Business briefs: Sparrows seals deal with Transocean | Jobs blows for two Lanarkshire firms | GVA appoints Agnew

SPARROWS, the Aberdeen-based crane hire specialist, will today unveil a contract with Transocean to manage and service all of the driller’s offshore cranes.

Under the deal, Sparrows will look after 432 cranes fixed to the decks of drilling ships and 121 mobile cranes spread across six continents. Mark Beveridge, Sparrows’ drilling business unit leader said: “This is a major milestone agreement for us.”

Jobs blows for two Lanarkshire firms

BISON Concrete Products in Uddingston, is to close with the loss of 55 jobs, while 70 are under threat at nearby truck plant Terex on the Newhouse industrial estate, near Motherwell.

The Bison plant, which produces pre-cast building components, is to shut once current orders are completed. It blamed the closure on the “continued depressed state of the construction and manufacturing markets”.

Property adviser GVA adds Agnew

GVA, the UK’s biggest independent commercial property adviser, has appointed Stuart Agnew as investment director, completing its multi-disciplinary offer.

Agnew, who has 25 years of experience in the commercial investment and agency sectors, joins from his own practice Agnew Property Consultants to lead GVA’s capital markets team in Scotland from its Edinburgh office.