SPECIALIST MARINE CONSULTANTS
Thanks to developer engagement and collaboration, Specialist Marine Consultants’ business has grown exponentially over the last decade.
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SMC, as they are widely known, started out with just two employees in 2006. Now it employs about 100 offshore and office workers, plus 150 contractors with their head office based near Filey, North Yorkshire.
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The suppliers of specialised services to the marine and offshore energy sectors attribute as much as 50% of their growth and market maturity, in thanks to their partnership with Ørsted.
SMC undertaking statutory inspections. Photo credit: Economic Impact study of Ørsted investments in the Humber region.
“We have placed significant emphasis on driving forward a solution based on the highest standards of quality and safety, and the collaborative nature of our relationship with Ørsted has allowed us to build a truly best in class statutory inspection division,”
Dean Coates, Operations Director at SMC, said after the partnership was announced.
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“Moving into 2022 and beyond, we’re really excited by the opportunity to further develop our people, service offering, and working relationship with Ørsted, in keeping with our commitments to maintain our position as the ‘gold standard’ for offshore inspection and maintenance services.”
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SMC has taken the experience it’s gained working with Ørsted in the UK supply chain and are building on it in other markets in Europe and Asia. Currently about 35% of all revenue for the North Yorkshire-based company comes from overseas.
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The offshore experts in inspection, service, maintenance, and construction support say Ørsted has been a catalyst for their massive growth over the last decade.
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Being partnered with the global leader in renewable energy has helped the small company’s profile and reputation grow, allowing them to win work with other contractors.
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It’s an added benefit they hope will continue as they look to expand in the United States as well.
COLLABORATING FOR GROWTH PLAYBOOK
Beginning in 2009 with vessel inspections on the small Gunfleet Sands Offshore Wind Farm with just 48 turbines, leading to the huge Hornsea 2 project with 165 turbines in 2022, SMC and Ørsted have grown together.
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Building on this success and long term collobrative working, SMC won a second multi-year framework agreement to support Ørsted with Statutory Inspection, Service and Maintenance across their UK portfolio of offshore wind farms in January 2022.