Engineering firm looks east to grow.

Byline: Christopher Knox

AMANUFACTURING company that makes bearings for the oil, gas and power markets expects to double its turnover to pounds 20m within five years as it expand its operations to the Far East.

Cramlington-based Osborne Engineering Ltd (OEL) has just acquired small health and safety training company Apix Consulting, adding its fourth department to the business and is now looking to purchase other firms as part of its aggressive expansion plans.

The firm, which was launched in 1984, employs 150 staff between its main manufacturing facilities in Cramlington and Leicestershire and plans to create 40 jobs next year after investing pounds 1m into the business last year. It has used the cash to bring in a new IT system which allows all of its four departments to work closely together, and is now looking to open up offices in the Far East to compliment its international presence in Dubai and Poland, where it employs 40 staff.

The firm also said that it was looking to open offices in Africa through its acquisitions strategy, which saw it purchase Leicestershire firm Turbo Power Services in 2004, which added a further 20 jobs to the group.

Although the bulk of the firm's sales are made from the manufacture of bearings in Cramlington, it also operates after sales maintenance support as well as its own design department, which is tasked with designing bespoke bearings for the needs of the oil, gas, petrochemical and power generation industries.

Hassan Asheg, sales and marketing manager for the OEL Group, said: "As a group we are now able to offer a more complete and cost-effective training and consultancy solution to our clients.

"We are in a position to target new training and engineering opportunities and, as such, identify significant growth potential within our existing industries of energy, utilities, oil and gas as well as new opportunities within construction, government, insurance and education sectors.

"As we operate within markets that have continued to grow in the face of the recession, we have been able to continue with our acquisitions and growth plans and believe we can double the size of this business over the coming years."

The firm has provided health and safety training to the oil and gas industry for a number of years but had never branded the service until the purchase of Apix, with the new department named OEL Apix-Consulting.

Glenn Ridsdale, general manager for the new department, said: "Companies of all sizes and across all industries are recognising that good safety and environmental management is an essential part of their business. "Added to the other services of the OEL Group we can offer a one-stop solution to many industries as well as provide training to managers or individuals looking to make a start or progress within their safety careers."

CAPTION(S):

EASTERN PROMISE Osborne Engineering expects to double its turnover to pounds 20m within five years as it expands to the Far East.