London, ON – Firstline Canada, a subsidiary of Firstline AS - a Norwegian software development company with unique applications used for maintenance and inspection of equipment in remote areas is opening a North American subsidiary in London, Ontario.
“We are excited about establishing our operation into London. We have found an excellent workforce here and see great potential for future growth. We have hired six employees and plan to grow to approximately 40 employees within 2-3 years, and that is just considering the software development part of the business,” said Kjartan Hermansen, President of Firstline Canada. “We’re also looking at hiring Mechanical/Electrical Engineers in London when projects allow for this, to provide content and for support our software.”
While the company is well established in the Oil & Gas industry in Canada and around the world, their product has applications for many other sectors such as the mining industry, aerospace and defence, as well as municipalities.
“The LEDC team is looking forward to continuing to work with Firstline to establish their London operation and realize their growth potential,” said Peter White, President & CEO of the London Economic Development Corporation. “This is great news for London.”
Firstline supply primarily Intermec™ hardware, which is used by UPS and FedEx delivery personnel as well as the London Blood Bank. These ultra-rugged devices are delivered with the ever expanding Blackfish Software Suite; Inspection, Maintenance, Logistics, Tool Tracking, Data Gathering and more – and tie in with existing Maintenance Systems (CMMS).
“London offers a well educated and skilled workforce to potential employers and this is compelling for businesses looking to expand or set up new companies. It gives us an edge,” said Joe Fontana, Mayor of the City of London. “The FIRSTLINE Canada announcement speaks volumes about how London is regarded and how others are seeing potential in our future. I am very pleased to welcome Firstline Canada to our community of progressive and growing businesses.”
Existing customers include oil companies BP, Talisman and a large number of major European oil & gas and drilling companies. The company has recently partnered with Honeywell for projects in North America and is focusing on a Tool Tracking application for mining operations.
Contact: Kjartan Hermanssen
