident the risk of bird roosting has been addressed. 'Their inclusion reflects West Coast Estates' commitment to incorporating low-carbon technologies into its developments where appropriate.' Aberdeen-based West Coast Estates says its proposal for the 42-acre site could create 170 new jobs and boost the economy. The application forms the first stage of a wider development for Craigtoun, which includes more than 1,000 homes. Planning permission in principle has already been granted for the masterplan as a whole. 'We look forward to Fife Council's determination of the application in the coming months.'
