Over the past year, Safelift has invested approximately £1 million in expanding its facilities and team to cater to larger projects, particularly within the growing renewables market. This includes a new fabrication facility, part-funded by the Energy Transition Zone (ETZ), which will allow the company to work on larger-scale equipment and improve workflow.

Now based in Kemnay, the firm was established in 1994 by founder Peter Innes, who applied his expertise as a draughtsman and engineer to designing many of their products and equipment.

Currently Safelift has a team of 36 staff, including those employed at its sister division, Safetrade, which supplies equipment to the onshore industry. Earlier this year, Safelift appointed Steven Simpson as managing director.

An experienced business development, sales and marketing executive and leader, Mr Simpson has been appointed to drive Safelift’s growth strategy across both sectors and geographies. Andy McKay has also joined the team as sales and marketing manager for Safetrade. With a strong background in BD, Mr McKay will be working across both teams to maximise future opportunities.

In addition to working across multiple sectors, Safelift has established a global footprint, with a significant presence in the Middle East. The manual handling and lifting specialist currently works with around 35 clients in the region, but is targeting further growth in 2025, with a number of large-scale projects in the pipeline.

The company remains steadfastly rooted in the local community in Aberdeenshire, and has long-standing relationships with a number of local firms in the supply chain. They have also developed close links with schools in Kemnay, Oldmeldrum and Huntly and training providers, as an approved Developing the Young Workforce (DYW) partner.

Mr Simpson said: “We recently celebrated our 30th anniversary with a party attended by over 200 of our colleagues, families and friends.

“This important milestone is a fantastic opportunity for us to take stock, and reflect of the successes and achievements of the past 3 decades, and to look forward to realising the exciting ambitions that lie ahead.

“The fact that we have not only survived, but thrived and flourished over more than a quarter of a century, is testament to the vision and leadership of our founder Peter, and the talent and dedication of our in-house team.

“We have a deep understanding of the often-harsh environments in which our equipment is deployed, and to that end we design and fabricate items to the highest standards of safety and efficacy. It’s that dedication to quality which has forged our reputation as the go-to for manual handling and lifting specialists.”