Parkburn

COMPANY PROFILE

2014

Parkburn Precision Handling Systems

+44 1952 236040 | www.parkburn.com

Masters of the deep Editorial: Colin Chinery

Unique Deep Water Capstan utilising Fibre Rope handling of heavy payloads

For marine specialists Parkburn Precision Handling Systems, the drive is always on optimum technical solutions. And as one of the very few accomplished players in the niche, it is focussing increasingly on a market where the technical challenges like the revenue potential is substantial – deepwater oil and gas.

With deepwater oil and gas resources calculated at up to seven years current global consumption, exploration and production is creating a market need for costeffective deployment of structures and tools to the sea bed.

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But so far technology’s response is fitful.

“The majority of oil and gas these days and into the future is going to be in deepwater, but the technology has yet to be developed in sufficient quantity to allow comparative choice

in really deep waters,” says Andy Lawson, Director for Parkburn Precision Handling Systems.

“The specialist handling systems such as we manufacture, and with options for the customer - are very few and far between.”

Parkburn Precision Handling Systems Operating from two UK sites in Hamilton and Telford, Parkburn’s specialist range is far-reaching; offshore oil and gas, HV power cable, telecommunications, seismic exploration, DSV and general marine or naval markets; its main products include carousels, track tensioners, diving bell handling, cable lay engines and deepwater winch systems.

TECHNICAL FOCUS And supporting it is the experience and expertise to design, manufacture, test, mobilise and support every aspect of marine handling system requirements to the highest standards of quality ensuring on time delivery at the right price, says Mr Lawson.

“Our prime focus and drive is always on the best possible technical solutions; the commercial side is the result of those ideal technical solutions. And these should not be compromised; if these are not correct then nothing is correct.”

With a full time staff of 80, Parkburn retains all design and technology in house. “That’s a key strength. Some competitors sub-

contract a lot of technology.”

Recent successes include the delivery of diving bell handling systems to Subsea 7 for its new build diving vessel. “In my opinion it will be one of the most advanced and class-leading vessels of its kind in the world,” enthuses Lawson. “… one of the best in class, and setting the bar for others to follow.”

Another was the massive carousel installation at GE Wellsteam’s deepwater pipeline manufacturing site on Tyneside following on from two new cable ship machinery fits outs in Norway and UAE. Three engineers started the business in 1989, Dennis O’Hara, Campbell McFall and Andy Lawson.

Twenty five years on the three engineers still head a company whose turnover has risen from £250,000 to £15-£20 million – “Effectively the three managing directors of one of the very few remaining wholly independent British manufacturers in the oil and gas sectors.“ Parkburn’s launch was at the time when offshore and marine handling systems were facing demands for greater control, automation, and better reporting.

“There was also an influx and a change towards electric drive technology and programmable logic controllers. Seeing the need for a company providing a one-stop shop or perfect solution for OEMs, we targeted niche market sectors where we could provide value add; something like 30 per cent of the cost but 80 per cent of the technology.”

From the start Parkburn established a core principal that has sustained the business ever since – a deep belief in the value of strong partnerships.

“We developed very good relationships with key customer and supplier partners in different offshore sectors. In that way we share the problems and are part of the solution, rather than one of half a dozen companies that can be picked out of the Yellow Pages.

“In all our niche areas such as pipe lay or cable lay or diving systems, we would work with our partner and be part of their team.

“This is the way we have always operated. We put on our customer strip, play in their team, and not as a mercenary in a number of teams.

That has been our ethos since we

Telford General Manager Simon Griffiths with Engineering Manager David Cooper

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started, and it has worked very well.”

But around 2000 a problem emerged - one with serious implications. “As we grew and our partners became successful, the branding became our partner’s product. And while we were part of the production team, the partner became more attractive in the market place.

“We found our partners and OEMs were being bought up and becoming part of other corporate groups. They would then look at streamlining and take in-house what we had been doing. We were being left behind.”

So in late 2002 Parkburn took a strategic shift, rebranding to combine the complimentary products of Parkburn Controls, Dowty Precision Handling Systems and Marine Project Developments, and establishing product ranges in all major offshore handling sectors.

“This is what we achieved, and this is where we are now.”

Today 20 per cent of Parkburn’s underlying market is in the naval and defence sectors, markets involving

world-wide support.

“Coupled with this we have a split between on-going support of existing vessels, and primarily new equipment going on to new build vessels.

“While a big percentage of our customers are UK based, many of these are being built and fabricated in foreign shipyards, with Norway, Korea and Singapore being major new build players, Russia to a certain extent and now China moving up. This means that some 40 per cent of our customers are outside Britain, with another 50-60 per cent UK based but installing on vessels outside the UK.”

PARTNER POWER With much deepwater expertise coming from Norway and France, how distinctive is the Parkburn offering? “A lot of what has come from Norway is by virtue of excellent oil and gas infrastructure and very strong support from the Norwegian Government. Norway has been very pro-active and must be commended for how they went about that. In the UK this has not been the case

“However we are looking to target and develop deepwater technology by bringing, as partners, the proper experience to the table and everybody playing to their strengths.

“We’ve been very successful in the design and manufacture of these systems and very pro-active in saturation diving handling systems.

I would say we are now setting the bar for the handling system technology in diving saturation vessels (DSVs) and are now coming to the market with deepwater technology.”

Again, the Parkburn emphasis on partnerships. “We believe in working very close together, almost open book, and taking the benefit of everybody’s experience.

“This is by far the better recipe for success than commercial handcuffs that would have you perform with fear of failure rather than the desire for success. Our approach is; round the table, heads together, all in the one team - and let’s make it the best there can be.”

Cable lay technology which stalled around 2002 is now coming back on track, says Lawson. “What had

Hamilton Production Manager Stephen Nimmo with Senior Engineer Peter Burke

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Parkburn Precision Handling Systems been a saturated market has had no new build equipment, with existing vessels and equipment becoming old.

“And with the world crying out for wider band width and better communications capabilities, the subsea fibre optic cable network needs an upgrade, and remote parts of the world connections to the internet.

“So the demand for the installation of new cables is very much back again. Three new vessels have recently been built the first in ten years - and of these we have been successful with the handling system equipment of two.”

BIG MONEY FOR R&D Parkburn technology is under continual development, says Lawson. “As a company we are spending 20 per cent of our turnover in R&D, primarily focused on deepwater oil and gas and we have recently launched our fibre

rope Deep Water Capstan product line that was the result of a multiyear development program. Coupled with this we are fully integrating new business management systems which will allow better and improved reporting increasing efficiency and end product delivery to our clients.

“The major offshore contractor base has been very supportive of our developments, particularly in deepwater, and we hope this partnership approach will play a big part moving forward in this sector.

“We are one of the very few companies that have in house assembly and test capabilities, and by the end of this year we will have established a major UK land based test facility that currently doesn’t exist anywhere in Europe outside Scandinavia. This will include a 30m test tower capable of lifting 135t to a height of 25m where we can test all handing systems including simulating ‘black ship’ scenarios to

ensure the product is fully compliant to the customer’s needs prior to delivery to a vessel.

“This is the way we have always operated. We put on our customer strip, play in their team, and not as a mercenary in a number of teams. That has been our ethos since we started, and it has worked very well” “Parkburn has always had a rolling five year plan, raising the bar each time and then achieving. And in existing and other sectors - and with the deepwater sector very much our key target - we are raising the bar again.”

If you require our assistance our experienced sales team is ready to work with you.

Latch and Batchelor have extensive experience with onshore, offshore and subsea steel wire rope applications. Being the sole UK and Ireland distributor for Verope AG we can offer small to large diameter, long length steel wire ropes for hoist, deck, diving bell, clump weight and mooring line DNV approved applications and OEM equipment if required. Our new state of the art Service Centre in the UK can efficiently process and track your order.

www.latchandbatchelor.co.uk +44 (0) 121 772 9799 sales@latchandbatchelor.co.uk

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