02.11.2008

EnerMech buys again

UK based offshore services and rental company, EnerMech, has acquired the crane division of Bjørge ASA. The deal gives Aberdeen based EnerMech a significant entry point to the crane and heavy lifting sector in Norwegian North Sea.

EnerMech will take over all contracts, equipment and personnel connected to Bjørge's crane activities in Stavanger and Haugesund, and all operations at both the existing locations will continue for the foreseeable future.

Trond Møller who currently heads up Bjørge's crane division, has been appointed general manager of the new company, EnerMech A/S, and it's anticipated that all of Bjørge's 30 crane staff will transfer to the new entity.

EnerMech will be seeking to strengthen Bjørge's existing contracts while making significant capital expenditure investment in the Norwegian operation.

EnerMech was launched in April of this year as an equipment rental company, and expanded into the crane and heavy lifting market in October with the double acquisition of the UK's second largest independent crane and lifting contractor, Specialist Maintenance Services Ltd (SMS) in Aberdeen, and Great Yarmouth based training provider, A1 Safety Training Consultants.

EnerMech's managing director, Doug Duguid, said: “SMS has had a relationship with Bjørge for three years in support of our existing Norwegian and cross border contracts so we were very aware of the company's long standing reputation for excellent engineering skills and identified this was a good fit for us in developing our international business.”

Stig Feyling, chief executive of Bjørge, added: “Bjørge is pleased to have secured an agreement with a company which pursues a clear growth strategy within the crane sector and one which knows what it takes to succeed in this line of business.”

Background

EnerMech was founded in April by former PSL owners Doug Duguid, Michael Buchan, Derek Grant and Phil Bentley with a combined capital investment of more than £30 million by the four shareholders and private equity firm Lime Rock Partners.

SMS was established in 1988 in Aberdeen, has 130 staff working in the UK, Norway, Abu Dhabi, Qatar, Malaysia and Singapore. The company specialises in offshore crane and lifting operations including the design and implementation of large lifting and crane projects, to providing crane personnel and designing special purpose lifting equipment.”

A1 Safety Training Consultants was established in 1995, has 35 staff and provides safety training for crane and lifting operations. The company has training facilities in Great Yarmouth and Aberdeen where it also has a state-of-the-art crane simulator.