Dr Liam Fox at Viper Subsea in Portishead

A PORTISHEAD company has been praised for its successful export strategy which has contributed to it’s rapid expansion.

North Somerset MP Dr Liam Fox visited the head office of Viper Subsea, at Portisfield in Bristol Road, to congratulate the company on its ingenuity after it recently secured a major contract to export to Azerbaijan.

Dr Fox, who called at Viper Subsea before a trip to Azerbaijan to promote the skills and enterprise of south west businesses and help strengthen export opportunities, said: “Viper Subsea is an example of British enterprise at its best, overcoming domestic economic difficulties, looking for global markets and finding them.”

Up to 90 per cent of Viper Subsea’s business is export work. The company provides consultancy and designs and manufactures engineering products in the UK, which it sells to the oil and gas sector worldwide.

Viper Subsea managing director Neil Douglas said: “The timing of Dr Fox’s visit to us was excellent as he was heading off to Azerbaijan just five days after meeting with us. To have your local MP promote your business on his travels to further increase the export potential is fabulous.”

Established in 2007, in Viper Subsea collected The New Enterprise Award at the Subsea UK Business Awards in 2011 and Neil Douglas was named as Institute of Directors South West Director of the Year.