Balmoral Escalates Renewables Ambition
Balmoral Offshore Engineering said it has acquired Norwegian manufacturer Seaproof Solutions to accelerate its expansion into the offshore renewables market.
Established in 1989 Bergen-based Seaproof designs and manufactures advanced cable protection systems, bend stiffeners and flexible J-tubes and is forecast to generate sales of 140m NOK (approximately £13m, $18.5mln)) in the current financial year.
Balmoral Offshore Engineering, part of Aberdeen-based Balmoral Group, made the acquisition for an undisclosed sum and will retain the current management team and workforce totalling some 37 people at the Seaproof plant. The company will continue trading and manufacturing under that name as a division of Balmoral.
Bill Main, financial director at Balmoral, said, “This timely acquisition will help our drive into the developing renewables sector. The combination of Balmoral’s innovation and processing expertise with Seaproof’s considerable market presence presents a compelling offering.”
Henrik Bang-Andreasen, founder and CEO of Seaproof, said, “The move opens up significant potential in the U.K. market for Seaproof, something we are very keen to develop. Both organizations see substantial opportunities for growth in the future.”
Balmoral’s chairman and managing director, Jim Milne, added, “We have a natural entrepreneurial spirit within the company and are always seeking opportunities. I am confident this platform will open new doors for us and we are excited at the prospect of working with the Seaproof team.”
The acquisition comes at a time of growth for Balmoral with the recent opening of its £20 million subsea test center in Aberdeen, as well as a £10 million investment in ACE Winches and the completion of a £10 million state-of-the-art industrial tank manufacturing facility in South Yorkshire in 2017.