Welded to the job: Steven celebrates 15 years at Brimmond

When he turned up at Brimmond for 2 – 3 days welding work over Christmas, Steven Sharp was not expecting to still be there 15 years later!

Now Brimmond’s Lead Projects Technician, Steven, who hails from Inverurie, came in as temporary cover to fit out a container, and never left. Having worked in various roles, and mentored many team members over the years, Steven has played a key role in Brimmond’s success, and become an invaluable part of the team.

The Kintore-based firm, which specialises in the design, manufacture, rental and repair of lifting, mechanical and hydraulic equipment for industry now employs some 40+ members of staff, and reported a turnover of £6.5 million in the last financial year.

Back in 2008 when Steven joined, Brimmond was headed up by Founder and Managing Director, Alistair Murdoch, and had a headcount of around a dozen. Steven recounts what it was like in the early days: “We did stock some equipment to hire out, but not the same volume that we do nowadays. My work ranged from stripping and rebuilding, to making new guards and brackets and refurbishing cranes.”

The acquisition of Rigrun Europe saw the firm move from its original home in Dyce to bigger premises in Kintore. The team grew rapidly from this point, and their commitment to providing equipment and customer service of the highest quality consolidated Brimmond’s meteoric rise. As Steven says, “The culture at Brimmond is second to none – everyone has always worked together to make sure our equipment is first-class and delivered to our clients on time and on budget.”

When Brimmond began servicing marine cranes, Steven’s first job was working on the Orkney ferry, but his favourite claim to fame is his time working on the Queensferry crossing – the longest 3-tower cable-stayed bridge in the world. Brimmond’s cranes played an important role in the construction of the crossing. “Whenever we drive over it, I love telling my kids about how I worked at the top of the towers!”

Steven also has many fond memories of his travels around the world during his career with Brimmond. Malta, Ghana, Gabon, the UK North Sea, are just some of the places he has worked over the past 15 years. “I thoroughly enjoyed meeting new people from around the world – many of whom are still good friends – and being exposed to different cultures and ways of life,” he added.

Having been established as a family business in 1996, Brimmond has held fast to its ethos of nurturing, supporting and developing the team, and Steven is a prime example of how that works in practice. During his career he has helped numerous colleagues to develop and achieve their potential. Most recently, Steven has been working with Glenn Morrison, who joined Brimmond as an apprentice engineer 9 years ago.

“Glenn joined as a young lad, straight from school,” said Steven. “I could immediately tell that he was ambitious and committed to the job, and it was an absolute pleasure to harness that enthusiasm and support his career progression from apprentice to welder and fabricator, and now design draftsman. He is now studying for a degree in Mechanical Engineering, having combined full-time work with his studies for a number of years now, not to mention overcoming some personal challenges. It has been so gratifying to see Glenn develop his talent and progress so far at Brimmond – it’s an aspect of my role here that I very much enjoy.”

Glenn added: “I’m really grateful to Steven – not only has he given me a sound technical grounding, he’s also been there with ongoing support and encouragement that has helped me to get where I am today. Likewise, the wider Brimmond team have fostered my development and given me invaluable opportunities to progress my career.”

Surmising about what has kept him with the company for so long, Steven went on to say: “At Brimmond everyone has their own specialism, but everyone – and everything – comes together. We’re greater than the sum of our parts! Everything we do is a cut-above; we maintain the highest standards whether it’s keeping our workshop clean and tidy, manufacturing hydraulic and lifting equipment, or always being on hand to help our loyal customers.

“I’ve seen so many changes over the last 15 years as the company has evolved and grown, but throughout all the time the ethos is the one thing that has never changed. I’m proud to be part of #teamBrimmond and am very excited about what the future holds for us!”

To meet growing customer demand, Brimmond is currently recruiting for 6 new roles including hydraulic technician, mobile service technician and welder fabricator. Visit Careers and Apprenticeships – Brimmond to find out more.

For anyone interested in applying, opportunities are also available to visit the Brimmond HQ in Kintore. Call (01467) 633805 or email us at careers@brimmond.com  for more information.