A marine services specialist has increased the size of its vessel fleet by around 25 per cent largely in response to strong demand from the operators of wind farms.
Ayrshire-based Maritime Craft Services (MCS) has acquired four vessels in the past year and grown its fleet from 17 to 21 vessels in the process.
The expansion was supported by Clydesdale Bank, which made an additional £10 million funding available for Maritime Craft Services in a sign of confidence in the company's prospects.
With three of the four new vessels already working on wind farms in the North Sea, MCS' growth provides further evidence of how the development of the renewable energy industry is creating opportunities for Scottish firms to win more business.
Led by a Dutchman, Dirk Kuyt, MCS was founded in 1977 to operate boats used on dredging and marine construction projects around the world.
After spending 25 years supporting operations in industries like oil and gas, MCS started working on offshore windfarms in 2002.
The company has capitalised on growing interest in offshore renewable energy in Europe, which has resulted in many wind farms being developed off the UK and countries such as Germany and Denmark.
MCS, which provides services such as taking maintenance workers and equipment out to installations, says it has worked on most Offshore Wind Farms throughout the UK and North West Europe.
Owned by the Kuyt family, the company now does around half its business in the offshore renewables business.
MCS expects to increase turnover to £20.2m in the year to October 31, from £19.1m in the preceding year.
It expects to increase pre-tax profits from the £5.81m achieved in the year to October 2013, by an unspecified amount.
In the company's accounts for the year to October 31 2013. MCS said: "In Europe the Offshore Renewables industry continued to be busy with a high demand of larger crew transfer vessels."
The new vessels that MCS has put to work in the North Sea are Dutch-built Fast Crew Transfer catamarans.
MCS has also benefited from buoyant conditions in the oil and gas market in the Middle East.
One of the new vessels, a tug, is operating in Qatar.
Noting that MCS moved from Largs to an expanded base in nearby Fairlie in May, Mr Kuyt said: "This year has been a big year for us as we moved into our new head office and have continued the significant expansion of our fleet. We are increasingly known as leading operators in the provision of offshore renewable support and expect demand for our vessels to continue growing."
He added that Clydesdale Bank had enabled MCS to add 10 vessels to its fleet in the last three years.
The growth has resulted in a big increase in employee numbers at the firm.
MCS has 200 employees. It had a monthly average of 78 employees in the year to October 2012.
After securing the additional £10m support, MCS has a £35m funding package in place with Clydesdale Bank.
David Henderson, head of Corporate Banking at Clydesdale Bank, said it was proud to be supporting an ambitious Scottish company with a great reputation.
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