GR Direct - Sony - Save up to £500
Thursday 24 July 2025
 14.6°C   WNW Gentle Breeze
Ocean Kinetics - The Engineering Experts

News / New jobs and decommissioning hopes as Aberdeen firm acquires recycling site

60 North Recycling was involved in some decommissioning work. Photo: 60 North.

NEW JOBS will be created in Shetland after an Aberdeen-based company acquired 60 North Recycling in Lerwick with the view of tapping into the decommissioning market.

John Lawrie Group aims to turn the Rova Head site into a “full-service” scrap metal processing and decommissioning facility as it expands the services offered.

The metal recycling and decommissioning company is already recruiting for an operations manager as well as material handler operators and scrap burners.

John Lawrie Group – which has bases across Scotland as well as Houston in the US – said the site is “strategically placed to support the oil and gas decommissioning sector in the area”.

Minor decommissioning work has taken place in Lerwick over the last decade, while the dismantling of the large Buchan Alpha oil platform recently started at Lerwick Port Authority’s new Dales Voe site.

All employees who worked for 60 North Recycling have been moved to John Lawrie Group and investment is expected in new technology.

Operations director Dave Weston said the company is “very pleased” to be operating in Shetland.

“This investment will help deliver an enhanced service to our existing and future customers, and will continue to create new employment opportunities in the area,” he said.

John Lawrie Group was founded in 1930 and it has been involved in the dismantling of large oilfield and subsea infrastructure for over two decades.

60 North Recycling was founded by Ian Kinniburgh following a management buyout in 2001, taking over the waste management assets of SOES Ltd.

Ten years later the company was sold to Lancaster-based businessman Charles Barton.

In 2014 it struck a deal to avoid bankruptcy after owing almost £200,000 in VAT and corporation tax.

Become a member of Shetland News

Shetland News is asking its readers to consider paying for membership to get additional perks:

  • Removal of third-party ads;
  • Bookmark posts to read later;
  • Exclusive curated weekly newsletter;
  • Hide membership messages;
  • Comments open for discussion.

If you appreciate what we do and feel strongly about impartial local journalism, then please become a member of Shetland News by either making a single payment, or setting up a monthly, quarterly or yearly subscription.

 
Categories

Sign up
for our Newsletters

Stay in the loop with newsletters tailored to your interests. Whether you're looking for daily updates, weekly highlights, or updates on jobs or property, you can choose exactly what you want to receive.

Advertisement 
Advertisement 
Advertisement 

JavaScript Required

We're sorry, but Shetland News isn't fully functional without JavaScript enabled.
Head over to the help page for instructions on how to enable JavaScript on your browser.

Interested in Notifications?

Get notifications from Shetland News for important and breaking news.
You can unsubscribe at any time.

Have you considered becoming a member of Shetland News?

  • Removal of third-party ads;
  • Bookmark posts to read later;
  • Exclusive curated weekly newsletter;
  • Hide membership messages;
  • Comments open for discussion.