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The focal point of this portion of our guide is on manufacturing and service industries in Aberdeen, Scotland.

Today, Aberdeen's industrial base is centred on North Sea offshore oil and gas production, with the European exploration and production headquarters of Shell and British Petroleum (BP) in Aberdeen. Other signfiicant industries include textiles, chemicals, brewing, distilling, agriculture, and fishing.

Historically, Aberdeen was known for fishing, granite quarrying, textiles, paper-making, and shipbuilding. While fishing and textiles continue to be important industries, they are not as significant a part of the city's economy as they once were, and much of its fishing and agriculture is weighted more toward research than production. Electronics design and development is also a noted part of its recent growth.

Until the 1970s, Aberdeen's leading industries had been in place since the 18th century, these including textiles, foundry work, shipbuilding, and paper-making. Paper was first produced in Aberdeen in 1694. However, the closure of Donside Paper Mill in 2001 and the Davidson Mill in 2005 left the Stoneywood Paper Mill as the remaining part of that industry within the city. Established in 1710, Stoneywood is the only remaining paper mill on the River Don, and, after major cutback in 2022, it now employs only about three hundred people.

Grey granite was quarried at Rubislaw Quarry for more than three hundred years, with its product used for paving, building stone, and monumental and ornamental pieces. The terraces of the Houses of Parliament and Waterloo Bridge in London were made from Aberdeen granite. However, quarrying stopped in 1971, and a heritage center is set to be located on the site.

While Aberdeen still has a fishing industry, deep-sea fisheries have largely displaced in-shore fishing. The Fisheries Research Services are headquartered in Aberdeen, and the city is home to a marine research laboratory, however.

While agricultural production in Aberdeen has largely ceased, the James Hutton Institute has an agricultural and soil research facility there, and ther University of Aberdeen and the North of Scotland College of Agriculture jointly operate the Rowett Institute in Aberdeen, which focuses on studies into food and nutrition.

Offshore oil exploration began in the North Sea in the 1960s, and has since elevated the oil and gas industry to the level of Aberdeen's largest single industry.

These are some of the larger traditional and contemporary industries in Aberdeen. Whatever the product or size, manufacturing companies in Aberdeen are appropriate for this category, from the largest corporation to a one-person automotive repair shop. Besides manufacturing, service industries, such as architects, construction companies, and other contractors, including electricians, HVAC technicians, plumbers, landscapers, and cleaning services, as well as moving and storage companies, may be listed here. Utility and telecommunications companies in Aberdeen might be found here, as well.

Advertising and marketing companies in Aberdeen would be appropriate here, and these may include traditional print or broadcast media advertising, as well as online marketing, web design services, graphic design, branding, and photography services.

Others may include legal services, such as attorneys and law firms in Aberdeen, along with financial services, such as banks, accounting firms, insurance companies, mortgage companies, and financial consultant services. Funeral homes, event planners, and employment services would also be suitable here.

 

 

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