ABOUT US

Our Story

Since being formed in 1994 the highly skilled and flexible team at LEF have over 20 years of extensive experience in all aspects of engineering solutions. We offer a complete 24/7 – 365 days a year service to the Oil & Gas, Decommissioning, Marine, Renewable, Utility and many other industries.

We are in a location that is both logistically ideal and cost effective for all of your projects both on and offshore. LEF prides itself on providing high levels of service to an industry that never stops and is always changing. We have a prime quayside location where our facilities include workshops and storage areas totalling 14,607m2. This includes one of the largest fabrication workshops and also a purpose built blast and coating facility. These facilities enable us to provide a doorstep service for all of your projects.

3000+

Projects completed in the last 5 years

100+

Trusted Customers in Scotland

Granted

Welcome to LEF

Timeline

1994

In 1994 Lerwick Engineering & Fabrication Ltd was officially founded by the previous Managing Director David Suckley, specialising in all type’s of fabrication and engineering, but mostly concentrating on the various types of welding. LEF has since then spent many years working with the biggest companies in the business. Working with BP for many years on their Sullom Voe Oil terminal carrying out various works LEF have been at the forefront of all welding working in and around Shetland for the last 20+ years.

2000

A year which will go down is the company’s history. It was the beginning of this year that one of the most notorious storeman in LEF’s history took up his role (Infact the only storeman we had for years). After coming in to look after the store for ‘a couple of weeks’ when the last storeman left for another job Jim Ridland took the reins. No matter who you speak to in Shetland and beyond Jim’s name is synonymous with LEF and the store. Ruling the store with his stories of Shetlands fish history and knowing that no matter what you get from him it’s always his last one… Jim is the heart and soul of the company and we are very lucky to have him in the Store.

2005

This year William   became a shareholder and director of the company. Willie took control of mainly the blast and paint shop as well as helping his Co-Directors with the general running of the company. Wille has a fantastic knowledge of everything to do with metal work and fabrication, and is a real asset to the company.

2013

After a difficult year for all at the company, we were happy to announce that Ryan Owen was promoted to the post of General Manager. Ryan has worked for the company since 2005, starting off as an apprentice and working his way up through the ranks. With his knowledge of the industry, ambition and drive to push the company onwards and upwards he was the ideal man for the job.

2014

In 2014 we celebrated being in business for 20 years. This is a fantastic milestone for a company of our size and is due to the hard work of our Directors, loyal staff and highly skilled workforce. Dave the only remaining founding Director along with the rest of the team continue to carry on heading in the original direction he set out. While previous directors and staff have come and gone the original value of producing great quality work for best value time and time again has always stuck.

2015

This was a tough year for the oil and gas industry, there has been a significant downturn within the industry however at LEF we have continued our aim to be proactive towards providing cost effective solutions to our clients problems. In November we were successfully audited by TWI and were delighted with gaining the worldwide recognised high quality welding standard BS EN ISO3834 and CE Marking. We will continue to carry on this aim in 2016 along with looking for more innovative and effective ideas.

2016

LEF throughout the downturn have continued to provide cost efficient services allowing us to be competitive with mainland UK for all works carried out. In September we were delighted to have Ryan become a Director of the company. Ryan’s passion, ambition and drive to move the company forward made this a logical and exciting progression forward for the company. 

2018

This year saw a lot of key moments happen within LEF. We introduced key members of staff who are now pushing the company on further that it has ever gone before. We invested around £350,000 on key equipment which has allowed us to be more cost effective in jobs and produce some outstanding work never before seen from a machine on the island. The new top of the range Plasma CNC Profile Cutting Machine was one of only 3 in the UK, it allows us to do far more complex work than had ever been done at LEF. The new large saws that were put in place this year are also allowing us to cut material bigger and quicker than before, utilising a full automated system we are able to use this to cut materials with a finer tolerance. 

We also took on some fantastic fabrication jobs which due to the size of our workshop we were the preferred choice for the companies who required the jobs to be fabricated inside. Our Coatings Division also had a very different job this year, they were tasked by to blast and paint a work barge that was being sent to the Antarctic to assist on construction work there over their summer months (our winter).

2022

Jake Watt existing General manager completed a 100% share management buyout of existing directors who have taken retirement. 2022 became a pivotal year for LEF under new leadership looking at many of the existing company processes, as well as a new branding and identity. During this phase LEF also seen a high growth trajectory doubling in size and large investment into its assets.

2023

Continuing from 2022 growth continued with LEF taking on larger profile jobs and forming many valuable relationships with clients. LEF opened its facility division comprising of electrical, plumbing, utilities, facility management and renewable installation.  Many cloud based interoperable software’s came live during this year increasing company efficiency, and providing clients with remote access to track and monitor project live and moving it towards a paperless company.

Our Story

At our core, we are dedicated to serving Shetland with true purpose by continuing to master our skills and expertise and utilising them in a way that supports the local community in becoming prosperous and green.

With the Shetland community at our heart, we also continue to champion the developing workforce by offering opportunities to the next generation islander, with placements, training & career opportunities going to Shetland’s young people.

We are brave in setting ourselves ambitious goals, even in the face of adversity. Our can-do approach goes right through our company with every member of staff ready to think proactively in finding engineering solutions to the challenges at hand.

We are dedicated to our craft and strive towards a greener, more eco-friendly Shetland with engineering that is built to last.

Our Mission

Our vision by 2025 is to become the engineering hub of choice in Shetland. We will do this by capturing the boat building market, making waves in the renewables market and doubling our workforce in Shetland.

We’ll champion the developing workforce offering opportunities for young people of Shetland and working closely with schools to offer placements, training and career opportunities for the next generation islander.

By 2025 we will have become paperless and automated across the board, meaning we can offer exceptional levels of customer service and can meet the varied needs of our ever-expanding customer base We’re here to service big companies who need efficiency and manpower, but we’re also here for our community. By 2025 the whole of Shetland will know that there’s no job too big and no job too small for LEF.

Our reputation will have reached beyond the island and ambitiously, we’d like to be in talks with companies from Norway to The Netherlands who are looking to Shetland for their engineering solutions.

We have a thriving workforce with a positive, can-do attitude. If it can be made, we’ll make it. If it can be fixed, we’ll fix it. What’s more, we’re proud to provide our dedicated service, with a smile.

Senior Management

Since LEF’s formation almost three decades ago, the highly skilled and flexible team here has continued to grow into a committed team who work hard for each other in providing engineering solutions that are built to last. Our client-focussed approach is a 24/7-365 days a year service across Oil & Gas, Decommissioning, Marine, Renewable & many other key industries in the north of Scotland.

Jake Watt

Managing Director

Ian Hannah

Operations Director

Shaun Cameron

Commercial Director

Callum Mills

Technical Manager

Jamie Stephen

General Manager

Jordan Hunter

Electrical/Plumbing FM Manager

David Bruce

Operations Manager – NE Scotland

John Gair

Procurement Manager

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Jake Watt – MD

Responsibilities

Oversight and coordination of projects from conception through to execution, collaborating with subject matter experts and educational institutions in identifying new technologies.

Relevant Experience

Oil and Gas Production Operations, Project Management, Operations Readiness, Coaching and Mentoring, HSE, General Manager, Business Development.

Qualifications

Degree qualified in Mechanical Offshore Engineering

Ian Hannah – Operations Director

Responsibilities

Oversight and coordination on all projects from quotation through to invoicing. Working closely with clients, project managers, QHSE and QC departments to ensure projects are delivered safely and on time.

Relevant Experience

Workshop Management, Project management, QHSE management, NDT, Oil and Gas, Renewables, Decommissioning

Shaun Cameron – Commercial Director

Responsibilities

  • Developing, planning, and implementing strategies that align with business goals to promote growth.
  • Collaborating with departments across the company (marketing, sales, finance).
  • Assisting in setting financial targets and budget development and monitoring.
  • Evaluating the performance of commercial activities through data analysis.

Relevant Experience

Legal support team, Renewable energy business lead, business manager in oil and gas supply chain, Finance management.

Education/Certifications

MA Politics and International Relations

Callum Mills – Technical Manager

Responsibilities

Manage and maintain LEF’s QC system and have oversight of all inspection-related activities within the company ensuring compliance with Client/regulator requirements. 

Relevant Experience

Oil and Gas, Renewables, Aquaculture, High integrity welding/fabrication, Inspection, NDT, Quality Management

Education/Certifications:

CSWIP 3.2.1

CSWIP MPI LVL 2

CSWIP DPI LVL 2

IWS Diploma Pathway:

MAB1 – Materials and their behaviour

SVQ3 Welding and fabrication

SVQ 2 Engineering Operations

Jamie Stephen – General Manager – NE Scotland

Responsibilities

Overseeing all aspects of the fabrication process, from quoting to delivery. Work with clients and vendors to determine project scope and specifications. Prepare cost estimates for each scope of work. Create production schedules and coordinate with other departments to ensure timely completion of projects.

Relevant Experience

Fabrications & Project Management in Oil & Gas Sector, Decommissioning & Renewable energy sector.

 

Jordan Hunter – Electrical and Facility Contracts Manager

Responsibilities

: Run the day today operation of the Facilities Management team. This includes all the Health and safety aspects, pricing jobs and running projects

Relevant Experience

Oil & Gas offshore and onshore- Decommissioning, Commissioning and Installation. Project Management, Facilities Manager,Self Employed Electrician

Education/Certifications

 CompEx, 18th Edition BS7671, IOSH leading and Managing safely, Mental health, first aid

David Bruce – Operations Manager – NE Scotland

Responsibilities

all daily operations of Peterhead fabrication facility

Relevant Experience

8 years quality management in Energy From Waste & 10 years QC Oil & Gas

John Gair – Procurement Manager

Responsibilities

With a specialized background in Logistics and Procurement, I have amassed extensive experience overseeing various functions within these domains. Throughout my tenure at LEF, I have demonstrated proficiency in managing Supply Chain Management, Logistics/Strategic Coordination, Estimating, Business Systems Engineering, and Vehicle Fleet Management. My expertise in these areas has been pivotal in optimizing operational efficiency and ensuring the smooth flow of goods and services within the organization.

Relevant Experience

7 Years Oil and Gas Onshore and Offshore, Renewables, Shipping, Logistics, Supply Chain, Procurement, Dangerous Goods, Materials Control, Small Business Managment

Education/Certifications:

Currently Studdying towards – Construction Contracting Operations specialising in Estimating SVQ Level 3