Orion Group Supports Sumitomo’s North of Scotland Expansion
The official groundbreaking ceremony of Sumitomo’s new cable factory at Nigg took place last month, with an investment value announced by the Scottish Government of £350M, and projections that the factory will create more than 150 highly skilled jobs in the Scottish Highlands.
Back in early 2023, and at the request of the Inward Investment team at Highlands & Islands Enterprise (HIE), we welcomed a delegation from Sumitomo Electric to our headquarters in Inverness, for an introductory meeting.
Here, Sumitomo outlined their ambitious plans for a state-of-the-art subsea transmission cable factory in the Scottish Highlands.
They went on to highlight two key positions that they needed to recruit, an HR Business Partner and Facilities Engineering Manager. These were to be the company’s first appointments in Scotland, and both were to be based initially in Inverness.
We liaised closely with Sumitomo on these vacancies and provided important market information on the availability of related skills and talent across the region. Given the specialist, high-profile nature of the positions, we advertised them on our website and social media channels and the nationwide response was really encouraging.
After shortlisting, the client’s comprehensive recruitment process kicked into action with online assessments and a combination of video and in-person interviews. Sumitomo’s detailed screening and review of candidates progressed well and resulted in both Rikki Keanie and Mark MacLennan joining Sumitomo Electric UK Power Cables Ltd as HR Business Partner and Facilities Engineering Manager respectively.
Daisuke Mori, General Manager, Administration for Sumitomo Electric UK Power Cables Ltd in Inverness said:
“We have opened many new factories across the world and finding local talent to support these development projects is always high on our list of priorities. Orion Group moved quickly to understand our business, plans and personnel requirements. They provided valuable services, market intelligence and excellent candidates for us to consider. The interview process was seamless, and following a rigorous recruitment process, we were delighted to welcome Rikki and Mark to the company.”
Gary Watt, Operations Manager for Orion Group in Inverness added:
“It was clear from the outset that this was going to be an exciting inward investment opportunity for he region. Securing a project of this nature is a great boost to the area and we’re delighted to have played a part in supporting Sumitomo’s initial recruitment drive. The market for skilled industry professionals is very competitive and our team did a great job in identifying suitable candidates. It’s great to see that Rikki and Mark have settled-in so well.”
Orion Group was founded in 1987 and has grown to become one of the UK’s largest, independent recruitment companies. Headquartered in Inverness, much of the company’s early success was founded on the supply of fabrication personnel to the rig construction yards in Scotland, including both Nigg and Ardersier. We have a proven track record in recruiting personnel (temp/contract/perm, on/offshore, blue/white collar) across a range of disciplines, industries, sectors and locations.
If you are looking to register or recruit in the North of Scotland, please contact our Inverness Office on: +44 (0)1463 230860
Photo L-R: Gary Watt, Mark MacLennan, Rikki Keanie, Daisuke Mori
