A NORTH-East susbsea company has announced it is changing its name as it gears up for growth.

CTC Marine Projects Limited, which has its headquarters in Darlington and a base at Teessport, will now be known as DeepOcean (CORR) UK to reflects its position as part of a major global business.

As the company launches its new brand, it will also look to increase its number of employees as reasserts its position as the market leader in subsea engineering and trenching.

New posts in both onshore and offshore operations will be created, in areas such as health and safety, offshore operations, engineering and project management.

Despite its global outlook the company remains committed to the North-East, where it employs 120 staff.

"The move is more than a name change," said DeepOcean Group chief executive Bart Heijermans who took a hands on role at the Coniscliffe Road offices in February and launched an ambitious turnaround plan for the business that had suffered from some loss-making deals last year.

"We will operate as one company offering our customers a unique integrated suite of subsea services.

"There are few companies in the offshore industry that perform survey, ROV (remotely operated vehicle), trenching and marine operations to the extent that DeepOcean does and even fewer companies have the extensive project management and engineering capabilities to plan and support the offshore operations.

"As a result of this re-branding, we believe that CTC will emerge stronger and more competitive than ever as the new integrated DeepOcean.

"DeepOcean will offer a breadth of subsea services to the offshore construction market including CTC's core services, seabed intervention (trenching) and subsea installation," added, Mr Heijermans.

DeepOcean UK has won several major offshore contracts in recent months.

Later this year it will start work on its longest ever pipeline contract when it digs the 108-mile trench for China Offshore Oil Engineering Corporation (Cooec). The work will be carried out using the world's most powerful jet trenching equipment for the Liwan 3-1 Project, in waters up to 650ft deep.

In March, Mr Heijermans, who is chief executive of DeepOcean Group, handed over day to day control of the UK business to new managing director Tony Inglis.