Over the last 20-30 years many of the major transportation, infrastructure and energy companies have gradually reduced their in-house technical or engineering specialist capabilities as they seek to reduce fixed overheads or concentrate on their core activities. This has created an increasing reliance on relatively small, outsourced specialist engineering support providers who have become increasingly critical to and ‘embedded’ within their clients’ operations or sites.
With an element of under-investment in the replacement of ageing transport, power and service infrastructure assets in the UK over the same period, a significant requirement to increase the life of existing assets to extend their service lives has developed.
This is particularly evident in high-integrity safety-critical operational areas. In these environments, high levels of regulation require sustained excellence in operational and technical delivery to ensure safe, reliable and compliant performance of the customer’s complex, high-value capital assets. The demand for these outsourced technical and engineering support services is generally stable and is not closely linked to the variations in the general economic and industrial cycle.
An increasing number of businesses that provide these critical technical services have owners that are now approaching, or in some cases, beyond retirement age. These owners often seek solutions that deliver both capital benefit to them but also ensure that valued employees are supported in the ownership transition.
Kestrel valves specialises in control valve technology, used in many high-integrity industrial process flow applications. Key markets served include energy, waste management and MoD. Amcomri Group acquired Kestrel in 2023 as part of its development of its specialist valve activities.
Spiralweld specialises in rotary spiral welding technology. It has over 30 years’ of experience in the repair, refurbishment and upgrading of large rotating shafts and components used in the marine, power, petrochemical and base metal processing industries. Based in Southampton, the company has long-established, repeat service relationships with key marine, power and petrochemical customers.
Amcomri acquired Spiralweld in 2023.
Blundell both sells and services advanced production electronic equipment, used in the manufacture of printed circuit boards (PCBs) in the UK. Established for over 50 years, the company holds several exclusive UK distributorship arrangements for high-quality German and Japanese OEM manufacturers and offers both equipment and full technical after-sales services for its long-term customer base.
Blundell, which was acquired by Amcomri in 2016.
TP Matrix provides a comprehensive high-quality electronic system design, repair, overhaul and test service to the rail and light rail transportation sectors. TPM has a strong reputation for technical excellence in the rail market and holds a key rail sector IRIS certification allowing it to undertake repair to safety critical control systems. It has a particular specialism in the management of ‘component obsolescence’ in rail electronics applications and has long-term contract relationships with the major rail operators and OEM’s.
TP Matrix was acquired by Amcomri Group in 2021.
eTrac specialises in rail control system technology and rail power electronics systems. Complementing the TP Matrix offering, it provides customers with comprehensive overhaul and repair services for both train control electronics and also traction electrical power systems, motors and resistive braking units.
eTrac was acquired by Amcomri Group in June 2022.
WJP specialises in high voltage (HV) electric infrastructure installation, test and commissioning services for power, industrial and rail infrastructure systems. The company offer ‘turnkey’ project management services that covers procurement, installation, set up, initial and final testing of complex, integrated, high voltage systems for key national infrastructure operators or their selected Tier 1 contract service providers.
WJP was acquired by Amcomri Group in Oct 2023.
