Continuing our series exploring how the Scottish supply chain is playing an important role in the construction of NnG is Montrose Bag Company.
We recently caught up with Neil Paton, Managing Director of Montrose Bag Company, to get an insight to how his business is providing NnG staff and contractors with all the kit bags, designed in a variety of sizes for taking items such as clothing and supplies offshore for a number of days or weeks, they need for working on the project both on and offshore.
A family business founded in 1789, parent company Montrose Rope and Sail is one of the oldest businesses in Montrose. Neil started there in 1975 as an apprentice.
Montrose Bag Company pair traditional handcraft skills with modern technology to produce bags made of 100% waterproof PVC in a wide variety of shapes, colours and sizes that can be personalised or custom made to suit. The company has so far provided the NnG project team with around 80 kit bags from their Jura range that can be carried as a holdall or a backpack.
The majority of bags produced are bespoke with company logos and largely provided to the oil and gas sector, however Montrose Bag Company are anticipating an increase in orders from offshore wind as the sector continues to grow.
Neil said: “One of the reasons we have been so widely used by the oil and gas sector is that as a locally based company, we can turn around bags very quickly and use sophisticated computerised systems to ensure high quality and consistency time and time again.
“We once had a Belgian company who purchased bags from us and they had to be produced in line with certain rules and strict regulations. We were able to comply with this by carrying out safe working load tests on all the bags.
“Offshore wind is becoming a really important market for us every year and it is reflected by Scottish projects like NnG making enquiries about our wide range of bags.”
Montrose Bag Company use skilled craftspeople and use 100% waterproof materials, sourced locally where possible, to manufacture a range of bags that can tough it out in the most testing of conditions.
