C&M Group

A time for growth

The C&M Group is based in Aberdeen, Scotland and was established in 1974. Incorporated in 1986 as ‘C&M Electrical Engineers (Aberdeen) Ltd’, providing just electrical services, the group has since developed and grown to encompass a wide range of business areas.

Over the past 33 years, the C&M Group has seen significant growth and development, both organically and through acquisitions and joint ventures. In 2006 the company experienced another watershed event when David Kellas (group operations director) and Alisdair Harrison (commercial director) purchased the company through an MBO, and re-focused it on the oil and gas industry. This MBO saw the Group transform itself into one of the Scotland’s largest engineering companies and a global oil and gas industry player.

Commenting on the company’s success up until 2006, David Kellas said: “This experience, which has provided the platform for future international projects of such scale, will enable the business to increase turnover by over £15 million in the next year.”

The organisation now consists of three individual operating companies under the auspices of C&M Group Holdings Ltd. These are C&M – Marine Services Ltd which provides a wide range of marine services, including specialist subsea and installation support services, C&M – Engineering Services Ltd, which undertakes major electrical contracts, communication cabling and the supply and installation of kitchen and laundry equipment and, finally, there is the recently launched C&M – Marine Services (USA) Inc, the Houston-based company that manufactures offshore accommodation modules and provides a variety of marine services.

David adds: “Whilst the marine sector remains a key area for us, we will continue to operate in our traditional markets. On major projects, we are in the fortunate position of being able to offer an integrated approach, which will see us deploy all of the group’s services to ensure delivery of the project.”

The C&M – Marine Services division offers a turnkey engineering and electrical service to the marine industry. Operating worldwide, C&M – Marine Services provides project management, design, installation and commissioning services on drill-ships, cable laying barges, flotels and ROV support vessels. Whether performing a turnkey engineering project, an inspection, re-fit or conversion, the division’s highly qualified and experienced personnel deliver solutions to the many and varied challenges of the marine sector. Underpinning its project management experience is a fundamental knowledge of electrical and control engineering, enabling it to undertake complex projects that puts it ahead of the competition.

This division encompasses a very wide range of skills – such as the ability to provide design from conception to as-built drawings, and has already completed systems for customers including emergency fire pump control systems, control and mimic panels for ballast control, communications and intercom systems, fire and gas detection systems, CCTV, drillers consoles, controls and control panels for mud pumps, switchboards HV and LV and emergency shutdown systems.

C&M – Marine Services also offers specialist inspection services for pre-purchase, in-service audit and after incidents, as well as specialist investigation services.

Also within the Marine division is expertise in marine support, which includes marine engineering, dynamic positioning systems, electrical systems, and vessel management systems.

C&M – Marine Services also has a wealth of knowledge in vessel conversions and will gladly lead any vessel through the conversion process. A recent example of an upgrade performed by the Group involved the control and tasking of 30 construction electricians working on refit of a drill ship in Singapore. The C&M Group was given complete control for costing and purchasing for the electrical side of the conversion, with a budget of approximately $10 million. The main tasks to be completed were the design and refit and installation of third party supplied systems. The work included both design work and the overhaul of areas such as cableways and trunking above and below deck, the overhaul of the main generators, overhauling all lighting distribution and hotel services for the rig and a complete overhaul of all DC control and drive for drilling systems. Despite its complexity, the project was completed on time and within budget.

Another significant contract for the C&M Group involved the conversion of the Edda Fjord to a flotel. The group was requested by Shell UK and Shell Nigeria to provide a vessel capable of supporting 300 workers for servicing the BONGA FPSO in Nigeria. The Group located suitable accommodation modules, and then as the main contractor, provided complete design and project management for the installation of these modules in Mobile, Alabama. From concept to completion the project took ten weeks.

Complex projects such as these require a wide variety of different skills, but C&M has the ability to pull skills from different divisions and apply them to each individual project as and when needed. For example, on the drill-ship conversion mentioned previously the company was tasked to install a CCTV system. This system was supplied and installed by the Group itself, as it has in-house CCTV skills, and also expertise in the design and development of other innovative electronic products.

The company also has the in-house experience to develop and manufacture electronic and computer products for use in a range of industries. The products it creates are practical, rugged solutions for use in extreme environments. The software development section creates the software and embedded products used in C&M’s control systems, internet, web activities and its remote data management services. By using the appropriate languages, the company creates solid dependable code with the emphasis on usability.

In the area of Engineering Services, the C&M Group provides a high quality, personal service, whatever the electrical work or data installation required. Committed to providing highly qualified personnel, trained to the very latest standards, the Engineering Services division offers a personalised service from initial design through to final installation and commissioning. It works closely with its customers in the construction, public (including education and health) and retail sectors to deliver a high quality service, which is fully compliant, even in the tightest timescales.

Coming within the remit of Engineering Services is kitchen engineering, which involves the supply, installation and maintenance of commercial kitchen & laundry equipment. Formerly known as the Kitchen Engineering division, this highly specialised section offers clientele dedicated and experienced staff who are specialised in laundry and catering equipment for a number of industrial sectors. The kitchen engineering team can supply, install, commission, and repair almost any type of commercial laundry and catering equipment to suit client requirements.

There was also an added bonus for the C&M Group in 2006 – the company won the Best Company Growth award at the Grampian Awards for Business Enterprise. This award is given to businesses that have been trading for more than three years and have shown significant growth in one or more of the following areas: training, marketing, people development, e-commerce and international trade. Presented in association with The Royal Bank of Scotland and Business Gateway, these awards seek to encourage enterprise by selecting and rewarding entrepreneurial companies and individuals that are capable of leading the future prosperity of the Grampian region.

The prime objective of the C&M Group is to provide its clientele with a ‘consistent quality service to meet their requirements.’ The management team recognises that an organisation can only be judged on its past performance and is proud of the reputation the company has gained over the last quarter of a century. This reputation has been founded on a solid core of dedicated and experienced directors, managers, supervisors and operatives. Through a strict policy of quality management, the C&M Group maintains clear goals in pursuit of both excellence and customer satisfaction. To sustain this forward thinking philosophy it is totally committed to offering the highest level of quality, sales, service, and value for money.

C&M Group
www.c-m-group.com