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WINNER: BILL SCOTT
BILL Scott marked another period of growth for the firm he built from scratch into an £84m-a-year giant by picking up the prestigious North East Business Executive of the Year 2011 title.
The co-founder of Wilton Group had a major hand in the creation of what is today one of Teesside’s biggest success stories and one which supports 560 jobs, around half of which are in the North East.
At the company’s base in Port Clarence near Middlesbrough, Scott sits at the helm of one of the North East’s fastest growing firms, having placed it well on track to see its annual revenues reach £100m next year.
The group, which provides fabrication and site services for the offshore and petrochemical industries, created 200 jobs last year after receiving £16m in investment from private equity firm Barclays Private Equity.
Wilton works primarily in the subsea, marine, offshore, nuclear and renewable energy industries and has expanded its UK and overseas footprint.
With exports quadrupling over the last three years, the business enjoys huge global success and has footholds in a number of markets including Brazil and West Africa.
It has ongoing ambitions for further growth with a number of additional acquisitions planned, while moving further into the rapidly emerging renewable and new nuclear sectors.
It recently opened a new fabrication facility in the Port of Dundee to support the upgrade, maintenance and refurbishment of mobile offshore drilling units.
Recent years have also seen it launch a new company, PD&MS Energy do Brasil, after winning rig upgrade contracts in the country. With bases in Rio de Janeiro and Macae, the subsidiary provides surveying, design and engineering support to drilling contractors.
Scott launched Wilton alongside Steve Glenn in 1994 and the group is comprised of three main business units – PD&MS Energy, Wilton Engineering Services and Universal Coatings.
In addition to Middlesbrough and Aberdeen, PD & MS has offices in Great Yarmouth and Dundee. Scott, who also won the award as the Teesside Business Executive of the Year, beat Tyneside & Northumberland winner Michael Sandford-Couch of Potts Print and Durham & Wearside winner Phil Cronin, of Tombola.
He picked up his award at the Newcastle Marriott Hotel, Gosforth Park, as he became the 28th winner of the title and joins a hugely respected rollcall of the North East’s greatest businessmen and women. The award is widely recognised as the region’s most prestigious business accolade and is run by The Journal and its sister publication, the Evening Gazette on Teesside.