Latest news @ Seletar

ASCO Acquires Seletar

noreply@blogger.com (Seletar Admin) — Mon, 01 Jun 2009 09:55:00 +0000

ASCO Marine, a subsidiary of the Aberdeen based international oil and gas logistics specialist ASCO Group, today announced that it has acquired Seletar Shipping. Also Aberdeen based, Seletar provides ships agency and related services to clients in the offshore, freight management and logistics sectors.

Shaun Eardley, managing director of Seletar, will retain a shareholding in the business and will continue in his current role.

ASCO see the deal as providing a platform for the international development of its marine services division.

Chief executive Billy Allan said: ‘Over the last two years we have been developing our logistics activities in Trinidad, Canada, Norway and Azerbaijan. The next step is to launch our marine capabilities in these markets and the Seletar deal gives us the scale needed for this’.

Shaun Eardley said: ‘We have built an excellent business over the last 22 years, but it has become clear to us that we needed to be part of a larger and more suitably resourced organisation in order to move on to the next stage. I have been impressed by Billy Allan and his ambitious team at ASCO and look forward to working with them’.

All of Seletar’s 55 employees in Aberdeen and Gt Yarmouth are transferring to ASCO and there will be no job losses as a result of the deal.

Improving Skills at Work Through Training

noreply@blogger.com (Seletar Admin) — Mon, 24 Nov 2008 10:19:00 +0000

Employees looking to boost their career through training opportunities in the workplace can open the door to many associated benefits as a result.

In-house training offers a real opportunity for people looking to enhance their individual skills, while also providing a platform from which to progress within an organisation.

From an employer’s point of view, offering training opportunities to staff can help position them as an organisation of choice.

Promoting job satisfaction and morale through training can also lead to increased productivity and happier employees who know their value has been recognised through such opportunities.

The Company is continually investing in its people through various training initiatives and firmly believes that by offering further qualifications to its staff it will reap the rewards.

Among the ongoing training initiatives currently being offered is the European Computer Driving Licence (ECDL). We currently have a scheme running whereby anyone undertaking and passing their ECDL certificate within six months, is awarded a cash bonus. To date, a number of employees within the Aberdeen and Great Yarmouth offices have passed the course which has been very well received across the offices.

In addition, the Institute of Leadership Management (ILM) programme is ongoing with eight managers and supervisors working towards their level 2 certificate in team leading. Another four participants are due to start the programme in the coming months. By offering staff these training opportunities, among others, Seletar believes it is empowering individuals which in turn helps them to become more confident in their abilities.

The Directors believe increased job satisfaction among employees is of major benefit to both parties, and gaining recognised skills is a vital tool for career progression. In an extremely competitive industry a willingness to embrace training opportunities is highly commendable. From the employee’s perspective it shows that the employer has faith in them and is willing to invest in their progress. In addition, new skills combined with future experience, built from training makes a person more marketable and can open the door to better pay rates.

Another benefit of group training is the sense of belonging that can come with working towards a shared aim. Where possible, dedicated training days have been set aside for individual members of staff to either shadow more experienced employees to take on board their skills, and/or to be trained in new procedures to increase their own expertise.

The value and importance of in-house mentoring or coaching should not be underestimated, particularly in the current credit climate. Coaching is simply the skill of helping others achieve higher levels of skills and obtain greater experience by guiding them through tasks and activities. Since there is no monetary outlay it is obviously cost effective, but to be really effective it must be set up properly, particularly as time is precious.

Keeping up-to-date with new technology is very important to Seletar, an example being a new bar-coding system which will be introduced to aid more efficient control of the movement of freight belonging to rig and ship owner clients. The company continually reviews its training requirements to ensure staff develop in their roles, and have the ability to perform with changing technologies.

Seletar get on their Bikes for a Holiday

noreply@blogger.com (Seletar Admin) — Thu, 21 Aug 2008 09:44:00 +0000

We spend most of our lives at work so just how important is it that we enjoy what we are doing? A good working relationship with colleagues has been cited as one of the main reasons why people like their jobs, often ranking higher than financial rewards. Making staff feel appreciated through fair treatment, good communication and a positive working atmosphere, all contribute to the value of good working relations.

The company has extended its employee feel-good factor by offering staff an increased holiday entitlement, which not only gives every staff member an extra five days off per year, but also their birthday off as a bonus. The Directors believe that staff holidays are more than just a statutory requirement and this increase will not only reward existing staff and encourage commitment to the company, but in addition will assist in future recruitment.

Following our recent Investors in People (IIP) review and re-accreditation, we were looking for different ways to reward staff. By offering additional holidays, we are demonstrating that we are a company that not only invests in its staff, but one that understands the importance of a good work-life balance.

Research shows that happy staff are more productive which in turn should ultimately show itself on the bottom line. We hope that the additional holidays, together with the added birthday day off, will lead to better staff contentment and commitment.

As many of us spend much of our time at work it stands to reason that staff should feel motivated, valued and rewarded. Other methods of doing this may be through the provision of training, development and staff benefits such as away days, or team building exercises.

We continually review staff training requirements to ensure staff are developing in their roles and have the ability to perform with changing technologies. We currently have an encouragement scheme running whereby anyone undertaking and passing their ECDL certificate within six months is awarded a sizeable cash bonus.

Another added benefit for staff working in the new Steadfast House office, is the purchase of four bicycles. As we are based just out of town and away from any supermarkets, it was suggested that we purchase bikes to enable staff to get away from the office at lunchtime without the need to take a car. The bikes also have the added advantage of helping to keep our staff fit and healthy – we are pleased to report that this initiative has proved very popular as they are taken out most days.

We are strong believers in investing in our staff, whether it is through training like the ECDL, or by involving them in decision making. This gives staff a degree of accountability and responsibility which we hope will ultimately make them feel an integral part of the company.

Seletar has reason to celebrate

noreply@blogger.com (Seletar Admin) — Tue, 01 Jul 2008 08:40:00 +0000

21 YEARS IN BUSINESS AND INCREASED TURNOVER

Ships agency and freight forwarding company, Seletar Shipping (Scotland) Limited, has revealed turnover for the for past twelve months has increased by £2m – a satisfying achievement as it prepares to celebrate 21 years in business. Seletar recorded turnover of £17m for 2007, compared with £15m in 2006 – and £740,000 in its first year of business n 1987.

The company, which was set up in Great Yarmouth prior to moving its headquarters to Aberdeen in 1994 due to the buoyant market, has introduced a number of new services since its inception, including a Ships’ Warden Service following legislation introduced to tighten up port security after the September 11 attacks.

Seletar purchased recruitment firm Genesis Personnel in 1998 – it now specializes in the marine sector and has offices in Peterhead as well as Aberdeen. Seletar has also invested more than £10m in property in Aberdeen, after branching into quayside property rental in 2003. The company now owns property stretching from the corner of Wellington Street right along the Victoria Dock waterfront to Church Street and leases office space to more than thirty tenants.

The company marked the 21 year milestone with a dinner for clients, held at Fyvie Castle on Friday 30 May, and a family fun day for customers, suppliers, employees and associates, at the same venue the following day, which featured a wide range of entertainment.

Managing Director, Shaun Eardley, says the success Seletar has enjoyed over the past two decades is testament to the hard work of the team, the quality of local suppliers and also the great market conditions in the North-East.

He said: “In addition, the decision to diversify our services has played a large part in the success of the business over the past 21 years. Expanding into the property rental sector has increased our profitability significantly and has also heightened our profile. Other services introduced, including personnel transportation and warehousing, have added to the sustained rise in turnover.

“We have also continued to win new business for the ships agency, freight forwarding and logistics divisions of our business, which I am particularly pleased about. I look forward to the next chapter in Seletar’s history, which will involve enhancing our core services further and exploiting additional diversification opportunities as we identity them.”

Seletar, which has more than 200 employees, including temporary workers recruited by Genesis Personnel, is headquartered at Steadfast House, in the city’s Tullos area. It also has offices in Peterhead and Great Yarmouth.

21st Anniversary

noreply@blogger.com (Seletar Admin) — Fri, 27 Jun 2008 09:11:00 +0000

SELETAR SHIPPING CELEBRATES ANNIVERSARY IN STYLE

Seletar Shipping (Scotland) Limited marked its 21st Anniversary with a glittering weekend of activities at Fyvie Castle recently.

The celebrations began at the castle with an evening reception and dinner for clients and other guests. The following day saw around 400 people, including other valued clients, suppliers and staff, welcomed to a medieval themed family fun day within the grounds of the castle.

The setting provided the perfect back-drop for the day, during which guests enjoyed a wide range of activities – from falconry, pipe bands, dancing, races and a magic show, to being knighted by a Robert the Bruce impersonator. Guests also enjoyed a fantastic spread of food thanks to Nick Nairn’s catering company, Nairn’s Anywhere.

Seletar director, Anna-Marie Eardley, was pleased to have been able to celebrate the company’s success with many clients and their families.

She said: “When we started thinking about celebrating Seletar’s 21st anniversary, we felt it was important to do something to thank as many people as possible for their support throughout the years.

“The family fun day was a perfect day, and it was fantastic to be able to show people just how much their support has meant to the company.”

Seletar Shipping was established in Great Yarmouth prior to moving its headquarters to Aberdeen in 1994. The company has since introduced a number of services to its portfolio, including the acquisition of recruitment firm Genesis Personnel, a Ships’ Warden Service and quayside property rental.

Photo Album

Seletar Shipping on the move.

noreply@blogger.com (Seletar Admin) — Mon, 27 Aug 2007 16:13:00 +0000

To accommodate continuing expansion of operations, Seletar Shipping's group headquarters have relocated to refurbished premises in East Tullos, Aberdeen.

The new facilities at Steadfast House, Greenwell Road, East Tullos, incorporate some c. 7000 sq/ft of office accommodation, 10000 sg/ft warehouse and a 27000 sq/ft storage yard.

In addition to providing a comfortable working environment for staff, the new facilities represent a more efficient and effective service being experienced by clients. This significant investment in core business activities underlines Seletar Shipping's continuing desire to improve and grow their ships agency and freight handling services.