IVB opens Abu Dhabi office

Growth by specialist East of England company Inspection Verification Bureau Ltd (IVB) has prompted it to open a new office in Abu Dhabi and set up a joint enterprise in Kuwait.

 

Around 75% of the Great Yarmouth company's verification, inspection and audit business is overseas but it is also seeing steady growth in the UK offshore wind and renewables sector. Turnover in 2012 was almost £2.5m.

 

"What we have achieved in two-and-a-half years is unbelievable," said director Derek Lockwood. "It is far better than we could have hoped or expected so we want to build on that growth and be there to support our customers."

 

Working through an agency agreement with Ali & Sons, IVB is opening an office in Abu Dhabi with an initial two staff based there. Keen to further develop the United Arab Emirates side of the business, they hope soon to open an office in Dubai.

 

At the same time, they are about to conclude a partnership agreement with engineering and construction company Gasco to open an office in Kuwait.

 

"Starting with two staff, probably seconded to IVB from Gasco, we will be training them up in vendor inspection and design review and eventually hope to expand the office to a team of 10-12," said Mr Lockwood.

 

"We're delighted at the success of our website in promoting what we do and through it we've just landed a contract out of Houston for checking equipment which is going to Australia - and they've given that business to us in Great Yarmouth!"

 

Many business leads also came from their exhibition stand at the East of England Energy Group's (EEEEGR) SNS2013 Conference in Norwich last month and IVB will be looking for more success from the Offshore Europe Exhibition in Aberdeen in the autumn.

 

"We'll be chasing international business there but we're particularly pleased with the way work is picking up in the UK both for renewables and oil & gas, not only in the Southern North Sea but much further afield," said Mr Lockwood.