Cleantech Investment Scheme For Maritime To Boost North East Business

Thursday, 8th February 2024

Newcastle upon Tyne, UK, February 7, 2024: The 2050 Maritime Innovation Hub, a collaborative business catalyst designed to advance the maritime sector and broader logistics industry, launches a new cleantech investment programme, Venture Connect.

Venture Connect is a regional equity investment programme focused exclusively on nurturing businesses that are developing low-carbon, cleantech solutions for the ports and maritime industry, and who have a business interest in the North East of England.

The concept for Venture Connect was established by the 2050 Maritime Innovation Hub which is based at the Port of Tyne. Collaborators include Connected Places Catapult, Barclays, North Star Ventures, Gresham House, Innovation Super Network, Port of Tyne and many other organisations.

The aim of Venture Connect is to facilitate ‘investment readiness’ among a cohort of innovative businesses that will help propel the ports and maritime industry towards full decarbonisation by 2050.

Venture Connect has launched eight participating cleantech businesses, each of whom was selected from a pool of applicants to participate in a four-month accelerator programme with mentoring. The scheme will provide participants with structured leadership, and operational and business development support, delivered by high-profile mentors, each offering a specific area of expertise.

The aim of Venture Connect is to deliver ‘scale up ready’ enterprises at the end of the programme, with each business able to demonstrate ‘invest-ability’ and attract the requisite capital to achieve its strategic growth plans. During the programme, each participating business will receive a truly bespoke, tailored experience to help them attract the best possible responsible investors, once they are ready to scale up.

Venture Connect’s Mentors have been selected from over 25 regional and national organisations and maritime support organisations within the 2050 Innovation Hub ecosystem. These include experts from the Innovation Super Network, Barclays, plus members of the Port of Tyne’s Board and Leadership Team.

The Port of Tyne will also offer its clean energy and 5G testbeds for new cleantech solutions, with the aim of accelerating product readiness and giving developers the chance to rigorously test solutions within a live port environment.

Commenting for the 2050 Innovation Hub and Port of Tyne, Dr Jo North, Technology and Transformation Director says, “We are very excited to have launched with our first cohort. The maritime industry is changing exceptionally quickly and there is an urgent need for our unique decarbonisation challenges to be solved.”

The first Venture Connect cohort of businesses includes:

H2CHP, a Durham University spin-off founded by Stephen Hampson, has developed 5 prototypes of a fuel-flexible generator providing shore-to-ship power in ports. This allows vessels to switch off auxiliary engines when docked, reducing CO2 emissions equivalent to 1.2 million diesel cars in the UK. H2CHP has successfully demonstrated its products using petrol and hydrogen and the company will be seeking investment of £500,000 after completing the Venture Connect programme.
CrowdHouse Energy, a design firm providing innovative solutions for renewable energy generation that could be adopted by the maritime sector. The company was founded in 2019 by family members and has developed a strong track record delivering £100m plus projects for renewable energy clients in the public and commercial sectors. Crowd House Energy was selected for Venture Connect because of the company’s vision to power positive change in the northeast and make the UK a world leader in megawatt-scale onsite renewable energy generation.

Julia Prescot, Deputy Chair at the Port of Tyne says, “Venture Connect completely aligns with the Port’s vision to contribute to sustainable maritime development and expedite economic growth across the North East of England.” She adds, “There is a huge opportunity for cleantech businesses to thrive in the North East and we believe this programme will play a significant part in helping to transform not only the maritime sector but also the UK and the region’s economic prospects.”

Stephen Hampson, founder of H2CHP says, “We are immensely proud to have been selected for the Venture Connect initiative at the Port of Tyne’s 2050 Innovation Hub, and we eagerly anticipate leveraging this unique opportunity to advance our green maritime innovations with the support of expert coaching, valuable mentorship, and access to a network of forward-thinking investors.”

Venture Connect launches with a day of workshops and deep dive seminars on February 7, 2024 at the 2050 Innovation Hub.

Associated Listing:

Port of Tyne Authority

KNRM orders DuroWipers Offshore Windscreen Wiper System for Valentijn class RIBs

Monday, 5th February 2024

Following demanding evaluation trials, KNRM (The Royal Dutch Lifeboat Association) has ordered 12 class 50 DuroWipers for the latest four hulls of its newbuild KNRM 18m RIBs.

Currently, in build at the Habbeké Shipyard at Hoorn in The Netherlands, the Valentijn class of aluminium-hulled rigid inflatables are the latest purpose-designed and built coastal search and rescue vessels from a design family well known for its legendary seakeeping ability.

Noel Gould, CEO at DuroWipers is clear on the important role that high-quality windscreen wipers play on vessels of this nature: “As these are cabin RIBs, the performance and reliability of their wiper systems are fundamental to the success of their search and rescue duties. Indeed, we’ve been told that aside from major engine or safety equipment issues, the only other thing that would stop these boats putting to sea would be a wiper problem. For search and rescue, it really is that critical to be able to see out of the screens at all times and in all weathers.”

With this in mind KNRM undertook a multi-stage testing program with the DuroWipers Windscreen Wiper System, Hans van der Molen, technical department manager at KNRM, reported that the sea rescue organisation evaluated the DuroWipers for use on its coastal lifeboats following an initial positive experience with DuroWipers on its Nh1816 prototype lifeboat.

Multi-stage testing program

Search and rescue is a tight knit community internationally, hence it was no surprise to UK SME manufacturer a Windscreen Wiper System that KNRM originally discovered their products through direct recommendation by the RNLI- the UK’s largest sea rescue institution and a hugely influential organisation worldwide.

For the past decade the RNLI has been using Class 50 DuroWipers on its Shannon class all-weather lifeboats, and has been so impressed with the performance and reliability of these offshore marine windscreen wiper system on the Shannon it has also signed a nine-year contract to steadily refit its older Severn class vessels with the same dependable systems.

The three Class 50 DuroWipers being supplied for each of the KNRM boats will come with DuroWipers’ standard commercial three-year warranty. Most wipers supplied to the commercial marine industry come with just a one-year warranty, but DuroWipers have been designed and engineered to outlast any other offshore marine windscreen wipers on the market and are already well-proven in the demanding search and rescue and military sectors. Reflecting this confidence in the product, along with UK manufacturer DuroWipers’ pride in supporting UK institutions, the RNLI receives a ten year and lifetime warranty on its wipers while the Royal Navy enjoys a lifetime warranty on its wipers.

Dutch boatbuilder Habbeké has been working with KNRM for 33 years, from the construction of the first aluminium hulled all-weather Valentijn class cabin RIB. Orm de Waart, Owner/ Managing Director of Habbeké Shipyard stated that: “Following a trial/refit on a Valentijn class vessel, we decided to go further with DuroWipers as it’s a high quality and proven system. We’ve had some experience with some competitor products involving broken wiper arms, drives and control issues that we believe will be much less likely to occur with DuroWipers.”

Patented twin drive rotary mechanism

The key technical difference from other pantograph wipers sold into the commercial marine market is DuroWipers’ patented twin-drive rotary mechanism. This converts the rotary motion of the motor, to a reciprocating motion via transfer box to the wiper arm. It gives a maintenance-free, smooth, powerful and reliable performance, explains Noel Gould: “Other marine pantograph wipers only drive one side of the mechanism with the other side of the mechanism just being a lazy arm to maintain the vertical angle of the blade. This sets up an inequality of forces across the driven and undriven sides of the pantograph that can work OK for a while, but causes accelerated wear and potential problems in the long term. It’s this fundamental design difference, along with our construction from 316 stainless with top quality marinized fittings throughout that explains not only DuroWipers’ slightly higher price, but also our greatly increased reliability and much longer warranty.”

Driven by a 24 Volt 50Nm Motor, the compact Class 50 DuroWipers as specified for the KNRM Valentijn RIBs are designed for high-speed vessels that are likely to take green water on the windscreens on a regular basis, but where mounting space is at a premium. A unique stroke motion ensures a quiet and smooth blade action, with each stroke accelerating and decelerating giving blades and arms a longer life.

Noel Gould concludes: ”There are few more demanding roles for a marine windscreen wiper than aboard a high speed, all-weather search and rescue boat, and in the KNRM we are delighted to have yet another household name in sea rescue organisations give DuroWipers the nod of approval.”

DuroWipers’ four wiper sets order with KNRM is due for fulfilment up to Sept 2024, with a further three wiper sets likely to be ordered in 2024.

DuroWipers are experts in marine offshore windscreen wiper systems

Associated Listing:

LGH & Rotrex Group Announces New LGH Sales Director & Board Appointments

Tuesday, 30th January 2024

LGH & Rotrex Group has appointed Russell Boswell-Munday as LGH’s new Sales Director for Europe and the UK. Russell has over 25 years’ of experience in the hire industry and has managed various sales teams during his career. As well as Russell’s appointment, the group has also announced other changes to the Board.

In his new role, Russell will be managing all aspects of LGH’s sales division across the whole of Europe, including continuing its growth in additional territories. He will be leading on strategy and structure as well as budgets and turnover development. Prior to joining LGH, Russell worked at Andrew Sykes Group as a Major Account Director.

Russell commented: “I have long admired LGH, so I am excited to be joining at what is a time of real growth for the business. After my first meeting with Andy Mault – CEO – I quickly realised that our thoughts and ambitions were aligned. I am now looking forward to building on the Group’s strong reputation and adding commercial value by driving sales and our market share right across Europe.”

Also joining the LGH & Rotrex Group’s Board of Directors are: Don Wilkinson, who has been promoted to Rotrex’s Sales Director; and Phil Smith, who has been promoted to Group Operations Director.

All three now sit on the board alongside Andy Mault – CEO, and Rob Halliwell who was recently been named as Support Services Director. They are responsible for the Group’s entire operations across Europe and the UK.

Andy Mault – CEO said: “Russell brings with him a wealth of experience, so we are delighted that he has joined us. I am confident that he will make a real difference and will play a crucial part in driving our sales strategy and its implementation to the next level.

Andy added: It has also been fantastic to welcome Don and Phil to the Board alongside Russell and, of course, Rob. Over the past few years, they have both proved themselves to be an asset and their promotions are richly deserved. I know that this motivated and talented senior leadership team will help me lead the Group to even greater success.”

LGH & Rotrex Group is still privately owned by the Parkinson family. LGH is a leading lifting equipment hire company; whilst Rotrex delivers winch hire, sales, and services.

Associated Listing:

Asia Pacific Maritime (APM), Southeast Asia’s largest maritime event, is back with its 18th edition in Singapore on 13-15 March 2024

Monday, 29th January 2024

THE 18^TH EDITION OF ASIA PACIFIC MARITIME RETURNS TO ADDRESS THE INDUSTRY’S DEMAND FOR SUSTAINABILITY, DIGITALISATION, AND INNOVATION

The event will feature over 80 speakers and 1,400 brands showcasing innovative solutions and smart technologies that will shape the future of maritime.

SINGAPORE, 16 January 2024 – Asia Pacific Maritime (APM), the largest meeting place in Southeast Asia for the global maritime value chain, will return for its 18^th installment in Singapore from 13 to 15 March 2024 at the Marina Bay Sands. This year’s premier exhibition and conference is expected to bring together more than 14,000 shipowners, shipyards, ship management, and technical procurers to meet over 1,400 solutions providers.

“For the past few months, we have been reconnecting with industry players globally to learn about their latest solutions, services, and technologies that will drive the maritime sector over the next decade.

Through APM, we are excited to be connecting these global brands with the Asian audience and bringing their offerings here to further support collaboration and growth,” said Yeow Hui Leng, Group Project Director, RX, the organiser of APM. “We look forward to cultivating a space for conversations and discussions that will future-proof the maritime sector.”

Future of Vessels, Solutions for Tomorrow

As an industry essential for the world’s economic development, maritime faces significant pressure to be more sustainable and innovative in this increasingly challenging world. According to the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), the maritime sector, which carries around 80% of the global merchandise trade today, urgently needs to decarbonise, and these decarbonisation efforts need to come together with technological innovation, sound multilateral regulation, and economic growth to face rising costs, especially among the most vulnerable economies[1].

With the theme “Future of Vessels, Solutions for Tomorrow”, APM 2024 aims to be the platform for knowledge exchange and information sharing. The conference and exhibition will focus on highlighting smarter solutions to achieve net-zero objectives, drive cybersecurity, improve satellite communication mobility, and embrace digitalisation. Joining us at the exhibition front will be innovative solutions including drones, batteries, electric marine engine and propulsion, sustainable paints and coatings, tech solution companies, just to name a few.

Maritime drones are increasingly used for inspection in environments that are tough to navigate, such as engine rooms and ports, as they can help improve safety while keeping operational costs low. At APM 2024, attendees will be able to explore Flyability’s ELIOS 3, the world’s first collision-tolerant drone equipped with a LiDAR sensor for indoor 3 mapping. Flyability has pioneered confined space inspection drones that enable professionals to improve safety, reduce downtime, and cut costs for their internal inspections. Flyability will also lead a session at APM conference to address the use of drones to enhance inspection and surveillance for port operations.

Other notable exhibitors amongst the 1,400 leading brands on the floor include Wartsila, MTU, Niigata, Engtek, Reintjes, Schaller Automation, Yanmar, Daihatsu Diesel, Nakashima, Schottel, Bergen Engines, Yara Marine, Marlink, Speedcast, OTESAT_MARITEL, Hostmost, Jotron, KVH, Furuno, Tero Marine, Danaos, Jason Electronics, Codar, Can Traders, Alphatron, Nabtesco, Thuraya, Asia Satellite Telecommunications, Bachmann Electronic, Navtor, Auto-Maskin, VINSSEN, Vertidrive NL, Durapower, EST-Floattech, Hanla IMS, Panasia, Shinwoo, GEA, Lindenberg-Anlagen, Zollern GmbH, Flender, Thordon Bearings, Roxtec, Sauer Compressors, Fincantieri Italy, DESMI, Den-Jet, Damen Shipyard, Nippon Paint, Jotun, Chugoko Marine Paint and many more.

Chil-Han Lee, the founder and CEO of VINSSEN Co., Ltd., a leading provider of Hydrogen Fuel Cells, lithium-ion batteries, and propulsion systems, said, “VINSSEN has delivered several maritime decarbonisation projects involving Hydrogen Fuel Cell technology and full battery electric propulsion system. Our study of hydrogen as a maritime fuel was made possible thanks to the industry partnerships we have established in Singapore. This is why platforms like APM 2024 are important as they allow opportunities for collaboration and mutual learning to drive the industry forward.”

This year’s conference, sponsored by DNV, will feature more than 80 speakers to deliver dialogues across six conference themes spread out across three days – Sustainability, Innovation and Digitalisation, Manpower & Training, Maritime Cyber Security, Port & Terminals, and Insurance.

Parallel tracks will run concurrently at two separate stages on the show floor to enable more comprehensive sharing of knowledge focusing on topics of interest. The Main Stage will see some of the world’s top industry experts and leaders sharing first-hand insights into how to drive businesses forward. On the other hand, the Innovation Stage will feature business leaders and other industry specialists showcasing successful case studies, leading innovations, and inspiring visions to help companies overcome challenges in business growth.

Some of the C-suite speakers confirmed to-date include:

Jayendu Krishna, Director-Deputy Head, Maritime Advisors, Drewry
Jan-Erik Rasanen, CTO, Foreship
Daejin Lee, Global Head of Research, Fertistream
Simon Grainge, CEO, International Seafarers’ Welfare and Assistance Network (ISWAN)
Punit Oza, Founder of Maritime NXT/ International Vice President of Institute of Chartered Shipbrokers
Panos Theodossopoulos, CEO, METIS Cyberspace Technology S.A.
Ho Chaw Sing, Co-founder and Chief Executive Officer, National Additive Manufacturing Innovation Cluster (NAMIC)
Kenlip Ong, CEO, Pelagus 3D
Budi Cahyono, Vice President Director, PT. Jakarta International Container Terminal
Tarun Mehrotra, Chief Strategy Officer, RightShip
Jan-Paul de Wilde, Head of Decarbonisation, Energy Transition & Innovation, RINA Singapore
Rahul Kapoor, Vice-President, Global Head of Shipping Analytics & Research, S&P Global Commodity Insights
John Rowley, CEO, Wallem
Nakul Malhotra, Vice President, Emerging Opportunities Portfolio – Maritime Services, Wilhelmsen

Richard Wagner, Regional Director Asia, CyberOwl, who will share about the latest technological innovations for marine cyber resilience at the conference, commented, “The maritime industry has transformed greatly over the last few years. We now see leading technologies reshaping the industry, but there are also challenges that these opportunities bring. How do we balance the conflict between business demands for technology innovations, such as AI and the drive towards autonomous operations, with cyber risk management in the face of rising costs for cyber compromise? I look forward to discussing these topics at APM 2024.”

The APM 2024 roadshow has begun with a series of events for the local maritime communities across Southeast Asia to offer early insights into the key topics that will be discussed at the event in Singapore. Upcoming roadshows include 17 January 2024 in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, and 22 February 2024 in Batam, Indonesia.

All registered professionals for APM 2024 will be granted free access to both the exhibition and conference floors. For the latest information on APM 2024, please visit the event website, LinkedIn, or Facebook pages.

[1] Comment from United Nations Conference on Trade and Development’s Secretary-General Rebeca Grynspan

Associated Exhibition:

Performance Inflatables Company Acquires AERE Marine Group

Wednesday, 24th January 2024

Performance Inflatables Co. LLC, a portfolio company of Pinewell Capital, and AERÉ Marine Group jointly announced today the acquisition of AERÉ Marine Group by Performance Inflatables Co. AERÉ will be maintaining its location in Coral Springs, Florida to continue to service the global boating and yachting market.

AERÉ is a global leader in innovative solutions to protect and enhance the enjoyment of marine vessels with Iconic Inflatable Fenders, Fenda-Sox Covers and a variety of inflatable dock, mooring and platform products. “We are looking forward to expanding our reach in the marine inflatable product market as we join the Performance Inflatables companies. Our AERÉ team is excited about this opportunity,” said Gary Abernathy, President and Founder of AERÉ.”

Performance Inflatables is a world leading manufacturer and provider of cutting-edge solutions to Commercial and Military customers based on high performance fabric technologies, creating highly engineered and innovative inflatable products for every environment from the Mariana Trench to Space. The key operating companies of Subsalve USA and AEF have globally recognized positions including Buoyancy Solutions, Water Load Testing, Pneumatic Lifting, Agile Liquid Logistics Solutions, and the Skirts for the US Fleet of Air Cushion Vehicles.

“We are thrilled to have AERÉ join the Performance Marine Inflatables portfolio of companies” said Richard Heath CEO of Performance Inflatables. “The businesses have complementary capabilities but most importantly, we share a similar culture that is dedicated to Customers, Quality, and Innovation. The addition of Gary and Vicki Abernathy along with the entire AERÉ staff to our team, with over 45 years in related businesses, will unleash further potential across the entire portfolio of innovative solutions and enhance our customers’ experiences and ability to solve difficult challenges. We will continue to invest in and grow our capabilities at our North Kingstown RI, Picayune MS, and Coral Springs FL sites.”

Associated Listing:

Rear Admiral Doull CBE Visit – Somers Forge 11th January

Monday, 22nd January 2024

Somers Forge, a leading open die forge and heavy machine shop of precision components for the defence industry, had the honour of hosting Rear Admiral Doull CBE.

The visit followed on from Somers Forge being awarded a prestigious award for Collaboration & Diligence by the Dreadnought Alliance Supply Forum. This remarkable achievement is particularly noteworthy for a family-run business based in Halesowen, showcasing their ability to compete with big engineering companies.

During the site visit, Rear Admiral Doull had the opportunity to witness first-hand the advanced forging processes, with a 20 tonne shaft being forged by a mammoth 4,00 tonne press. During the guided tour of the facilities, the Admiral observed the meticulous craftsmanship and quality control measures that are involved in producing components that are essential for the Royal Navy’s submarine fleet.

Jon Warr Sales Director, “It was an honour to welcome the Rear Admiral Doull to Somers Forge. This visit reaffirms our commitment to supply the highest quality critical components for the UK submarine programme and underscores the importance of local manufacturing in supporting the national defence effort’’.

Somer’s dedication to rigorous quality standards has earned them a strong reputation as a reliable supplier not only in the defence market, but across power generation and aerospace sectors.

Associated Listing:

Pump Supplies Announces Appointment of New Managing Director

Thursday, 18th January 2024

The Board of Directors at Pump Supplies announces the appointment of Luke Beattie as the company’s new Managing Director.

With 25 years of experience in the sector, Luke brings a wealth of knowledge and a proven track record of success to the role. He joins from the Northavon Group and Hydrovein where he was Managing Director and latterly Managing Director of their water business. Prior to that, he was responsible for regional strategic and operational management at Wessex Water for eighteen years.

Peter Lewington is stepping down from the position of Managing Director but will continue to be a Director of the Pump Supplies business.

During Peter’s five-year tenure, he’s supported Pump Supplies’ management team to consolidate its position as a market-leading supplier of electric submersible pumping solutions in the UK.

He oversaw the acquisition of the business by Vestum AB, a £500m turnover multi-industry Swedish business, headquartered in Stockholm. Under Peter’s guidance, Stockport-based PD Pumps Ltd was acquired too, a key pump distribution business for Robot and Landustrie pumps in the UK and Ireland

Commenting on the announcement, Peter said, “We welcome Luke to Pump Supplies, and I’m confident his experience will be of huge benefit to Pump Supplies moving forward. He has a strong leadership philosophy of developing those around him to enable the growth potential in their careers, and that’s a very attractive quality to have in a senior leader.”

Luke shared his enthusiasm, stating, “I’m pleased and excited to take on this opportunity. Having been a customer previously I’ve always been impressed with the way the 80-strong team conducts its business. I’m looking forward to continuing this approach to ensure customer loyalty and contract growth whilst drawing from my own experiences and strategic perspective.

“Pump Supplies has a tremendous reputation for delivering excellent pumping solutions and service. Our industry faces important environmental challenges and we’re well positioned to support customers facing these issues moving forward.”

Established 41 years ago in Port Talbot, the business has grown significantly and now includes a further four strategically located depots in Gloucester, Winsford, Bodmin and Wexford.

Associated Listing:

Hydroscand UK Announces the Acquisition of Leicester Hose & Hydraulics Limited

Monday, 15th January 2024

Hydroscand Ltd is delighted to announce the acquisition of Leicester Hose & Hydraulics Limited.

Established in 2004, and located in the heart of Leicester, Leicester Hose & Hydraulics Ltd serves customers in a range of industries in the local and surrounding areas.

With over 25 years’ experience within the hydraulics industry they have a strong reputation for excellent service and having access to an extensive range of products. This acquisition was initiated by the owners’ succession planning.

This transaction, which was completed on 31st December 2023, is highly complementary and strategically beneficial. Leicester Hose & Hydraulics adds a further trade counter for Hydroscand in the midlands, fitting between our existing locations in Nottingham and Birmingham. Leicester Hose & Hydraulics’ founder Gary Brooks will work with Rebecca Galley, Hydroscand’s Managing Director in the UK, to achieve its successful integration into the Group.

Rebecca Galley commented, “We are really pleased to welcome Leicester Hose & Hydraulics to the Hydroscand Group –our shared expertise and commitment to our customers makes this an obvious and complementary partnership. Leicester Hose & Hydraulics is a highly successful company, which has gone from strength to strength in recent years. Together, we will increase our offering and extend our mobile hose repair service in Leicester and the surrounding area, meaning we can offer even more to our customers.” Gary Brooks added, “After 20 successful years of LHH, we are very excited to start a new era by joining the Hydroscand team, this partnership will ensure that we will continue to be the number one supplier in the Leicester and surrounding areas.”

This is Hydroscand’s first investment for 2024 and is an example of the firm’s expertise in supporting the transition of businesses from founders, families, and long-term private owners to new custodians. Hydroscand is a highly successful international business, and the UK is an important market. The firm continues to seek further acquisition opportunities for hose and fittings and mobile hose repair businesses.

About Hydroscand Group

Hydroscand -an international family-owned business -provides solutions and services for hoses, fittings and related products through a customer-driven and decentralized organisation. With operations in 20 countries, over 250 hose service branches, over 150 HoseExpress mobile service units and 450 resellers, we are always strategically positioned to support our customers’ operations. We have over 1,700 employees and serve more than 100,000 customers in Europe, Asia and Africa.

Associated Listing:

Hydroscand UK Announces the Acquisition of Yorkshire Hose & Fitting

Monday, 8th January 2024

Hydroscand Ltd is delighted to announce the acquisition of Yorkshire Hose & Fittings Limited.

Established in Doncaster in 1992, Yorkshire Hose & Fittings has built a strong reputation for customer service. Originally focused on the local mining industry, the business has diversified to serve customers in a variety of industries locally. This acquisition was initiated by the owners’ succession planning.

This transaction, which was completed on 31st December 2023 , is another complementary and strategically beneficial addition to Hydroscand’s UK business . Yorkshire Hose & Fittings, a long-standing customer of Hydroscand, adds a further trade counter for Hydroscand. It provides a base for Hose Express mobile hose replacement business to expand into the South Yorkshire area

Yorkshire Hose & Fittings founder Paul Jeffs will leave the company immediately. Scott Kennedy will remain with the business and support its development and integration over the coming months.

Rebecca Galley commented “We are very happy that Yorkshire Hose & Fittings will become part of Hydroscand Group. As a long-standing customer, we already have an excellent working relationship with Scott, and I am very much looking forward to building the business together in Doncaster and the surrounding area.”

Paul Jeffs added It seems like only yesterday that Yorkshire Hose and Fittings was founded by Ian Gambles and myself. Scott joined us in 1995 and has been an integral part of the company ever since. Having dealt with Hydroscand for many years, I am happy with the knowledge that YHF will go from strength to strength under their control. I wish them all the very best

This is Hydroscand’s second investment already for 2024 and is another example of the firm’s expertise in supporting the transition of businesses from founders, families, and long-term private owners to new custodians. The firm continues to seek further acquisition opportunities for hose and fittings and mobile hose repair businesses.

About Hydroscand Group

Hydroscand is an international family-owned business that provides solutions and services for hoses, fittings and related products through a customer-driven and decentralized organization. With operations in 20 countries, over 250 hose service branches, over 150 HoseExpress mobile service units and 450 resellers, we are always strategically positioned to support our customers’ operations.

Associated Listing:

KNRM orders DuroWipers for Valentijn class RIBs

Thursday, 4th January 2024

KNRM orders DuroWipers for Valentijn class RIBs

Following demanding evaluation trials, KNRM (The Royal Dutch Lifeboat Association) has ordered 12 class 50 DuroWipers for the latest four hulls of its newbuild KNRM 18m RIBs.

Currently, in build at the Habbeké Shipyard at Hoorn in The Netherlands, the Valentijn class of aluminium-hulled rigid inflatables are the latest purpose-designed and built coastal search and rescue vessels from a design family well known for its legendary seakeeping ability.

Noel Gould, CEO at DuroWipers is clear on the important role that high-quality marine windscreen wipers play on vessels of this nature: “As these are cabin RIBs, the performance and reliability of their wiper systems are fundamental to the success of their search and rescue duties. Indeed, we’ve been told that aside from major engine or safety equipment issues, the only other thing that would stop these boats putting to sea would be a wiper problem. For search and rescue, it really is that critical to be able to see out of the screens at all times and in all weathers.”

With this in mind KNRM undertook a multi-stage testing program with the DuroWipers. Hans van der Molen, technical department manager at KNRM, reported that the sea rescue organisation evaluated the DuroWipers for use on its coastal lifeboats following an initial positive experience with DuroWipers on its Nh1816 prototype lifeboat.

Search and rescue is a tight-knit community internationally, hence it was no surprise to UK SME manufacturer DuroWipers that KNRM originally discovered their products through direct recommendation by the RNLI- the UK’s largest sea rescue institution and a hugely influential organisation worldwide. For the past decade the RNLI has been using Class 50 DuroWipers on its Shannon class all-weather lifeboats, and has been so impressed with the performance and reliability of these marine wipers on the Shannon it has also has signed a nine-year contract to steadily refit its older Severn class vessels with the same dependable systems.

The three Class 50 DuroWipers being supplied for each of the KNRM boats will come with DuroWipers’ standard commercial three-year warranty. Most wipers supplied to the commercial marine industry come with just a one-year warranty, but DuroWipers have been designed and engineered to outlast any other wipers on the market and are already well-proven in the demanding search and rescue and military sectors. Reflecting this confidence in the product, along with UK manufacturer DuroWipers’ pride in supporting UK institutions, the RNLI receives a ten-year and lifetime warranty on its wipers while the Royal Navy enjoys a lifetime warranty on its wipers.

Dutch boatbuilder Habbeké has been working with KNRM for 33 years, from the construction of the first aluminium hulled all weather Valentijn class cabin RIB. Orm de Waart, Owner/ Managing Director of Habbeké Shipyard stated that: “Following a trial/refit on a Valentijn class vessel, we decided to go further with DuroWipers as it’s a high quality and proven system. We’ve had some experience with some competitor products involving broken wiper arms, drives and control issues that we believe will be much less likely to occur with DuroWipers.”

The key technical difference from other pantograph wipers sold into the commercial marine market is DuroWipers’ patented twin-drive rotary mechanism. This converts the rotary motion of the motor, to a reciprocating motion via transfer box to the wiper arm. It gives a maintenance-free, smooth, powerful and reliable performance, explains Noel Gould: “Other marine pantograph wipers only drive one side of the mechanism with the other side of the mechanism just being a lazy arm to maintain the vertical angle of the blade. This sets up an inequality of forces across the driven and undriven sides of the pantograph that can work OK for a while but causes accelerated wear and potential problems in the long term. It’s this fundamental design difference, along with our construction from 316 stainless with top quality marinized fittings throughout that explains not only DuroWipers’ slightly higher price, but also our greatly increased reliability and much longer warranty.”

Driven by a 24 Volt 50Nm Motor, the compact Class 50 DuroWipers as specified for the KNRM Valentijn RIBs are designed for high-speed vessels that are likely to take green water on the windscreens on a regular basis, but where mounting space is at a premium. A unique stroke motion ensures a quiet and smooth blade action, with each stroke accelerating and decelerating giving blades and arms a longer life.

Noel Gould concludes: ”There are few more demanding roles for a marine windscreen wiper than aboard a high speed, all-weather search and rescue boat, and in the KNRM we are delighted to have yet another household name in sea rescue organisations give DuroWipers the nod of approval.”

DuroWipers’ four wiper sets order with KNRM is due for fulfilment up to Sept 2024, with a further three wiper sets likely to be ordered in 2024.

Associated Listing:

Author: Chris

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