News

Sparrows Offshore LLC makes a good start to the year

Sparrows Offshore LLC (formerly Energy Cranes LLC), the Houston-based offshore crane, fluid power and pipe-laying equipment specialist, have signed contracts in 2010 worth over $8million securing and creating jobs both onshore and offshore across the group’s Houston and Louisiana operating base. This is following a challenging 2009 with Sparrows continuing to increase market share and outperform competitors.

The contracts range from crane refurbishment to long term rental projects and new crane sales both in the GOM and internationally, all of which are to be completed over the course of the year. Clients include Shell, Chevron, Apache, Total, Superior Energy, Transocean, EOG, Nippon, Maritech, Northstar and K-Mesco.

Sparrows is also about to embark on an extensive installation programme of its own brand cranes throughout key energy hubs in the world, including UAE, India, Angola, Caspian and Singapore where Sparrows support services are already in place.

Sparrows Executive Director, Western Hemisphere, Chris Dixon (pictured) said:  “This is a good start to the new year, hopefully reflecting returning confidence in the offshore sector.

“We continued to invest in our people and facilities through the leaner times in 2009 and we are now well placed to respond to upturning client demand.

“These new contracts directly secure a number of existing jobs across the GOM, and have allowed us to create almost 20 new jobs which we are actively recruiting to increase our staff in the US by 6% to around 370. The US recruitment effort represents 20% of the group’s budgeted recruitment for 2010.

“Encouragingly we also await word on other potential contracts which may come to fruition over the course of the next month.”

Sparrows Offshore LLC represent 30% of the Sparrows group turnover. Activity during 2010 in the region is expected be at the same level of 2009, due to uncertainty relating to future trends in Natural Gas prices, with a potential for single digit percentage growth if spending picks up further during the course of year.  From their bases in Houston and Louisiana, Sparrows manage projects and client demand for services stretching from Alaska to Mexico, the Caribbean region and Brazil.

The new contracts come as Sparrows receive the Queen’s Award for Enterprise (International Trade) for more than trebling exports over six years. The award coincides with the group’s recent rebranding under the flag brand “Sparrows”, to convey more clearly the true strength of the global business which, in 2009, had world sales of over $240million.

The parent company, formerly known as Energy Cranes International Limited, becomes Sparrows Offshore Group Limited with the group headquarters remaining at Bridge of Don, Aberdeen, Scotland.

Six business lines have been set up to optimise service accessibility and value to clients: Sparrows Engineering & Operations (providing the widest range of crane services to the market), Sparrows Manufacturing (producing tailor made offshore pedestal cranes to API specification 2C), Sparrows Rental (delivering fully integrated crane rental services), Sparrows Training (providing crane and fluid power training), Sparrows Baricon (ex-Baricon Systems, supplying pipe and cable laying equipment) and Sparrows Fluid Power (ex-Aberdeen Hydraulics, providing a full range of hydraulic services).

The Sparrows group employs a global workforce of approx 1,500. The group’s second largest operations, after the UK, are in the USA, with 350 staff. Other overseas bases are located in the Netherlands, Nigeria, Angola, Abu Dhabi, Azerbaijan, Singapore, Indonesia and Australia.