In a year peppered with plaudits, Aberdeen-based Balmoral Offshore Engineering (BOE) recently received the Scottish Council for Development and Industry (SCDI) award for outstanding international achievement in the oil and gas industry.

Presented to Jim Milne, chairman and MD of the company, by former New York mayor, Rudy Giuliani, the award recognises Balmoral’s export achievements during the period 2009/10 which saw 95% of the company’s manufactured goods being shipped overseas.

Also attending the event was Scotland’s First Minister, Alex Salmond, who said: “The Scottish Government wants more businesses to think, compete and trade globally. It’s important that Scottish companies exploit the immense opportunities available in the global market… this award is about celebrating those firms that have already been successful in their international ambitions.”

Balmoral Offshore Engineering’s buoyancy and elastomer products are used in deepwater oil and gas provinces including the Gulf of Mexico, West Africa, India, SE Asia and South America and are typically specified by companies in Aberdeen, Houston, Paris, Oslo, Malaysia and Rio de Janeiro.

During the period 2008-2010 BOE secured global contracts boosting exports by some 166% and 244% year on year. This success in securing international projects can be credited to the “Combination of leading-edge product development, strategic marketing and customer focused project management and manufacturing teams” said Milne on receiving the award.

“We are thrilled to win one of Scotland's most prestigious business prizes. This was a real team effort and I am delighted for everyone at the company”, he continued.

"This, however, is only the beginning of the Balmoral Offshore Engineering journey. We will continue with our efforts to ensure Scotland's export drive is a key factor in leading the UK out of recession.

“Further growth potential exists in deepwater regions such as Brazil and SE Asia and we are actively pursuing these opportunities.”

Earlier in the year BOE received the Queen’s Award for Enterprise in the International Trade category.

Tags: Balmoral Offshore Engineering (BOE)