Tekmar CEO James Ritchie (left) and Mark Henderson, Head of Sales & Marketing outside the company’s facility at Aycliffe.
Tekmar, the leading subsea technology company, has announced a £1million investment programme, which will more than treble the size of its North East England facility and create in excess of 30 new jobs.
The Newton Aycliffe-based company is the market leader for the supply of offshore wind cable protection systems and will use this growth as a catalyst to expand its operations back into the Oil & Gas sector.
The expansion includes adding a further 75,000 sq. ft. to its current 27,000 sq. ft. facility. Due to Tekmar’s hard work and dedication, this growth has enabled it to take on an additional building adjacent to its existing facility, on the Newton Aycliffe Business Park.
This investment will help transform its current facility into a state-of-the-art Research and Development Centre while its existing operations will be expanded to meet the demands of the sector by operating out of the additional larger building.
Currently employing 75 people, Tekmar, which is a member of business development organisation NOF Energy, will also be investing in recruitment and training with plans to take on more than 30 new members of staff during the next 12 months.
This announcement follows on from Tekmar recently securing the highly regarded ISO accreditations for 9001, 14001 and 18001.
James Richie, Chief Executive of Tekmar, said: “This expansion will enable Tekmar to expand its offerings in the oil & gas sector while continuing to grow our presence in the offshore wind sector. We have existing, high quality transferable skills and technologies that are applicable to the oil & gas sector, which we can deliver through this investment.
“We operate in a global market and this investment will enable Tekmar to maintain and grow its position in the supply chain building upon our impressive track record. Over the last five years we have supplied more than 1,000 cable protection systems for the UK & European offshore wind market.”
He added: “We are very proud to be at the forefront of the subsea technology sector and this growth demonstrates the increasingly prominent role UK companies have in the energy sector supply chain. It is also very satisfying to be able to create new jobs in North East England. It demonstrates there are opportunities for skilled people in this region and that the North East is an attractive proposition for engineers and skilled technicians looking to develop their careers.”
Joanne Leng MBE, Deputy Chief Executive of NOF Energy, said: “Tekmar is part of the strong North East England subsea sector that is well-respected and well-utilised by global industry. Its expansion highlights the confidence members of the supply chain have in the future of the energy sector and their ability to deliver the technology, skills and services to ensure they remain at the heart of the growth of the sector.”
