Dundee hydraulic systems specialist doubles up in city amid expansion drive

A Dundee hydraulic systems specialist is doubling up in the city following a period of significant growth and a recruitment drive.

Founded by directors Shona and Ewen Clunie in 2016, Saturn Fluid Engineering operates across the oil and gas, renewable energy, naval, and food and drink sectors.

The firm currently manages fluid engineering systems for major clients including well-known brands within the UK naval, shipbuilding and whisky industries.

Thanks to a period of expansion, the business is doubling the office space it occupies at its Water’s Edge headquarters in Dundee.

Founded by directors Ewen and Shona Clunie in 2016, Dundee-based Saturn Fluid Engineering operates across the oil and gas, renewable energy, naval, and food and drink sectors.

Saturn has opened offices in Singapore and Australia over the last two years and is planning to continue its international expansion by securing a physical presence in the North American market by the end of this year and increasing its operational presence in the Middle East and Africa.

Ewen Clunie, managing director, said: “The business is expanding at a remarkable pace, despite the impact of the Covid pandemic, and it has gone from strength to strength since Shona and I accepted it was no longer feasible to run it from our kitchen table at home and secured the initial space here at Water’s Edge.

“Our specialist hydraulic and fluid management skills are increasingly pivotal to the daily operations and success of a range of major sectors in Scotland and across our key regions globally. We help businesses protect, maintain and clean critical elements of their operational infrastructure, minimising down-time and maximising the lifespan of valuable assets.”

He added: “We are excited about Saturn’s prospects for growth next year both here and abroad. Water’s Edge has been a brilliant space for us to work in and grow the business over the last couple of years and we look forward to continuing to do so.”

The company has doubled the number of staff working at the HQ site this year, offering eight new full-time roles since August alone. It now has 24 people working in the field across the UK, with another dozen office-based employees.

Bosses are looking to take on a further five people into key roles before the end of this year, including a general manager to take over some operational responsibilities from managing director Ewen Clunie.

Water’s Edge is Chroma Developments’ grade-A office development on Dundee’s dockside.

The office space is home to several firms including 4J Studios, Broker Insights and Puny Astronaut. The site also features co-working space, Flux, which offers companies flexible working and is a model that has grown in popularity during the pandemic amid the trend towards hybrid working.

Stewart Clark, managing director of Chroma Developments, said: “Saturn is on an impressive trajectory and it’s great to see the company expanding its presence in Dundee and creating a significant number of new jobs in the city.

“We’re very pleased to be hosting Saturn FE’s operations and look forward to watching Ewen and Shona’s team grow further over the coming months.”

Chroma Developments is part of Chroma Ventures, which was launched earlier this year by Scottish entrepreneurs and founders of 4J Studios, Paddy Burns and Chris van der Kuyl, as a means of consolidating their portfolio of investments.

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