SDPA wins prestigious commendation for work on Aberdeen City and Shire Structure Plan

The Aberdeen City and Shire's Strategic Development Planning Authority (SDPA) has received a prestigious national commendation for its work on the Aberdeen City and Shire Structure Plan.

Back to work without a bump!

Twenty first century mums need to adapt if they are to thrive in a changing workplace.

EXPRO’S NEW TECHNOLOGY GRACES ABERDEEN SKYLINE

A massive yellow structure is now gracing Aberdeen’s skyline – but what exactly is it?

Aberdeen gets TWO shots of JLS

Due to popular demand JLS have just announced an extra Aberdeen date on their UK arena tour this year.

Shetland’s Energy Future to Be Discussed in Two Day Visit

Shetland business leaders will have the chance to discuss the future of Shetland’s energy power industry with National Grid, Shetland Islands Council, Viking Energy and North Scotland Industries Group (NSIG) later this month.

Departure Times Adjusted for Aberdeen – Bergen Service

UK regional airline Eastern Airways is introducing changes to departure times for its morning flight from Aberdeen to Bergen, along with a mid-afternoon departure from Bergen, in response to demand from customers.

Built Heritage Lecture Series Begins

The first in a series of lectures that focus on the importance of preserving and working with our built heritage will take place tomorrow (Thursday 11 March) at Robert Gordon University.

EXPRO's Innovation Wins Another OTC Technology Award

Leading international oilfield service company Expro has won an Offshore Technology Conference (OTC) ‘Spotlight on New Technology’ award for its innovative FlowCAT™ Wireless Safety Valve System.

Aberdeen Harbour Announces Contractor for Torry Quay Development

Aberdeen Harbour Board has awarded a £14 million contract to construction company McLaughlin & Harvey for the first phase of the Torry Quay redevelopment.

Consultation Report Date Announced

The eight week public consultation to find out what people think about plans to transform Union Terrace Gardens and the Denburn Valley has now closed. It is estimated that over 10,000 people provided feedback through the consultation process.

Local Charity Inspires Accenture

Locally based company, Accenture, is giving back to the Community. At their recent annual pub quiz, the company made a surprise donation to learning disability charity Inspire.

Ancient Microbe Reveals Clues to Early Life on Earth

Primitive life on Earth could have survived heavy pummelling by large meteorites over four billion years ago, according to new findings by Scottish scientists.

Safety improvements in line for Queen’s Cross

New approach-lane designations are to be put in place at the Queen’s Cross roundabout junction to improve safety and cut congestion on the connecting streets.

Employment Allsorts from Lili Hunter Consulting Ltd

Sick of Holidays?

In the employment tribunal case of Shah v First West Yorkshire Ltd, S booked 4 weeks leave from 22 February to 21 March.

XODUS CEO TO ADDRESS YOUNG ENERGY PROFESSIONALS IN ABERDEEN

THE first seminar of 2010 hosted by the Young Professionals in Oil and Gas group (YPOG) takes place in Aberdeen on Thursday (March 11) with CEO of international energy consultancy Xodus Group Colin Manson confirmed as the key speaker.

Thirty Businesses Attend Royal Deeside Food Tourism Workshop

More than 30 people from food related businesses in the Royal Deeside area attended the Food Tourism Workshop at The Marcliffe last week (Monday 1 March).

Top Aberdeen Legal Expert Expands Into New Premises

Top Aberdeen legal expert Lili Hunter is celebrating a move to new, larger city centre offices to meet the demands of her rapidly growing business.

Offshore Accommodation Specialist Appoints Chief Operating Officer

Ferguson Modular, a major supplier and manufacturer of offshore accommodation solutions for the energy industry around the world, has appointed a new Chief Operating Officer to lead its Accommodation Support Vessel (ASV) division.

Triton Unveils a Trio of Innovations at Oceanology

GLOBAL subsea technology company Triton Group will unveil a trio of new developments at the Oceanology conference and exhibition in London today (March 9, 2010).

Report published on Torry Academy

Following a visit from HM Inspectors of Education a report has been published on Torry Academy.

Designing for their future: Fashion students take it outside

Members of the business community are in for a real treat this week as Fashion Design students from Robert Gordon University's Gray's School of Art raise their game as 'The Professional University' by hosting an exclusive black tie event at Aberdeen Art Gallery.

PSN only energy services firm to make Sunday Times top 100

Production Services Network (PSN), the international energy services company headquartered in Aberdeen has, for the third consecutive year, been named one of the top 100 companies to work for in the UK by the Sunday Times.

LOCAL CHILDREN’S CHARITY HOSTS MURDER MYSTERY NIGHT

Local children’s charity, Befriend A Child, is hosting its third fundraising event of the year on Friday, March 26, at the Carmelite Hotel, Aberdeen.

LOCAL CHARITY GETS ITS VERY OWN MARY QUEEN OF SHOPS

A local charity is enjoying having its two Aberdeen charity shops spruced up thanks to an initiative set up by the John Lewis Partnership.

2010 Grampian Awards for Business Enterprise Launched

The search is on for the north east’s best in business as the eleventh annual Grampian Awards for Business Enterprise are launched today.

Innovative Style of Teaching is Big Attraction for Newly Appointed Head of Law

Professor Ken Mackinnon has been appointed Head of Law at Robert Gordon University's Aberdeen Business School.

Stewart Milne Group Expands Business with New Division

Stewart Milne Group has announced the addition of a new Strategic Land division, which will lead the business in its drive to significantly expand activity within this key market.

International Offering Sets Freelance World Apart

By Alasdair McGill

Petrofac Begins Pipeline Export and Production From Don Southwest Sidetrack

Petrofac, the international oil & gas facilities service provider, and Operator of the Don development has switched over to export from the West Don and Don Southwest (Don SW) fields utilising a pipeline oil export service via the Lundin Thistle platform.

Aberdeen’s Extreme Sports Centre Wins Gold

Aberdeen City Council has won gold at COSLA’s (Convention of Scottish Local Authorities) prestigious Excellence Awards 2010 for its Transition Extreme sports project.

Strong Interest in UK Companies at Global Oil & Gas Event

Upbeat Mood at Subsea Oil & Gas at SSTB

FREELANCE WORLD AND ACUMEN END JOINT VENTURE

Aberdeen-based accountancy and tax specialists Freelance World has ended its joint-venture with financial services group Acumen Holdings.

Wardens and Marshals Join Forces to Make Aberdeen Cleaner and Safer

City wardens and transport marshals are embarking on a joint initiative to improve safety and reduce littering in Aberdeen.

Seminar Focuses on Employment Law Pitfalls

A Seminar aimed at helping employers navigate through the potential HR minefields such as employment tribunals, accident inquiries and workplace disputes will take place in Aberdeen this month (Wednesday, March 24).

RSNO Music Director Commits through 2012 and Announces New European Appointment

Stéphane Denève joins Stuttgart Radio Symphony Orchestra (SWR) from 2011 and extends RSNO contract to end of 2011-12 Season.

New Report Quantifies University's £300 Million Contribution to Scottish Economy

An independent report has revealed that Robert Gordon University, Aberdeen currently contributes over £300 million annually to the economy of Scotland.

Shell Donates £18,500 to Community Groups

Five city groups have received a cash boost from Shell UK as part of its project to help people in regeneration areas get involved in community planning.

ASM Announces Key Appointment

Aberdeen-based Accommodation Services Management (ASM) Ltd has announced a key appointment to the team.

High Fashion to Reach High Places as ‘Shooting Stars’ Reach Out to Business Community

Fashion Design students from Robert Gordon University’s Gray’s School of Art will be raising their status as ‘The Professional University’ next week by hosting an exclusive black tie event at Aberdeen Art Gallery for invited members of the business community.

Aberdeen Climate Change Expert to Speak at Post Copenhagen Conference  

An Aberdeen academic will be amongst those examining what the outcomes of the UN climate summit in Copenhagen mean for Scotland and the UK, at a conference in Edinburgh on Friday (March 5).

Hydrasun Achieves Top Health, Safety & Environmental Accreditations

Hydrasun, the leading provider of bespoke hose, fluid transfer, umbilicals and process control instrumentation solutions to the oil and gas industry, is pleased to announce that it has completed a prestigious double, with the award of both the ISO14001 accreditation for its Environmental Management System & the BS OHSAS 18001 accreditation for its Health and Safety Management System.

Leading Aberdeen PR Company Celebrates 2nd Birthday

Leading Aberdeen company Granite PR celebrated its second birthday in style recently.

Kongsberg Maritime LTD Training Centre Investment Pays Off

Aberdeen training centre on track for success after launch in July 2009.

BP Outlines Plan To Improve Financial Performance While Growing Production Through 2020

BP today outlined plans to further boost efficiency and reduce costs with the aim of improving its annual underlying pre-tax profitability by more than $3 billion over the next two to three years.

Charity Cornerstone's Garden Transformed

Bibby Offshore’s Risk and Business Continuity (R&BC) department, along with chief executive, Howard Woodcock, recently spent a day volunteering for leading Scottish disabilities charity, Cornerstone.

iicorr Secures High Scores in Industry Verify programme

Aberdeen-based integrity, inspection and corrosion specialist iicorr celebrates fantastic results in the FPAL scheme operated by Achilles.

School Pupils to Present their ideas on Fairtrade

With Fairtrade Fortnight in full swing, Robert Gordon University is underlining its commitment to the cause by hosting an event which will bring together local school pupils, students and key figures in the international drive for fairly traded products.

Palestinian Producers Visit Aberdeenshire as Council Makes Moves to Becoming Fairtrade Zone

Fairtrade producers will be visiting Aberdeenshire Council on Tuesday, March 2nd as the authority makes efforts to see Aberdeenshire become a Fairtrade Zone.

Senergy Alternative Energy Director Assigned to BWEA Role

A director at Senergy Alternative Energy (SAE) – a division of Aberdeen-headquartered Senergy - is to lead the British Wind Energy Association (BWEA) on renewable energy grid work after being appointed to a prominent industry role.

Improved Emergency Response Guidelines to be Launched at Oil & Gas UK Training Session

Oil & Gas UK will launch its newly revised emergency response guidelines at a special training session for industry professionals to be held at OPITO – The Oil & Gas Academy in Aberdeen on 17 March.

Ian Davis to Join the BP Board

The board of BP announced today that it has appointed Mr. Ian Davis as a non-executive director of BP p.l.c. with effect from April 2, 2010.

Fresh Funding for Research into UK’s First Submerged Stone Remains

Researchers, who discovered the first submerged stone remains of their kind in the UK, have been awarded additional funding to continue their search off Orkney.

Aberdeen-Based Engineering Company To Present At Prestigious Conference

Aberdeen-based Enterprise Engineering Services (Enterprise) has been selected to present a paper at this year’s British Dam Society 16th Biennial Conference in Glasgow.

FirstGroup Chief Backs City Square Project

In response to media enquiries about the proposed City Square Project, Sir Moir Lockhead Chief Executive of FirstGroup plc said today: "The City Square project offers a unique opportunity for Aberdeen to attract additional capital investment which will add to the economic well being of the City.

Last Call for Nominations!!

This is your last chance to nominate yourself, your colleague or team for a cHeRry in 2010!

Ellon Road crossing Works postponed

Work planned for Ellon Road this weekend has been postponed.

Aberdeen Economy Set to Develop at a Rate Faster than Scotland’s

Aberdeen, UK – Aberdeen’s economy is predicted to experience faster growth than Scotland’s as a whole, increasing by an estimated 9.6 per cent over the next five years, according to a report compiled by global property consultancy, Knight Frank.

Double Overseas Graduations for Robert Gordon University

Robert Gordon University has held two overseas graduations since December for the national oil companies of Venezuela and Algeria.

Aberdeen City and Shire Calling Bergen and Stavanger

Aberdeen City and Shire has invaded Bergen and Stavanger in its first joint project to promote the region and attract Norwegian business and leisure visitors.

Eden Scott to Boost its Headcount

Eden Scott, the high-growth recruitment firm, has revealed plans to expand its business with the appointment of up to 20 new consultants over the next quarter, increasing total headcount by some 50% to more than 60 staff.

CHAP Construction Provide Lesson in Site Safety for Aberdeen Primary Schools Pupils

Pupils from a local primary school were given a lesson in site safety yesterday (Tuesday, February 23) when they had the chance to see a construction company put the finishing touches to a city project.

Raeburn Gearing for Growth

Independent Scottish firm Raeburn Recruitment has further strengthened its existing team of specialists, by appointing Lynn Carter as Operations Manager.

Scottish firms well represented in Deloitte ranking of leading 25 UK upstream oil companies

- Cairn Energy and Dana Petroleum among the Top 5 leading companies–

Eminent cardiologist appointed to top post

Photo /interview opportunities today between 9.30am and 12noon

Knight Property Group invests £3million in speculative new-build

Aberdeen-based Knight Property Group, Scotland’s Developer of the Year, has invested £3million in a speculative industrial unit at the Minto Commercial Park, Altens.

Geologist Jo Engineers Rock Fame

Jo McCafferty has a number of strings to her bow. The 33 year old from Cammachmore is on a mission to prove that holding down a challenging and responsible day job is no barrier to pursuing rock stardom.

Creation of New Jobs at AMOR Group Bucks Unemployment Trends

 Leading Scottish business technology solutions provider Amor Group is to recruit 20 new IT specialists following a number of significant contract wins.

Black Watch

This autumn, the National Theatre of Scotland’s multi-award winning Black Watch comes to the AECC for a strictly limited run of performances.

Applications Submitted for New Community Councils

Three Aberdeen communities have submitted applications to re-establish community councils in their areas.

Waterside Inn Invests £35,000 to Give Ballroom the X Factor

The ballroom of a popular hotel, which staged a high-profile concert by X Factor winner Alexandra Burke, has had a £35,000 makeover.

North-east artists sell record number of paintings

Two North-east artists have sold a record number of paintings after holding a public exhibition at Brewin Dolphin’s Aberdeen office.

Sir Ian Wood to Receive the Prestigious Cadman Award in Aberdeen

SIR Ian Wood is to receive the Energy Institute’s prestigious Cadman award, presented internationally for outstanding service to the petroleum industry, at a dinner in Aberdeen this week.

New Sales Team Member at Univation

Robert Gordon University's commercial subsidiary, Univation Ltd, has appointed David Brand as a Business Development Manager.

Own Brand Summer Programme Will Plug Scottish Holiday Gap, Says Barrhead Travel CEO

Leading UK independent travel agent, Barrhead Travel, has launched its Summer 2010 own-brand package holiday programme, featuring destinations in Majorca and mainland Spain.

City Pupils to Have Their Say

City youngsters are due to have their say on the future of education in Aberdeen.

Get Writing at Delgatie Castle

Creative writing sessions for budding authors and poets will be held at Delgatie Castle next month.

'Gray Area' for Student Artists Ahead of Gray's Degree Show 2010

Final year Painting students of Robert Gordon University's Gray's School of Art are preparing for the most important exhibition of their careers next week, ahead of Gray's Degree Show 2010.

Discussions on Multi-Operator Bus Tickets Underway

A multi-operator ticketing scheme and through ticketing scheme could be introduced for bus services operating in Aberdeen.

Mobile Speed Cameras This Week

During this week mobile cameras will be operating at the following sites :

Boost for Corus Apprentices and Business Start Ups in the Tees Valley

£2.4m for Engineering Apprenticeship Programme to help Corus apprentices

£1.4m package of support to boost help for business start ups and existing firms in the Tees Valley

A Commercial Outlook to 2010

Alan Patterson, Senior Commercial Consultant of Carlton Resource Solutions Limited, gives his outlook for 2010 for commercial contract staff:

Industry Bodies Join Forces to Develop New Subsea Training Programme

Two of the leading oil and gas industry bodies have joined forces to develop a new training programme aimed at expanding the UK’s skills and expertise in the subsea sector.

Corporate Teams Aim For The Bull’s Eye!

Thirty two Corporate heavyweights step up to the ochi this weekend in the first event of activitymix Aberdeen Corporate Decathlon.

FirstGroup And Centre for Transport Research Extend Partnership

FirstGroup, the leading transport operator in the UK and North America, has extended its partnership with the University of Aberdeen’s Centre for Transport Research (CTR).

TAQA Announces New North Sea Oil Field After Government Agreement For Re-Determination

The Change of Rates

The 1 April 2010 heralds the commencement of a Rating Revaluation of non-domestic properties throughout Scotland.  In this connection the Assessor for the Grampian Valuation Joint Board has recently published on his website the new assessments for all the properties for which he is responsible and many non-domestic rate payers within the Grampian Region are in for an unwelcome surprise.

Crime Scene Cadets

A group of young police cadets from Grampian Police will get to grips with crime scene examination techniques when they undertake a practical exercise at Robert Gordon University this week.

Developer to consult on Oldmeldrum Road proposals

Leading housing and development group, Taylor Wimpey, is to hold a community engagement event to consult on potential development options for land at Souterford on the Oldmeldrum Road, Inverurie, for inclusion in the Council’s Local Development Plan.

Bright Ideas to Answer Age Old Problem Needed Now

People living in Scotland aged 50 and over have just two weeks to come back with bright ideas to help improve the lives of older people in the area.

Last King of Scotland Director in Frame for Director’s Cut

Last King of Scotland director Kevin Macdonald will join the Director’s Cut cast when the University of Aberdeen takes the successful series on the road for the first time.

Indigo to Showcase Windows 7

Aberdeen’s Leading IT company, Indigo Technologies will be on hand next week to demonstrate the benefits of Windows 7.

News And Photo Opportunity In Aberdeen Hosted By Junior Chamber International Aberdeen (JCI Aberdeen) on Friday 5th March 2010

The 33rd Grampian Industrialist of the Year is Announced

BP's 2010 Strategy Presentation

Tony Hayward, Group Chief Executive, will be hosting a live presentation to the financial community. Tony will be joined by Andy Inglis, Head of Exploration and Production, and Iain Conn, Head of Refining and Marketing, to discuss BP's strategy.

Robert Gordon University Principal Passes Away

Professor Mike Pittilo MBE

It is with great sadness that Robert Gordon University has learnt that its Principal and Vice-Chancellor, Professor Mike Pittilo MBE (55), has died suddenly but peacefully in the early hours of this morning.

Miley breaks Records in University Championship

Robert Gordon University Sport Scholar, Hannah Miley, continued her unstoppable rise to success with two record-breaking performances last weekend at the 2010 British Universities & Colleges Sport (BUCS) Long Course Swimming Championships.

ITF Technology Challenge Workshops

In line with the industry's focus on technology challenges, ITF is hosting two Technology Challenge Workshops (TCW) on 17th and 18th March 2010 at the Renaissance Amsterdam Hotel to tackle the issues surrounding EOR Technologies and Tight and Shale Gas, and Coal Bed Methane.

New Sales Engineer at Downhole

Porthlethen-based Downhole Products has appointed George Richardson as a sales engineer to enhance the completion side of the company. 

Major Aberdeenshire Employer To Expand Into £6 Million New Global HQ

The Ferguson Group, a major supplier of accommodation modules and containers for the energy industry around the world, is to invest £6million in a new purpose-built facility in Aberdeenshire that will pave the way for additional jobs to be created in future.

Major Office Expansion as Energy IT Specialist Looks to Increase Staff by 150% 

Aventa Systems Limited, a leading information technology consultancy in the oil and gas industry, has targeted a 150% rise in staff over the next 12 months following a move to larger offices.

Monitor Receive Investment From Scottish Enterprise To Expand And Recruit International Team To Grow Overseas Business

Monitor Management Control Systems Limited (Monitor) has announced a significant investment from Scottish Enterprise to assist with the company’s drive to grow its international business.