New orders for oilfield equipment and specialist services help Destec Engineering
celebrate its 40th anniversary in style
Destec Engineering, a UK-based high pressure containment system manufacturer and
on-site specialist engineering services provider, celebrates its 40th Anniversary
in 2009, boosted by a steady stream of oilfield equipment orders and its engineering
services in high demand worldwide.
The company’s success is through a ‘balanced portfolio’
of field proven high pressure fittings and design services for both topside and
subsea systems alongside its on-site, in-situ machining services.
Sticking with what you are good at while keeping a keen eye out for other market
opportunities, are factors in the company’s continuing success. “The
continuing demand for Destec G-Range and GSB clamp connectors remain an extremely
important mainstay of our business,” comments sales and marketing manager
Alistair Chadwick. “Plus, our Regenerator Head cutting operations are in high
demand worldwide, while we have had considerable success in a relatively new venture,
the design and manufacture of Door Closures for use on Waste Recycling System Autoclaves.
The popularity of Destec clamp connectors is truly global; furthermore, oil refinery
Regenerator Head removal using ‘dry cutting’ methods is also a considerable
area of growth for Destec. The company completed a world first in 1996, when it
removed its first Regenerator Head by the dry cutting technique. This system has
steadily been refined and brings considerable benefits to the plant operator. The
growing number of completed Regenerator Head removals by the company is now in double
figures, and extends from the UK, through Europe and into the Middle East.
Destec can look back at a recent ‘job well done’ at the Augusta Refinery
in Sicily, where a 7m Head and Refractory were cut, and look forward to challenging
new projects further afield. Company representatives are in discussions with two
refinery customers in the Far East, which may well elicit further work.
Nearer to home, an advanced recycling and recovery plant for commercial and domestic
waste has opened, which uses two steam autoclaves incorporating Destec designed
and built doors. This is the first of four proposed plants in the region.
Destec was established in 1969 by a consortium including engineer Barry Porter and
has grown from five employees to over 70 at its Washingborough, Lincoln, site. Barry
Porter is still managing director and under his control and guidance, the company
has built upon the traditional values of honesty and transparency allied to high
quality products and engineering services. It has emerged as a leading player in
the highly competitive oil & gas services sector, while many of its contemporaries
have fell by the wayside.
With the credit crunch well and truly biting, and many competitors reining in spending,
Destec is still investing in new machinery. Currently the company has a fully equipped
machine workshop with CNC turning capacity of up to 1m, vertical machining centres
within 1.5m tables and a wide range of general purpose machine tools - while plans
are in place for a new £250,000 CNC machining centre for the Washingborough site.
Skilled technical staff is another focus for investment, with the company having
recently recruited three on-site technicians for its specialist engineering services.
“One key reason Destec stands out is the quality of our workforce,”
says Barry Porter. “With a commitment to the highest levels of training and
investment in our employee’s skills, we have an extremely capable team which
has grown with the company. Many people have been with us for between 10 and 25
years. Our investment in our people is matched by our regular investment in modern
equipment and this ‘dual investment’ gives us a firm foundation on which
to compete with confidence on a global basis - and not rest on our laurels in this
most competitive of markets.”
“Destec differs from other companies in that what we sell is 100% of what
we have designed and this offers some insurance in difficult times,” continues
Mr Porter. “Additionally, because of our excellent reputation in the subsea
industry and our products having stood the test of time, we remain a leading supplier
to major companies both in the UK and worldwide – with 70% of our product
destined for export.”
“Working closely with customers to create timely, cost-effective and innovative
engineering solutions is our business,” sums up Barry Porter, “and though
we can never be in any way complacent, it’s a business our people are very,
very good at - and long may it continue.”
Maybe Destec is not headline grabbing news. However, its commitment to excellence
in customer service; a commitment to attain the highest standards of precision engineering;
and the empowerment of its employees through training and responsibility - is turning
a quiet corner of Lincolnshire into a major powerhouse in oil & gas and power generation
services, which is reverberating worldwide.
Happy Anniversary Destec!
Destec Engineering Press Release
Serial Number: Destec 0059 | Release Date: 5 May 09
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