Gloucestershire-based Arc Energy Resources, the weld overlay cladding and fabrication specialist, has acquired precision machining company CLG Engineering, based in Stonehouse, Gloucestershire.

Arc Energy Resources provides corrosion-resistant weld overlay cladding services to a variety of clients in industry sectors ranging from oil and gas to defence, power generation, petrochemical, water and nuclear. Its versatile processes provide a practical combination of readily-available, cost-effective base materials and corrosion-resistant alloys to protect any critical area, providing cost savings and reductions in lead times. Its fabrication department holds ASME U and U2 Stamps, and manufactures radiographic-quality specialist equipment, including pressure vessels, spools, pig launchers, wellhead equipment and nuclear devices.

CLG Engineering provides CNC milling, CNC turning and assembly services to, amongst others, the oil and gas, automotive and rail industries. Certified to ISO 9001, and with over 40 years’ engineering experience, its knowledgeable team can produce parts from 25mm to 1.25 metres in length, and up to 18” diameter, within tight tolerances.

The acquisition means that Arc Energy Resources’ 80 employees are supplemented by CLG Engineering’s 14, to create a stronger team with a wider mix of skills. Both companies are supported by teams of experienced project managers, inspectors and welding engineers, with access to a wide range of auxiliary processes in-house, including heat treatment, NDT and CMM inspection.

Commenting on behalf of both companies, group managing director Andrew Robinson, says: “This is a fantastic opportunity for both companies. CLG Engineering’s precision machining capability perfectly complements Arc Energy Resources’ cladding and fabrication offering.

“The group structure enables us to offer a one-stop-shop for all our clients’ engineering requirements, from design and material supply through to welding, cladding, machining, NDT, pressure testing, surface finishing and project management.”

He goes on to say that the cultures of the two companies are highly compatible, from a focus on quality, attention to detail and customer service, to the way they treat their staff. “I have great plans for the future growth of the group, and am looking forward to supporting our clients on new and larger projects.” says Andrew.

Arc Energy Resources was supported in the acquisition by Gloucestershire-based BPE Solicitors. Commenting for the practice, corporate partner Tim Ward says: “We were delighted to represent Arc Energy Resources at such an important time. With our head office in Cheltenham, we opened an office in Stonehouse just two years ago, so this is a great opportunity to work with two successful Stroud businesses, providing them with legal services at a very exciting time. We wish them every success.”

The acquisition follows a record trading year for Arc Energy Resources, which grew its turnover in 2015 by 14% to £6.5M and invested heavily in new equipment and facilities including a bi-cathode rotary head cladding cell, a robotic welding cell and a 6,000 square foot extension to its workshop.

Gloucestershire-based Advanced Insulation has been presented with the Manufacturing Innovation Award at the 2015 Insider Made in the South West Awards. The prestigious event celebrated excellence in manufacturing from across the region and gave local companies the opportunity to celebrate their ongoing commitment to world-class quality and excellence in manufacturing.

The event showcased the South West’s diverse manufacturing industries and companies from across the region – including Airbus, Pendennis Shipyard and Herman Miller – also celebrated wins on the night and will automatically go through to the Made in the UK grand final, where the best of British manufacturing will be celebrated.

Commenting for Insider Media, South West Business Insider’s editor, Miri Thomas says: “Advanced Insulation was recognised in this category for developing its ContraFlame^® MS400 system, a lightweight cellar-deck insulation and protection material for the offshore oil and gas industry. The judges were particularly impressed that up to 10 per cent of Advanced Insulation’s revenue is invested into the research and development of new products, with the company’s mission statement being to bring one new product to market each year.”

Commenting for Advanced Insulation, Group Marketing Manager Matt Collins says: “2015 has been a particularly good year for Advanced Insulation and one full of well-received regional and national nominations and awards that everyone at the company should be proud of.”

To find out more about Advanced Insulation’s products and services, visit www.aisplc.com, email info@aisplc.com or call +44 (0)1452 880880.

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

Gloucestershire-based Advanced Insulation – a leading manufacturer of passive fire protection and insulation systems for the upstream oil and gas industry – has been awarded the Smart Product Award at the 2015 Cotswold Life Engineering Manufacturing Innovation Awards.

The announcement follows the launch of its innovative ContraFlame^® MS400 system, a lightweight cellar-deck insulation and protection material for the offshore oil and gas industry, which offers integral thermal insulation and hydrocarbon fire protection to H120. MS400can also be modified to meet specific project requirements such as bespoke thermal insulation to meet U-value requirements.

Commenting for Advanced Insulation, Group Marketing Manager Matt Collins says: “It’s been a spectacular year for the company and one full of well-received nominations and awards and everyone at Advanced Insulation should be proud of the hard work they have put in to achieve these accolades.”

Categories for the Cotswold Life EMI Awards were open to all large or small businesses based in Gloucestershire, Oxfordshire, Warwickshire, Worcestershire and Wiltshire. The Cotswolds have long been associated with a history of manufacturing and continue to be an area that flourishes with industries from renewable energy to pharmaceuticals, automotive, aerospace and many more. The Smart Product Award celebrates manufacturing or engineering companies that have successfully designed and delivered a new product to market within the last three years; and one that must have also driven innovation within in its sector.

Other recent honours include the International Company of the Year Award from Insider South West,the prestigious EEF National Smart Product Award and two awards at theBritish Private Equity and Venture Capital Association.

To find out more about Advanced Insulation’s products and services, visit www.aisplc.com, email info@aisplc.com or call +44 (0)1452 880880.

Gloucester-based Advanced Insulation will be using its stand at this year’s Offshore Europe exhibition to promote numerous products from its subsea portfolio, including buoyancy solutions, moulded PU products for SURF impact and abrasion protection and its ContraTherm^® thermal insulation systems for upstream oil and gas infrastructures.

Offshore Europe will also be the first exhibition where subsea buoyancy and SURF products will be exhibited officially as a range from Advanced Insulation; and follows the company’s acquisition of Plymouth-based manufacturer Manuplas in April 2014. The range includes modular pipe lay floats and buoys, Modsyn floats, ROV materials, distributed buoyancy modules and clamps; and moulded PU products for impact and abrasion protection. All are manufactured at Advanced Insulation’s facility in Plymouth, which has recently been expanded to meet the significant growth in demand for this range of products.

Commenting for Advanced Insulation, Group Marketing Manager Matt Collins says: “With last year’s acquisition of Manuplas, Advanced Insulation is now well placed to offer oil and gas sector operators a full package of solutions, from topside fire protection and thermal insulation systems to subsea insulation and buoyancy products, so this is a really exciting year to be attending Offshore Europe as there is so much to offer the market.”

For further information on Advanced Insulation’s topside, subsea and marine products and services, visit www.aisplc.com, email info@aisplc.com or call +44 (0)1452 880880.

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Editors’ Notes
Gloucestershire-basedAdvanced Insulation is a leading manufacturer of technical coatings, including specialised fire protection and thermal insulation materials, for the upstream oil and gas industry; and specialises in the manufacture and application of unique syntactic phenolic resin based foam insulation and fire protection systems.

Since it was formed in 2007, Advanced Insulation has become a single source provider for insulation and fire protection systems and represents one of the most respected and progressive names in topside and subsea insulation worldwide. The company's products are now qualified and used worldwide by major oil and gas companies – including Total, ConocoPhilips, Chevron, Samsung, BP, Statoil, ONGC, ENI Woodside, Talisman and ExxonMobil – and their engineering and fabrication contractors.

For further information, sales and reader service enquiries contact:
Matt Collins, Group Marketing Manager, Advanced Insulation Limited
Quedgeley West Business Park, Bristol Road, Gloucester, GL2 4PA, United Kingdom.
Tel: +44 (0)1452 880880, Email: matt.collins@aisplc.com, Web: www.aisplc.com

For press information contact:
Simon Cantillion, Cantillion King Advertising
16 The Cornhill, Stroud, Gloucestershire, GL5 2JT, United Kingdom.
Tel: +44 (0)1453 755551, Email: simon@cka.co.uk, Web: www.cka.co.uk

Since the acquisition of Plymouth-based Manuplas by Advanced Insulation in April 2014, the company has seen significant growth in demand for its products and as a result has made the decision to purchase a neighbouring facility on the Estover Road site.

The new facility will service the demand for new subsea buoyancy products as well as creating more space for marine products manufacture including buoys and modular bow fender systems for offshore wind farm service vessels.

Commenting for Manuplas, General Manager Stephen Ward says: “The growth of the renewables industry, particularly offshore wind farms, has driven us to spend many years researching and developing leading concepts for modular fendering systems that are mounted on wind farm support and crew vessels. With these new solutions already proving popular, and demand for our existing portfolio strong, extra space and additional manufacturing facilities will help to futureproof the company.”

The Manuplas portfolio now includes a range of sub-surface buoyancy and subsea protection products such as pipe laying floats, umbilical floats, installation buoys, modular subsea mooring buoys, piggyback saddles, subsea cable protection systems and ROV buoyancy. Additionally, the company is also readying itself for the launch of a range of Distributed Buoyancy Modules incorporating proprietary engineered clamp technology for the SURF (Subsea Umbilical Riser Flowline) market.At 50,000 square feet, the purchase of the new unit on Estover Road will more than double the manufacturing and office space of the existing Manuplas facility, with 80% of the additional floor space being earmarked for the manufacture of future designed and developed high-performance products.

As Stephen goes on to say, the Manuplas name has a long association with the design, manufacture and supply of marine products to ports, harbours, navies, boat builders and vessel operators around the world and, through substantial investment in research and development, products now include market-leading solutions for the rapidly growing offshore industry where lightweight buoyancy materials are required for use in water depths beyond 3000msw.

On-going research and development projects have seen the company develop and manufacture high-performance products incorporating physically cross-linked polyethylene foams which, to increase abrasion and tear resistance, are sprayed in a unique protective marine-grade polyurethane coating that allows for the incorporation of a nylon or Kevlar reinforcement. Additionally, the company’s new modular, foamless polyurethane fender solutions have the ability to deliver excellent energy absorption properties thanks to the unique design of the internal structure.

For further information on the Manuplas range of subsea products, or their marine buoys and fender systems, call +44 (0)1752 771740, email sales@manuplas.co.uk or visit www.manuplas.co.uk. 

Gloucestershire-based Advanced Insulation – a leading manufacturer of passive fire protection and insulation systems for the upstream oil and gas industry – is delighted to announce that it has won two South West region awards at the British Private Equity & Venture Capital Association (BVCA) Management Team Awards.

With backing from investment company Growth Capital Partners, Advanced Insulation has been executing and integrating a number of acquisitions in the past twelve months, including Manuplas – the Plymouth-based manufacturer of polymer solutions for the marine and offshore sectors; and more recently Covertherm – the Nottinghamshire-based manufacturer of insulation jackets.

Kirsty Mcdonald from Growth Capital had the following to say. "Advanced Insulation is establishing its a place amongst the most exciting companies in the UK. To the investment industry, this BVCA award is a very important external recognition of AI's huge ongoing successes.”

"We’re delighted to be supporting AI’s continued growth - providing its customers with an expanding range of innovative, high performance products in more geographic locations and at the same time, offering its people ever-increasing career and personal development opportunities.”  

The regional BVCA awards presented to Advanced Insulation – the Mid-Market Private Equity-backed Management Team of the Year Award and International Impact Award – were judged by a panel of leading industry figures, are a recognition and celebration of managerial excellence and underline the important role private equity and venture capital plays in the UK economy.

The BVCA awards add to the growing number of International, National and Regional awards presented to Advanced Insulation in the past twelve months.

To find out more about Advanced Insulation’s products and service, visit the website: www.aisplc.com or email info@aisplc.com.

Gloucestershire-based Advanced Insulation, a leading manufacturer of technical coatings, specialised passive fire protection systems and thermal insulation materials for the upstream oil and gas industry, has opened a major expansion to its Gloucester manufacturing facility on the Quedgeley West Business Park.

Following significant growth in recentyears, the recently refurbished 35,500square feet Unit L building will accommodate several new processes – including the company’s award-winning ContraFlame® MS400 deck protection system – that will contribute to the company’s future development.

A number of panel presses are being installed and commissioned at the new Gloucester facility and will help Advanced Insulation significantly increase the production of ContraFlame MS400 panels to meet the current and expected growth in international demand for this type of system.

Commenting, Advanced Insulation’s Production Manager Chris O’Leary says that the current building, occupied just four years ago, no longer has the capacity to cope with future demand for ContraFlame MS400 and other product lines coming through the order books.

“Additionally, production space within the new building includes an area to accommodate the application processes for Advanced Insulation’s ContraTherm® C25 silicon-based insulation, which has been ordered by a major new client for applications such as pipework, connectors and other oil & gas equipment.” says Chris.

Alterations to Unit L building started at the beginning of 2015, with the ContraFlame MS400 presses being commissioned in early June for panel production to commence in August.

Initially, Unit L will create approximately fifteen new jobs at the Quedgeley site and will also accommodate an office area for Advanced Insulation’s engineering and design department. The additional manufacturing space will also be used to produce other new products as they are introduced, as well as developing new ways to use existing core products.

Panel products such as MS400 are easier to install compared to alternative solutions. Additionally, with no restrictions on material shelf life, handling and storage issues are eliminated and using lightweight materials and products has the potential to save customers substantial amounts of money and weight.

As Chris explains, ContraFlame MS400 is currently one of the oil & gas industry’s optimum insulation materials and has already won a number of awards, including the National Smart Product Award at this year’s EEF/Aldermore Future Manufacturing Awards.

To find out more about Advanced Insulation’s products and services, visit the website: http://www.aisplc.com or email info@aisplc.com.

Building on its recent awards successes, Gloucestershire-based Advanced Insulation – a leading manufacturer of passive fire protection and insulation systems for the upstream oil and gas industry – is delighted to announce that it has won the International Company of the Year award in £16m - £50m turnover category at the Insider South West International Trade Awards.

Award judges commended Advanced Insulation on its approach to trading in Brazil and Angola and were impressed by the company’s plans to further develop its business in Nigeria and the USA.

Commenting on the night, South West Business Insider Editor Miri Thomas said all the winners and shortlisted companies should be proud of their achievements. "It may sound like a cliché, but the world is getting smaller. Exports are therefore fundamental to continued sustainable growth. That's why all of you here tonight were chosen for your commitment to promoting British design and innovation to a global audience."

Advanced Insulation’s Group Marketing Manager Matt Collins says: “This International Company of the Year award from Insider South West adds to a growing number of International, National and Regional awards presented to the company in the past twelve months. We are delighted and would like to thank everyone at Advanced Insulation who, with their hard work and determination, have made these awards possible and achievable.”

Full coverage of the South West International Trade Awards will be available in the June issue of the Insider.

To find out more about Advanced Insulation’s products and services, visit www.aisplc.com, email info@aisplc.com or call +44 (0)1452 880880.