Driving Sustainability Family Business

Aberdeen-headquartered ASCO is a leading global logistics and materials management services provider, supporting projects in the renewables, new energy, oil and gas and decommissioning sectors.

ASCO’s innovative processes and systems put it at the forefront of driving supply chain efficiency, providing transparency for the entire process from vendors to end users. Its fully integrated suite of support includes logistics, transport and freight, supply base management, aviation services, warehousing and storage solutions, materials management, fuel and bulk provision, marine services, training, lifting and assurance, personnel provision and environmental services.

It combines this with specialist technical and advisory services across marine, materials, inventory and lifting operations and world-class technology via its proprietary integrated Logistics Management System to meet the needs of global energy operators.

ASCO has more than half a century of logistics and materials management experience and its expertise and capability help customers by transforming operational efficiency and improving processes.

It has recently implemented a range of major changes to create a more sustainable business and to become a net zero greenhouse gas emissions business by 2040.

These changes include the transition of its light vehicle fleet to electric in both the UK and Norway.

ASCO’s “Zero Waste to Landfill” initiative was designed in response to Scottish regulatory requirements which will ban the disposal of general waste to landfill by 2025. The initiative diverts industrial waste, currently bound for landfill sites, to sustainable facilities in North-east Scotland where “waste-to-energy” technology is used to produce electricity and hot water. So far, the company has achieved a reduction of 57% waste sent to landfill in the UK.

High quality and diversification have been fundamental to the success of Aberdeen-based Schoolhill Hydraulic Engineering Co Ltd over the past 74 years and through four generations of the Whyte family.

In the 50s the company manufactured precision replacement parts for earth moving and agricultural machinery. The company’s present area of operations covers several industry sectors, including oil and gas, whisky, agriculture and industrial process control systems.

Until the industry collapse of 2016, 80% of the company’s revenue came from subsea oil and gas, but the downturn forced the company to reduce its number of employees from 44 to 18.

A strategic decision to focus on its legacy products for the whisky industry to replace the revenue lost from oil and gas - and diversify away from its dependence on this sectorproved visionary.

Staff levels are almost back to before the slump and 70% of Schoolhill’s revenue now comes from whisky barrel working machinery and 30% from oil and gas.

Schoolhill machinery can be found in every cooperage in Scotland and in most distilleries with their own barrel working operations. The company’s High Speed Hoopdriver is the main workhorse of whisky barrel operations in Scotland and has a reputation for reliability and longevity.

Many of the innovative products Schoolhill has designed and manufactured for the North Sea oil sector have become the industry standard and are used in oil provinces around the globe. Locally it has designed and manufactured specialist hydraulic equipment for Aberdeen City Council, including a hydraulic stage for the city’s Beach Ballroom.