Highland engineering firm Global chasing green job growth

One of the Highlands’ biggest employers says it will target rapid growth in the renewable energy sector in a bid to increase its workforce and turnover.

Global Energy, a civil engineering business, was set up 20 years ago and is led by Ross County chairman Roy MacGregor.

The company has revamped its branding and changed its name to just Global. It has also started work on a new headquarters at the Inverness Campus.

Mr MacGregor told BBC Scotland News that over the next three years it planned to raise its workforce from 2,000 staff to 3,000 – and its turnover from £300m to £500m.

The company is key partner of the new Inverness and Cromarty Firth Green Freeport.

The port is being developed as a major international hub for the offshore renewable energy sector – made up of zones where tax incentives and lower tariffs are available to companies.

To help fund its future plans, Global sold its majority stake in Port of Nigg in Easter Ross to Japanese engineering firm Mitsui in July.

Mr MacGregor said Nigg required an estimated £250m in investment to make it ready to handle components for floating wind turbines, as well as building a new manufacturing plant.

He said: “We felt within our portfolio that would have consumed all our capital for the next 10 years and would have limited the growth in our other 21 businesses.

“So we have tried to spread our investment, and to keep the track record in oil and gas and, particularly in the last 10 years, in renewables.”

The businessman said money would also be reinvested in new energies and possible future expansion more widely in the UK, and potentially overseas.

But Mr MacGregor said it was important Global remained rooted in the Highlands.

“It’s a company based on Highland values, and we’ve always headquartered the company here,” he said.

“I think the Highlands carry a large amount of talent, as does the rest of Scotland.”

Mr MacGregor also described Ross County as part of the “Global family”. He has been involved with the Dingwall club for 30 years.

Last season, it was relegated from the Scottish Premiership to the Championship.

Mr MacGregor described the demotion as one of the “most disappointing periods of my life”, and conceded the new season had not started well.

Since August, the club has brought in a new management team of Tony Doherty and Callum Davidson.

A run of draws and defeats has left it sitting second bottom of the league – and 18 points behind leaders St Johnstone.

Mr MacGregor said the difficult start was not down to a lack of investment.

He said: “It’s not funding, it’s cultural. We need to get everyone pointing in the same direction.”

Mr MacGregor said Highland clubs were well used to battling challenges.

He said: “In Scottish football terms it took us and Inverness (Caledonian Thistle) a long time to be accepted as part of the footballing world.”