Sparrows furloughs hundreds of workers, axes others
A number of workers for an Aberdeen-headquartered oilfield equipment firm have been terminated following the company’s decision to furlough hundreds of staff.
Sparrows
Maureen engineers career path through Modern Apprenticeship
Maureen Morgan started her career in the care sector but always had a keen interest in mechanics. After deciding to pursue her passion in 2013, she is now an apprentice mechanical engineer at Sparrows Group’s Aberdeen headquarters based in Bridge of Don.
Sparrows creates 150 positions in UAE after sealing deals worth £55m-plus
Energy service firm Sparrows Group has created more than 150 new positions in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) after winning contracts worth more than £55 million over the past three months.
Crane career takes Hugh to North Sea and beyond
Hugh MacLeod doesn’t like talking about himself. He’s modest about his experiences, despite the fact that he has travelled all over the world with his career. For Hugh is happiest with the simple life, and most at home in the Highlands, where he grew up in Daviot – on the outskirts of Inverness.
Union survey highlights job insecurity for offshore contractors
A survey from the UK’s largest offshore union has found high levels of job insecurity among the contractor workforce in the North Sea.
Union boss Molloy ‘astonished’ by Sparrows’ OCA exit plan
A trade union boss said he was “astonished” by Sparrows Group’s decision to exit the UK representative body for offshore oil and gas contractors.
Women in Energy: Leadership role is new challenge for Laura
Laura Lee has worked in the oil and gas industry across various HR roles for over 10 years. She was recently promoted to the position of HR director at Sparrows Group.
North Sea unions to receive revised OCA pay offer
Union officials said today that the Offshore Contractors' Association (OCA) would make a revised pay offer for North Sea workers.
Updated: Crunch talks scheduled as majority of workers vote for strike
Trade union officials and employers will hold crunch talks over offshore workers’ pay this week in a bid to avert widespread strikes in the North Sea.
Renewables work boosts balance sheet at Sparrows
New work overseas and in renewable energy markets boosted the balance sheet at Sparrows Offshore Group during its last trading year.
Sparrows appoints director for global growth
Sparrows Group has created a director-level role to drive its growing diversification efforts forward.
Nexen CNOOC and Sparrows warn of recruitment fraud
A North Sea operator and an Aberdeen-based engineering firm have reported fraudulent recruitment emails going out in their names.
Unite threatens industrial ballot over ‘delayed’ pay rise
Offshore union Unite is threatening an industrial ballot over “delayed” payments to workers by Sparrows.
Sparrows takes over major offshore contract from rival EnerMech
EnerMech has today been dealt a blow after losing a major offshore contract to a rival engineering services company.
Sparrows toasts new markets with profit
Sparrows Offshore Group toasted success in new markets and celebrated further overseas expansion as it reported growth in underlying profits yesterday.
Sparrows and Hydra Group team up for Ghana crane work
Two companies with extensive Aberdeen holdings, Sparrows Group have launched a joint venture (JV) with Hydra Group Ltd to deliver crane lifting and inspection services in Ghana.
Sparrows Group wins Stena Drilling contract
Sparrows Group said it has been awarded a 20-month inspection services contract to cover Stena Drilling's global fleet of vessels.
Sparrow in pipe lay first
Sparrows Group has partnered with an Aberdeen-based engineering and manufacturing firm to offer the first fully electric-drive flexible cable and pipe lay system for rent.
Sparrows Group expands footprint into Trinidad and Tobago
Sparrows Group has expanded its footprint into Trinidad and Tobago after striking a deal to work with Miguel Mechanical Services.
Sparrows Group forms strategic partnership to deliver robot vision technology
Sparrows Group and OptiLift have formed a strategic partnership to deliver robot vision laser technology.
Sparrows adds to its Middle East presence
Aberdeen oil service firm Sparrows Group has expanded its reach in the Middle East after forming a local partnership with Zamil Group in Saudi Arabia.
Sparrows increases Malaysian presence
Sparrows Group has expanded into the Malaysian market after forming a strategic relationship with a service provider in the region. The move will see the company work alongside Efficient Technology Sdn Bhd (Eftech) as it looks to treble its business in Asia Pacific over the next five years. Sparrows will offer services including offshore crane maintenance, crane hire, fluid power, inspection and cable and pipe lay products.
Sparrow’s Kerr: From apprentice to boardroom
Almost 30 years have passed since Ewen Kerr walked out of Oldmachar Academy into the big wide world. He had wanted to work . . . something engineering-related; ideally training to become a draftsman. The North Sea seemed logical; after all it had been booming, only his timing was awful as the province had just been hit hard in the 1986 oil price crash. “My father was head engineer at John M Henderson’s here in Aberdeen,” recalls Kerr. “So maybe it was a genetic thing. But with the North Sea in recession, I couldn’t get a job. I ended up working in a bank for a year or two as it was all that was available. “I had done my Highers and I could have gone to university but I wanted to work. I made that choice. Whether it was right, well, you can look back and wonder. But I’ve done OK. “The career advice I got wasn’t very good . . . and that was to go and work in a bank because I couldn’t get a technical job. And to be honest, looking back, banking was a really good grounding. I even started doing my banking exams . . . economics, finance, that sort of thing; a good grounding for running a business.