Business In Brief: Offshore solutions firm look to grow through tech investment; Chocolatier launches £30,000 crowdfunding campaign; and more

Specialist Marine Consultants, a global leader in offshore solutions, has appointed Leeds-headquartered software developer Audacia to help the company achieve its growth plans.

The Filey-based business was established in 2006, providing vessel inspections and health and safety coordination to the oil and gas sector. SMC has since grown into a world leader in offshore solutions with 100 employees, delivering  specialist services and personnel to the world’s largest energy and utilities companies.

Audacia won a competitive tender against 30 other companies to become SMC’s critical technology partner and ensure its further growth through reforming its legacy systems.

The software developer will enable SMC to boost its client services with a new online portal. It will also further improve the business’s efficiency by allowing intelligent management of offshore and onshore assets, vessels and personnel transfers.

Operations manager at SMC, Steve Evans, said: “SMC has grown significantly over the years, from a family business in Yorkshire to a world leader in international marine projects.

“To achieve our ambitious plans for the future, we need to continuously invest in our technology. We identified that updating our legacy systems was business critical, and set out to find a technology partner with the perfect experience in building integrated software systems for complex projects.

“Audacia understands our business and our sector. It will provide us with a reliable and innovative technology partnership to help us improve client service, work even more efficiently and grow our business.”

 Audacia managing director, Philip White, said: “The company has identified the potential of integrating new bespoke technology with its existing legacy systems – not only in terms of internal processes, but external client service and ultimately profitability. We look forward to working closely with SMC to help achieve its future plans for growth.”

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A Scarborough chocolatier has launched a £30,000 crowdfunding campaign to help her to expand the business.

Amelia Forrest, owner of Amelia’s Chocolate, is currently based in Victoria Road, Scarborough and is looking to raise funds towards moving her business to the former Street Cred retail outlet in the Balmoral Shopping Centre. She started her artisan business in 2011 from her kitchen table.

Amelia’s crowdfunder bid includes a variety of exclusive ways to raise funds – such as a ‘Double Your Money’ option.

Forrest said: “Thanks to the success of our business in Victoria Road, we are now looking to have a larger, brand new chocolate bar, workshop space and retail outlet at this town centre location.

“Plans for the chocolate bar include the opportunity for customers to experience delicious hot chocolate and, by way of contrast, purchase some chilled artisan chocolate gelato!

“We are hoping to raise the investment of £30,000 for the first stage of our expansion. Our new premises will continue to be a way of promoting Scarborough’s thriving artisan business community and will create a number of jobs for the local area.”

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