Business Briefs - May 13

NHS Grampian has accepted a £10 million donation from the Wood Foundation to develop a multi storey car park at the Foresterhill Health Campus in Aberdeen.

To be built solely for patients and visitors, the facility will increase the number of spaces on the site by at least 1,000 which will allow more flexibility in provision for staff, contractors and deliveries.

The sum offered marks one of the largest single charitable donations ever made to the NHS in Scotland.

Retired Wood Group chief executive Sir Ian Wood, who set up the Wood Foundation with his family, said friends and relatives had been left distressed by the parking situation at Foresterhill in the past.

Sir Ian said: “We are very aware of the anxiety and frustration caused by inadequate car parking at our hospital which will be even more acute with the new hospital facilities currently under development.

“While public transport to the hospital is being improved, for many from across the north east the car is the only solution to get them to appointments or visits.

The assets of Aberdeen-based subsea company X-Subsea UK Holding and its UK subsidiaries have been sold for almost £15m.

Administrators from FRP Advisory said competitor James Fisher had bought the assets and intellectual property rights for £14.8m.

X-Subsea went into administration in April after being hit by a downturn in orders.

Twenty staff were made redundant with immediate effect.

Joint administrator Iain Fraser said: “X-Subsea operated in a global marketplace and was well known for the highly sophisticated dredging and excavation equipment it used as well as its expertise in non-contact excavation.

“There was international interest in the assets and we are pleased that they will be retained in Aberdeenshire and hopeful that new employment opportunities might arise following the sale.”

Nick Henry, chief executive officer of James Fisher, said: “The transaction strengthens and consolidates our position in subsea services.”

The chair of the Edinburgh Tram Inquiry has formally called on members of the public to submit written evidence to the inquiry, specifically detailing how they were affected by the failure of the project to be delivered on time, within budget and to the extent projected.

The Rt. Honourable the Lord Hardie has also made a formal call for the public to submit written details of any additional key issues around the planning and construction phase of the Edinburgh Trams project that the inquiry should consider. This follows the publication yesterday on the Edinburgh Tram Inquiry website of a list of the key issues already identified as relevant to the work of the Inquiry.

The list of key issues has been compiled as the team continue to collate and review over 5 million documents relating to the Edinburgh Trams project.

Firms across the construction industry reported an eighth consecutive quarter of growth in activity in the first quarter of 2015, according to the latest construction Trade Survey.

Published today, the Construction Products Association survey shows that large contractors, SMEs, civil engineers and product manufacturers all enjoyed growth in output in Q1, and further expansion is anticipated throughout 2015.

Glasgow creative agency MadeBrave has become the first tenant at The Albus, the office building recently completed by Clyde Gateway.

The firm, founded by entrepreneur Andrew Dobbie, has taken a 10-year lease on space spanning 3,140 square feet at the site in Glasgow’s east end.

Fionna Kell of Clyde Gateway said: “Bridgeton is proving an interesting and dynamic location for business to flourish due to the quick and efficient public transport links to the city centre and on-site parking.”

Oil services firm Subsea 7 has announced that it is to slash its global head count by about 20 per cent as energy companies forge ahead with cost-cutting measures.

The company, which has a large North Sea presence, will cut 2,500 jobs from its present workforce of about 13,000 by early 2016.

An initial 410 jobs are expected to be lost across its operations in Aberdeen and London, while 210 posts in Norway will go, a Subsea 7 spokesman said.

Luxembourg-based Subsea 7 said is taking the step in light of “difficult economic conditions” and a drop in orders.

Consultation processes have already begun in Norway and the UK, the company said.

Lanarkshire-based vehicle Rental company TOM has revealed plans to invest more than £130 million in its fleet this year

The company, which was founded by Jim Rafferty and is based in Airdrie, announced plans to add more than 2,500 light commercial vehicles, 700 trucks and 500 trailers to its nationwide rental fleet by making this investment.

The investment is a key part of TOM’s plans to double the size of its fleet during the next three years, from about 9,000 to around 18,000 commercial vehicles.

TOM employs about 530 people and has Scottish entrepreneur and investor Hugh Stewart on its board

Latest accounts show the company’s turnover rose to £98.5 million in the year to March 31, 2014, from £62.3m in the prior 12 months.

Pre-tax profits climbed to £1.63m from £1.3m.