Proserv Controls acquired on June 15 the Middle Eastern business of U.K.-based industrial equipment supplier Dron & Dickson focused on the supply, assembly and maintenance of hazardous area and industrial electrical equipment.

The acquisition, comprised of the trade and assets of Dron & Dickson Electromechanical Contracting LLC (DDEC) for an undisclosed amount, widens Proserv’s service offering in the Middle East and North Africa, where it has multiple sites including in Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Doha and Dammam. Notably, the deal will enable Proserv to target greater service activity within gas and petroleum processing plants, extending its current predominant focus on upstream support, both on and offshore, into midstream and downstream areas.

“This deal presents genuinely exciting possibilities for us,” commented Angus Rodger, general manager of Proserv’s Abu Dhabi-based team, in a statement. “DDEC has established excellent supplier relationships with major manufacturers of high-quality products for hazardous areas and we will make sure that the transition over to Proserv is a seamless process and we will provide those valued partners with excellent levels of support moving forwards.”

Rodger added that Proserv equally sees real potential from the acquisition on the service side of the business.

“By being able to send a combination of both hydraulic and electrical know-how offshore, as a single service provider, we can now cover a far wider scope of maintenance, upgrade, commissioning and installation work,” he said.

DDEC provides a range of electrical engineering services and Ex certified equipment (suitable for use in potentially explosive atmospheres). These products include in-house assembled Atex/IECEx approved junction boxes, LED light fixtures and cable glands, for multiple sectors including the energy industry.

Additionally, the DDEC team supplies competent electrical and instrumentation  technicians to carry out electrical equipment installation, inspection and maintenance, with accreditation from globally recognized bodies such as CompEx, as required for working in potentially explosive atmospheres. As part of its wholesale activities, DDEC also acts as a principal distributor for several globally recognized and market-leading hazardous area product manufacturers.

In a statement commenting on the sale, Colin Rowley, managing director of the Dron & Dickson Group, said: “After nine years, we are delighted to pass on our Middle East business to Proserv.”

Going forward, Dron & Dickson will focus on growth opportunities in the U.K. and European markets and further pursue strategic objectives both within the energy sector and diversification into new market segments, according to Rowley.

“We are confident this move represents a perfect outcome for both our team members in the UAE and our highly valued supply partners,” he added.

Following the transaction, the entire DDEC business and inventory will be fully integrated and absorbed into Proserv’s Middle East-based service operation and will relocate to the company’s state-of-the-art new facility in Abu Dhabi, which opened last September.

Over the past two years, Proserv has built a growing service business across the Middle East, including the development of maintenance and support partnerships with the region’s biggest players such as national oil companies, noted Proserv Group CEO Davis Larssen in a company release.

“Looking ahead, we now have an even deeper and wider offering that we can present to the region’s NOCs and our other key customers,” Larssen said.

Proserv Group is a controls technology company operating worldwide through two divisions, Proserv Controls and Gilmore, a Proserv company. The company has offices in the U.S., Europe, the Middle East and Asia.

Comments