New contracts puts Orion’s star in the ascendancy

Scotland’s biggest manpower provider is on target for another sharp increase in revenue after winning a number of big contracts.

Profits rose 62 per cent from £5.65 million in 2010 to £9.14m in the year to the end of December on a 25 per cent rise in turnover from £246.3m to £308m.

Former Inverness Caledonian Thistle chairman Alan Savage, chairman of Orion Group, said: “Performance for 2011 shows that the business has continued to go from strength to strength and we anticipate another healthy financial year in 2012.

“Already we have experienced steady growth across all of our regions worldwide after securing a number of major contracts.

“New business wins have included Nexen Petroleum UK and Shell, both of which will help us towards achieving our turnover targets for next year of £360m.”

Inverness-based Orion was formed in 1987 and now operates in 33 countries. It derives 54 per cent of its business from overseas with particularly strong growth in Canada, Oman, Papua New Guinea and the US. The oil and gas market remains the main driver of growth.