TPi November 2013

business & market news

Valvestock relocates

Valvestock, the specialist valve and actuator arm of Pipe Center, has moved to new premises, and expanded its offering following a major investment. The new purpose-designed site at Fareham Industrial Park, Hampshire, UK, is equipped with state-of-the-art design, engineering and test facilities, and a new training and demonstration centre.

An overview of the Valvestock facility

Marcus Sampson, general manager of Valvestock, said, “Our key aim is to supply ‘on time’ and ‘on budget’, while adding value to our customers’ businesses. The move and related expansion in our offering represents a major investment by Pipe Center, to further improve the service we offer to customers. As a result, I believe we now offer an unrivalled package of products, services and support to the industry – covering valve and actuator requirements of the water and waste, power, process, manufacturing and oil and gas industries.” Valvestock – UK valvestock.enquiries@wolseley.co.uk www.valvestock.co.uk

Saunders diaphragm valves and Apollo ball valves, fully supported by the latest CAD/CAM systems. All work, including assembly and test of actuated valve packages, is carried out according to ISO 9001:2008 certified procedures. The new offering includes next-day delivery on stocked items, and a 72-hour response on more complex technical quotations. A new Speedy Valve Service offers a 24-hour turn around on assembled and activated valves. The company held an open day for industrial contractors and clients, giving customers an opportunity to see the new facilities.

Valvestock is now authorised by the manufacturers to build and modify

Marcus Sampson, Valvestock’s general manager

Severn Glocon acquires HPHT company Control valve engineering specialist Severn Glocon Group has strengthened its presence in the subsea oil and gas market with the acquisition of High Pressure High Temperature (HPHT) downhole tools company Calidus Engineering. gas production. Calidus’s downhole products already developed will provide sales opportunities with worldwide oil and gas corporations.

developments based on LB Bentley’s valve technology.

Severn Glocon Group chief executive Maurice Critchley said that the acquisi- tion underlines the firm’s ambitions to be at the forefront of technical develop- ments for the oil and gas industry: “Offshore operating conditions are becoming ever more extreme, so hardware engineers and manufacturers need to invest in developing break- through technologies. As an industry we have a duty to collaborate and innovate. At Severn, we’re using intelligence-led R&D to identify potential technology gaps and focus our engineering exper- tise in the right places. Calidus brings a valuable new set of skills to our portfolio as we upscale our R&D efforts.”

In addition to modelling and engineering design services, Severn Subsea Technologies’ Redruth, UK, facility has a machine shop equipped for manufacturing prototypes. The business is set to become the nucleus for group subsea R&D and sys- tems integration activity, in tandem with small-bore subsea valve firm LB Bentley’s R&D team and the Severn Unival Brighouse Valve Innovation Centre. The acquisition enhances core capabilities to strengthen the Group’s global positioning in the subsea market, and builds on the acquisition of LB Bentley in 2012. It also increases the scope for new subsea systems

Now renamed Severn Subsea Technologies Ltd, the company will provide research, development and test facilities to enhance Severn Glocon’s subsea valves capability. A former subsidiary of Badger Explorer, Norway, Calidus is a multi-discipline engineering firm developing innovative subsea and downhole technologies for harsh HPHT environments. Severn Glocon Group is taking this strategic move in a bid to align its operations to better meet future technical challenges in subsea oil and

Severn Glocon Group plc – UK sales@severnglocon.co.uk www.severnglocon.co.uk

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Tube Products International November 2013

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