45 new oil & gas services jobs for Fife
National Oilwell Varco to expand operations in Glenrothes
Global oil & gas services firm National Oilwell Varco is to expand its significant industrial presence in Scotland with the creation of 45 new jobs at its Glenrothes facility, First Minister Alex Salmond announced today.
The Houston-based company, which already employs more than 1,700 people at three Scottish sites, has been awarded £800,000 in RSA funding to secure the expansion which will include the creation of 37 highly-skilled positions.
The First Minister made the announcement following discussions with National Oilwell Varco senior management about their plans for their Scottish workforce carried out during his trade mission to the United States for Scotland Week.
The trip has already seen the First Minister announce the creation of hundreds of new jobs in Scotland by US-based companies; officially open the first overseas offices of Scottish firm Smarter Grid Solutions; fire the starting gun at the annual Scotland Run in Central Park and speak at an event to mark Edinburgh Napier University’s 50th anniversary.
The First Minister said:
“Scotland has an enviable reputation as a world-leader in the oil & gas industry and the expertise and innovation of our engineers and technicians, honed over half a century, is highly prized among companies working in the sector.
“Houston-based firm National Oilwell Varco is already well established in Scotland, employing more than 1,700 people at sites in Glenrothes, Montrose and Aberdeen and this expansion of 45 new jobs is welcome not only in the local Fife community but for the wider oil & gas industry, especially as so many of them will be highly-skilled positions.
“The oil & gas sector makes a huge contribution to the Scottish economy and the continued confidence and investment from huge firms such as National Oilwell Varco will ensure that it will continue to do so for many decades to come.”
Lena Wilson, chief executive of Scottish Enterprise said: “NOV is a significant international player in the oil and gas sector and its decision to expand its operations in Scotland is a clear demonstration of our global reach in this area.
“Capitalising on our reputation in the sector to develop new inward investment opportunities was one of the key themes of Scotland’s industry-led strategy for the sector. This latest announcement pays continued testament to the skills and expertise we’ve built up in the industry over the past 40 years, and we look forward to continuing to work with the company to support its growth ambitions.”
While in New York, the First Minister will hold a number of strategic business meetings with existing and potential new investors in order to further boost foreign employment in Scotland.
To date, as part of his Scotland Week programme, the First Minister has:
- Announced a trade mission to New York: http://news.scotland.gov.uk/News/FM-to-announce-hundreds-of-new-jobs-for-Scotland-b21.aspx
- Announced US sales of Innis & Gunn beer has increased by 9,000% since 2009
- Announced 130 new jobs for Ceridian
- Spoke at an event to mark Edinburgh Napier University’s 50th anniversary
- Fired the starting gun at the annual Central Park Scotland Run
- Officially opened Smart Grid Solutions first overseas office in New York
- Announced 103 new jobs for Kaiam
- Announced 400 new jobs for PRA
As well as a programme of trade meetings to further the successful engagement with North America’s business community, the First Minister will:
- Deliver the inaugural Caledonian Lecture at Glasgow Caledonian University’s new New York City campus (Monday)
- Participate in an audience interview and Q&A session with the Wall Street Journal (Tuesday)
- Deliver a keynote address at the annual Bloomberg Energy Investment Summit (Tuesday)
The First Minister is in New York to take part in the annual Scotland Week programme. This visit formed part of Scottish Development International’s trade and investment programme to support Scottish businesses and develop new opportunities.
Get news from Scotland Week as it happens by following the new First Minister feed @ScotGovFM and @AlexSalmond on twitter.
Scottish Development International (SDI) works to attract inward investment and knowledge to Scotland to help the economy grow. It also helps Scottish based companies to trade overseas and promotes Scotland as a good place to live, work and do business. It is a partnership between the Scottish Government, Scottish Enterprise and Highlands and Islands Enterprise and its work is guided by the Scottish Government’s strategy for economic development in Scotland.