Andrew Robinson, Managing Director of Gloucestershire-based Arc Energy Resources, has been shortlisted for the Institute of Directors (IoD) South West regional Director of the Year Awards.
Andrew has been at the helm of the Eastington-based family business since 2014, during which time the company has delivered record turnover and strong profits. This has been achieved through workshop expansion and procurement of a number of new cutting-edge technologies that have put the company in a strong position against its commercial competitors. Their prime customers are in the oil and gas industry but Arc Energy Arc Energy Resources also supplies petrochemical, power generation, defence and nuclear sectors. In addition, some twenty percent of its work is also exported.
Following his appointment as Managing Director of Arc Energy Resources, Andrew developed an ambitious six-year business plan emphasising 15% year-on-year growth. As a result, in 2015 the company achieved record turnover of £6.3m and maintained a strong profit level. He also initiated a number of exciting projects, including expansion of the workshops and procurement of three new cutting-edge technologies. This level of investment, coupled with the company’s technical prowess and strong client relationships, puts Arc Energy Resources ahead its competitors.
Commenting on the value of the IoD Awards, Andrew says: “Having received very positive exposure from winning the IoD SW Developing Director of the Year award in 2014, I am now applying for this year’s IOD award to celebrate my results as Arc Energy’s MD, as well as those of everyone in the business; and I wanted to build on our efforts and prove we could all could all achieve more.
“This is a good time to apply for the award, as it showcases the link between my directorial input and the tangible results the business has achieved, which also gives confidence to Arc Energy’s staff that the company is in safe hands, after passing onto the next generation.”
Andrew Robinson, Managing Director of leading weld overlay cladding and fabrication specialist Arc Energy Resources, has joined the advisory board of the National Skills Academy for Nuclear (NSAN). The move follows an initial approach from the organisation’s regional operations manager, with a view to helping companies that want to be involved in the nuclear sector and are currently working on their nuclear skills agenda.
Says Andrew: “NSAN is concerned that there may not be sufficient skills in UK engineering specifically for the nuclear sector, and the Academy has been formed to help redress the problem. The more we looked at the training available, the more we felt this was an organisation we would like to be involved with. We also made contact with them at a couple of conferences and they then emailed me with an opportunity to get more involved and to become a member of the NSAN advisory board. For manufacturers the board considers topics ranging from what employers want, to what is actually lacking, so it is a useful facility to have.”
The unit has an extensive range of online courses available to help interested companies. This includes NS4P - an online nuclear skills matrix that companies and their employers can log onto, to work towards a nuclear passport.
Membership also gives Arc Energy Resources access to companies such as Cavendish Nuclear, BA Systems, the MOD, Babcock and Rolls Royce, as well as all the nuclear operators out there. And as Andrew says: “For manufacturers like ourselves it is really helpful to be around a table with companies such as these, discussing the issues we are collectively facing. It is also useful to find out if the perspectives taken by large companies and SME’s are different, and generally it does appear that the same issues are coming up. “
Also, from the NSAN point of view, with many bigger companies on board it is good for them to have input from smaller companies such as Arc Energy Resources that have qualified for the entry level Fit for Nuclear qualification. And for Arc Energy, with its location so close to the new nuclear site at Hinkley Point in Somerset, Andrew is keen to build its experience and ensure that these companies can help the main contractors with specialised engineering experience provided locally.
Arc Energy already has an apprenticeship programme, in common with many other companies in the nuclear industry. But the delays to the new build programme mean the UK could find itself in a situation where current graduates find work in other industries, and are not available when the reactors are approved for construction. If several projects all then receive their approvals at roughly the same time, this could cause a significant skills shortage. Our job is to keep training engineers, and maintain the skills of the existing ones.
“Nuclear has a great deal of potential for us,” says Andrew: “and I believe Arc Energy Resources really has an important role to play.”
Gloucestershire-based weld overlay cladding and fabrication specialist Arc Energy Resources has announced the promotion of Andrew Robinson, son of the company’s founders, Rosemary and Alan Robinson, as the new Managing Director.
Andrew, who graduated with a degree in Economics and Spanish from Nottingham University, joined the business in 2008 and was appointed to the Board in 2013. His parents, Alan formerly managing director and Rosemary finance director, are still involved as directors in the running of the Eastington-based engineering company, who’s highly trained welding teams, provide fabrication and weld overlay cladding services to the oil & gas, defence and water treatment industries.
Following his university studies Andrew had plans to work at the treasury in London. But nearing the end of his course he became ‘underwhelmed’ with the idea of crunching numbers for the rest of his life and wanted to do something more exiting and practical. So in 2008, Andrew started working for the company, and found that he really enjoyed it. In discussion with Alan, an opportunity was identified to benefit from Andrew’s economics background to develop a purchasing department, an area in which Arc Energy was deficient. Says Andrew: “Many technical products were dictated by commodity markets and we were buying them at spot prices, which I felt could be improved.” The introduction turned out to be an outstanding success, with cost reductions of up to 25% on key spends such as welding consumables and industrial gas, and a halving of stock days within the first two years.
He went on to develop Arc Energy’s environmental management system and won accreditation to the international standard ISO 14001 in 2010. He then set his sights on the company’s shop floor scheduling system. “It was time well spent”, he admits, “as it enabled me to experience all aspects of the business.”
Commenting on aspects of projects that he has been involved with, he quotes a growing interest in full supply projects, where Arc Energy is involved in buying materials and ancillary components; and which exercises his purchasing background. “Most Arc Energy projects have involved clients supplying free issue materials, but recent trends indicate an increasing requirement to source and supply material”, says Andrew. “Our clients are seeking to maximise production and offload risk. Many customers are keen for us to get involved in full turnkey supply packages, and these projects fit nicely within our strategic plan to grow this aspect of the business.”
Says Andrew, “From conception, the business has always punched above its weight in the provision of technical support. Indeed, many clients rely on the technical skills we supply as part of our service.
Our clients may not be experts in welding, so whilst their products look fine in CAD, when we take it apart to weld it we realise that production is not possible or would work better if it was designed differently. We don’t push our design capabilities but we actually carry out a great deal of ‘design for manufacture’ on behalf of our clients.”
Significantly, ‘design for manufacture’ was also an important element of the recent Fit For Nuclear audit which Arc Energy successfully undertook. The company was one of the first businesses in the south west to achieve the prestigious award. The directors identified nuclear new build as a significant area of growth in the UK and are keen to be able to offer its cladding and fabrication services from an early stage. Says Andrew: “We are currently heavily reliant on oil and gas. It is a measure of the reputation we have achieved that we are extremely busy whilst many others are quiet, at a time of falling oil prices. However, we recognise that we need to pursue a strategy of diversification nonetheless. New nuclear is an important part of that plan, as well as growing our other market sectors, such as green energy, defence and petrochemical.”
Since his appointment to the Board of Directors in 2013, Andrew has also been busy working with Cranfield University to develop Arc Energy’s five-year business plan. “This period was particularly exciting, mixing with other leaders from a wide and varied range of business sectors and talking about how we could drive our business forward. The thrust of the plan is growth” explains Andrew. “We are targeting 15% year-on-year growth, expanding both our cladding and fabrication facilities, whilst also seeking inroads into new markets. We are largely on track to meet that target in 2015.” As part of this plan, the company is building an additional 500m2 of workshop space on its site in Eastington to house additional cladding stations, and is taking on extra welders to support this.
Andrew is determined that he will continue the business philosophy of support and encouragement for all employees. He says: “The business achieved Investors in People accreditation in 2004, and that infrastructure has improved year-on-year. We won Bronze award last time and at the next review will target the Silver standard. I recognise that our employees are the key to our success and will always be proud to get the best out of everyone.” The business has a comprehensive training system which includes yearly apprentice intake and extends to regular careers support for youngsters who wish to find out more about engineering.
Says Andrew: “I now think that the future of business is less about hurdles and more about opportunities. I see the future as a really exciting place, and a lot of the opportunities that were included in our plan for 2015 are really taking off. Construction on the new building started in October, we are currently trialling our latest investment in new machinery, and our latest batch of apprentices have just started college.”
Andrew was the proud recipient in 2014 of the Institute of Directors South West Developing Director of the Year, and the company’s hard work was rewarded in 2015 with several prestigious awards: Stroud Life Family Business of the Year and overall Business of the Year; Cotswold Life Employee of the Year (for project manager Charlie Fryer) and runner-up Manufacturer of the Year.
Gloucestershire-based Arc Energy Resources – a specialist in weld overlay cladding and fabrication for oil & gas, nuclear and water industries worldwide – is delighted to announce that employee Charlie Fryer has been awarded Employee of the Year at the recent Cotswold Life Engineering Manufacturing Innovation (EMI) Awards, with the company itself achieving runner-up status in the Manufacturer of the Year category.
A real success story for Arc Energy Resources, in 2005 and at the age of just 14, Charlie Fryer enjoyed a week’s work experience with the company and, encouraged by his time there, applied for and was accepted on an apprenticeship at the company on leaving school. In July 2013, having undergone extensive on- and off-site training and an often intensive course at Gloucester College, Charlie completed his apprenticeship and is now employed by the company as a Project Engineer. And the story doesn’t end there because, having completed his HND in Mechanical Engineering in 2014, Charlie is now studying towards a degree in Mechanical Engineering at the University of the West of England in Bristol, which he will complete in 2018!
The Cotswold Life EMI Awards were open to businesses throughout the Cotswolds, an area steeped in a history of manufacturing and one that continues to flourish with industries from renewable energy to pharmaceuticals, automotive, aerospace and many more. This award follows recent successes at the Stroud Life Business Awards, where Arc Energy Resources was shortlisted for and successfully won the Family Business of the Year, along with the highlight of the evening, the Business of the Year award.
A delighted Andrew Robinson says: “The culture of our company is to embrace and nurture talented staff and their thinking. This leads to a workplace where each member of staff and their ideas are respected, valued and listened to, whilst demonstrating Arc Energy’s commitment to attracting, developing and retaining committed personnel. It is this philosophy which saw the company gain the Investor In People Bronze award in 2013.”
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For further information contact:
Andrew Robinson, Arc Energy Resources
Unit 12 Eastington Industrial Estate, Meadow Mill, Eastington, Gloucestershire GL10 3RZ
Tel: +44 (0)1453 823523 Fax: +44 (0)1453 823623
E-mail: sales@arcenergy.co.uk Web: www.arcenergy.co.uk
For press information contact:
Dennis Cantillion, Cantillion King Advertising
16 The Cornhill, Stroud, Gloucestershire GL5 2JT
Tel: +44 (0)1453 755551 Fax: +44 (0)1453 751525 E-mail: dennis@cka.co.uk
Following its participation in the initial pilot phase of the Skills for Stroud Work Experience Charter, Eastington based weld overlay cladding specialist Arc Energy Resources has achieved the Full Recognition of the standard of the Charter.
The Charter, which is developed as a set of standards aligned with national good practice guidelines, is used as a basis to review the support that companies provide to individuals undertaking work experience activities within their organisations.
Commenting for Arc Energy Resources, director Rosemary Robinson says: “This is an important external endorsement for our organisation and reflects the commitment to, and importance we place, on ensuring a meaningful work experience programme is in place to enable our staff to achieve their potential; and broaden their knowledge of the employment opportunities available to them.” For further information on the Skills for Stroud Work Experience Charter see the resource pack on their website at: www.stroud.gov.uk/workexp.
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Arc Energy Resources is one of the UK’s leading specialists in weld overlay cladding and fabrication for the oil & gas industry. The company’s expertise provides protection against corrosion and wear for a variety of process and pipeline equipment for use in any hostile environment.
The company recently made a major investment in two new Rotating Head welding machines costing £500,000. This has increased productivity and extended the size and scope of work it can handle, which now includes complicated component geometries for the full or partial cladding and fabrication of a huge range of component sizes weighing up to 15 tonnes. The company’s in-house designed cladding workstations feature state-of-the-art control systems developed to suit its customer’s specialised engineering requirements, and can clad bores up to four metres diameter and areas of restricted access within bores as small as 20mm diameter. Arc Energy also offers in-house test weld, heat treatment, PMI and NDT facilities.
Industry certifications include ISO 9001:2008 quality management, ISO 3834-2 fusion welding of metallic materials, and the internationally renowned ASME U and R Stamps, as well as ISO 14001:2004 environment management, Investors in People and OHSAS 18001:2007 Health & Safety management system.
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