LOC Expands to Australia's East Coast

London Offshore Consultants (LOC), a global marine and engineering consultant for the shipping and offshore energy sectors, announces plans to increase its presence in Australia.

Identifying a strategic growth plan which allows the group to maintain quality and improve client response time, satellite operations, firstly in Sydney, and then the surrounding region, will be opened to support the existing operation in Perth.

The expansion announcement comes in the same month as LOC celebrates its 25th anniversary in Australia.

To ensure the LOC Group is able to meet industry requirements managing director of LOC Australia, Alex Harrison, confirmed the first step in the expansion plan.

"To complement the oil and gas and marine services already provided through our Perth office, a brand new East Coast operation will focus on providing technical and operational services to all levels of the shipping industry including government, port authorities, port and terminal users, shipowners and insurers both in Australia, New Zealand and the South Pacific."

This east coast operation is headed by Drew Shannon, a Master Mariner with experience in Marine operations management, risk analysis, towage and salvage operations.

Shannon and colleagues will look initially at product areas such as vessel surveys and audits, technical evaluations, operations management support, expert witness services, and risk evaluations and audits for ports, terminals, shipowners and operators and their insurers. Additionally they are able to support salvage and wreck removal operations should such services be needed.

Although initially based in Sydney it is recognized that many of the states on the East coast have quite diverse markets and requirements and it is expected that eventually LOC Australia will provide locally based, sector specific, support from other hub locations on the East coast as well.

LOC is also assessing future plans for more offices in the Northern Territory across in New Zealand.

Since 1988, LOC Australia has become one of group's top four revenue generators with 24 staff including master mariners and a range of engineers from the marine, naval architectural, offshore, civil/structural and mechanical disciplines. The team is further supported by a network of a further 15 professionals across Australia. In the last five years, revenue has grown year-on-year by over 25%.

loc-group.com