FEATURE SPONSOR
SPECIALIST BUSINESS CENTRES
Information sessions, delivered in association with UKTI, will focus on opportunities in Iran, the Americas, Egypt, Mexico, the Middle East, Norway, Australia and Africa.
ADAPTING TO NEW MARKET CONDITIONS
John Balch, Strategic Director of Nwes, which owns and operates the Beacon Innovation Centre, said the supply chain had to adapt to new market conditions since the oil price dropped to below $40 a barrel. The duration of the slump indicated the market had changed for many years, possibly for good, he said.
“Businesses are looking at opportunities to diversify and expand their businesses in different ways.
“For example, there are major offshore wind and renewables opportunities that a lot of companies in the oil and gas supply chain are in a good place to reposition themselves to take advantage of, whether that is manufacturing, engineering, design and other disciplines.
FOREIGN MARKETS
“Companies that are active in the home market are looking at new foreign markets. So we are building on the highly successful international series we hosted at OrbisEnergy focusing on the global growth market in offshore wind by running an oil and gas series.
“Starting in the spring, it will explore global markets in oil and gas services and what companies in Great Yarmouth, Lowestoft and further need to be thinking about to position themselves for these markets.”
LEADING TENANT COMPANIES Some leading names in the East of England energy industry started life in the Beacon centre, including Seajacks, 3sun Group, Fraser Well Management and GEV Offshore. It has also hosted project offices for Gaz de France, Tullow Oil, Engie and Perenco.
3sun set up eight years ago in an 161 sq.ft. serviced office with just CEO Graham Hacon and his wife, Leonie, using a shared switchboard operator and meeting rooms.
Today, it employs more than 340 people across operations in Great Yarmouth, Aberdeenshire, Denmark and Norway and made pre-tax profits of £2.6million in the last tax year - up from £1.6million the year before on turnover, which grew by nearly 40% to £28.9million.
SECURITY AND SUPPORT Graham said tenancy of Beacon offered the security and support it needed at that crucial time of start-up.
“If I was to give any advice to start-up companies, it would be to surround yourself with a strong team and to Think Big. Thinking Big and taking on more space than you think you will need allows for growth, and as your business succeeds you will be sure to fill it.”
FACILITIES
Ideal for young and high-growth companies, a fully equipped executive 20-seat boardroom is available for hire. Tenancy includes ‘easy in, easy out’ office space, ranging upwards from 161 sq.ft. a managed reception, 24-hour tenant access, free parking and round-the- clock security monitoring.
Fraser Well Management moved in in 2004, growing businesses both on and offshore.
Director Nick Ford said: “The flexibility of the workspace has allowed us to expand effectively and reorganise according to the needs of our business.
“The office and conferencing facilities are of a high standard, and the NWES team has always been very accommodating to our needs as clients.”
RECOMMENDATION
Seajacks also took flexible accommodation at a reasonable cost using the reception services and virtual offices included in the rent, which reduced its running costs when it was trying to keep costs to a minimum.
Blair Ainslie, Seajacks Chief Executive, said: “As a company working in the oil & gas and offshore wind industries, a lot of Seajacks’ operations are based in the Southern North Sea. The variety of suppliers and potential clients in the area was one of the important considerations when choosing an office space.
“Without Beacon Innovation Centre, Seajacks would have had to take a larger office at a crucial time in their start-up and incurred larger costs than originally intended.
“The support from the Beacon Innovation Centre team is still greatly appreciated by Seajacks who would recommend them to any small businesses looking for a start-up office.”
Beacon Innovation Centre Click to view more info
www.windenergynetwork.co.uk
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