North east freight firm wins top award for offshore operation
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A NORTH-east shipping company has won a top award.
ACE Forwarding, an independent firm which organises freight shipments, has been recognised as an industry leader for their work supporting a major offshore project.
At the BIFA (British International Freight Association) Freight Service Awards earlier this year, the company received the Project Forwarding Award.
The Aberdeen businesses helped a major energy operator, with no previous oil and gas experience, in an offshore drilling project location in Europe.
Leading tough negotiations with customs authorities for nine months, ACE enabled transportation of tools and equipment by air, sea and road, in and out of the country.
Ed Arnott, business and commercial director at ACE, said: “BIFA recognised how challenging the project was from start to finish particularly due to the remote location and that customs procedures had to be negotiated and developed from scratch.
"As a new area for oil and gas projects, the work that we have done has left a lasting legacy for the region for future development projects."
ACE was recognised by the industry body due to the complexities of the project and the seamless and compliant movement of thousands of tonnes of cargo in and out of a challenging location, with zero safety incidents and no delays or impact to the project schedule.
Established in 1994, ACE has a team of 60 between Aberdeen and London, and faced stiff competition from three other UK businesses in their category.
Mr Arnott said: “To achieve such high praise from our top industry organisation is an honour and testament to the work of our dedicated team ensuring that this project was successfully delivered safely and legally, replicating North Sea standards in a demanding frontier location.
"It is also a privilege to be the only Scottish winner at the awards.”
Following the success of the contract delivery, ACE has now secured a contract extension with the same client.
This award follows a period of successful commercial development for the company in the past 18 months.
Despite challenging conditions, ACE has secured a number of significant and strategic contract awards with major Tier 1 energy operators with a combined value in excess of £8m over the next five years, providing a strong platform for further company growth over the next 12 - 24 months.
ACE is looking to secure an 11 per cent increase in turnover in 2022.
