LIFEBOAT servicing specialist Survival Systems International (SSI) has won contracts worth around �2m to give its Great Yarmouth base a major boost for the year ahead.

?There was extra delight for the company with one of the contracts being on its doorstep, refurbishing three lifeboats on the giant jack-up gas rig Noble Julie Robertson during her stay in the outer harbour at Yarmouth.

?Extra business means the company has also recruited five new qualified offshore and workshop technicians.

?“It’s great news against the backdrop of the tough economic times out there” said George Teece, SSL?s vice-president of Eastern Hemisphere operations and services.

“All the work was landed in the three months before Christmas and gives us a great start to 2011.

“We’re particularly pleased to have work at our home port and we’re planning to recruit further personnel this year.”

?After around 10 years work in the Southern North Sea, the Noble rig has has a crew of between 60 and 98 personnel and arrived on Tuesday, January 18 for several weeks of major refurbishment work.

It is understood that contracts to service the rig, which include those relating to drilling, tubular maintenance and storage, are worth more than �3m to the local economy.

?SSI employs a team of 35 from its Yarmouth base, principally inspecting, servicing and refurbishing lifeboats on offshore rigs or transported to its Viking Road workshop.

It also inspects and maintains lifeboats on cruise ships.

The company is part of the international SSI group which has its headquarters in California with other bases at New Orleans, Florida, Dubai and Malaysia.