Hycom
Networking potential
With a history dating back to the early 1970s, Hycom has decades of experience in the supply and manufacture of hydraulic systems utilising a long specialisation in power application across a number of industries.
The company has a wide range of capabilities to serve those in the aviation, maritime and civil industry markets. Originally, Hycom was founded as a daughter venture and hydraulic department to Werklust, a Dutch business that literally translates to ‘machine company’. Following the bankruptcy of Werklust in 1986, Hycom became an operating body in its own right and since then has made its way into the fields of hydraulic testing systems for aircraft equipment, systems for dredging applications, offshore equipment, and heavy industry presses and machinery. Hycom also has a number of niche projects in areas including civil engineering for the construction of steel water works such as bridges and ship locks. Over the years the company has built up a number of rewarding relationships with key oil and gas operators throughout the globe including Acergy, Offshore Solutions, Heerema Marine Contractors, Bluewater Energy Sytems, Gusto MSC, and National Oilwell Varco (NOV).
Hycom has gained a reputation for producing high quality, technologically-innovative and bespoke hydraulic systems for a range of purposes, and as such has grown to cover a number of geographical and industrial markets as Wim Roeterdink, sales manager of the company, explains: “We stand out from our competitors by the sheer quality of hydraulic engineering we provide. We are dedicated to advanced design and whatever the specification we can meet it by developing the product electronically or otherwise. We will fit in with a project wherever in the world it might be. For example, we have operations with Gusto MSC in Rotterdam and National Oilwell Varco, which has its main engineering office in St Paul in the US. Having this flexibility of movement is extremely important in regards to the aircraft maintenance industry, which is not very big but is spread all over the globe. Holland and Belgium are big markets for us, especially for large dredging contracts, and we are able to serve these easily from our strategic office location in Apeldoorn. However recent trends have seen ship building move to the Far East and so we now have ventures in this growing region.”
Though Hycom has some activities in trading spare parts and hydraulic components, 95 per cent of its work is tailor-made – an asset that makes it a forerunner in the oil and gas field. The company has proved its competence and forward-thinking innovation through the design of lifting systems for self-elevating systems, shock absorbers and active swell compensators to special winch drives, with or without constant tensioning. Moreover, Hycom has supplied a range of wellhead control systems for gas exploitation at sea, underwater ploughs and valve controls. Under sea-level systems must be able to withstand high differential pressures and powerful corrosion, meaning that the company’s professional engineers have to utilise their wealth of experience for the design and maintenance of offshore systems. Furthermore, if required Hycom can make its systems operational on-site.
Most recently the company has been carrying out a number of projects in the dredging market following the commissioning of three large cutter dredgers and a number of systems for small cutter dredgers and hopper dredgers. The final commissioning of a 500 tonne crane is also due this month. In addition, Hycom has been providing a number of external power units for the testing of hydraulic systems on Airbus aircrafts including complete test benches for A400M in Hamburg. The company has also held lucrative contracts with Lufthansa Technik for the supply of hydraulic components onboard aircraft.
This year Hycom has attended OTC 2009 in Houston and Europort 2009 in Rotterdam in order to build on customer relationships and its operational network, as Wim outlines: “This is an opportunity to network with potential and existing customers, as well as peer companies. It provides a chance to meet a lot of people in one ukplace, which saves travelling time and costs to publicise the company and its technologies. We go to exhibitions to gain new contacts and receive feedback from our old clients.”
Though the organisation has a great deal of potential for growth its core aim is to remain settled in its existing markets, following its clients to wherever they need a project delivered. Maintaining long-term relationships with customers is essential for Hycom and this is achieved by consistently meeting client specifications to the utmost satisfaction. “Delivering a quality solution is the best advertisement we can look for and so we will continue to innovate and keep our 60-strong workforce at the highest level of skill possible through training programmes and incentives. So far we have risen above the economic crisis by continuously gaining contracts across our market sectors and producing highly engineered hydraulic systems that get the job done. I would like to see the company have a little growth over the coming years, we are not looking to double or triple our turnover but want to continue in the same successful way we have so far,” Wim concludes.
Hycom
Services: Hydraulic systems