KH Engineering

Refining success

With roots dating back to 1949 when Mr Keyer and Mr Van Es founded the multi-disciplinary engineering company Keynes, KH Engineering has undergone numerous management and name changes to become the successful project management company it is today.

The incorporation of KH Engineering into the Ludan Group in 2005 marked a new approach for the company, spreading its wings beyond the borders of the Netherlands under the slogan ‘global experience, local approach’.

Soon after this strategic move KH acquired the former Aker office in Antwerp, Belgium before tapping into new areas such as Romania where Ludan already had a thriving presence. Due to its success in the execution of large turnkey projects the organisation established a new subsidiary, KH PE, and a branch specialised in international activity – KH International Projects. Only last year KH Engineering continued this new trend of lucrative international expansion through the creation of a group office, powered by KH in Spain. This facility has rapidly made its mark through the use and development of environmental technologies, contributing to the better use of the earth’s natural resources.

With over 60 years of experience in the multidisciplinary engineering field, Frans Jansen, chief executive officer believes it is tradition that’s sets the company apart from competition: “We believe that the collective memory that resides within the structure of KH provides a particular added value not only for the clients, but also for our own people. Ludan and KH do not function as rigid, but rather very flexible organisations, which put a great deal of effort into understanding their clients needs and striving to achieve the best solutions. KH and Ludan maintain a very open culture and even as an organisation that is constantly growing we succeed in keeping the communication lines open. We find that this culture is essential for creating a very close relationship with our customers who benefit from dedicated key account staff at every stage of project development.”

The organisation has also become a master in bridging cultural boundaries in a very flexible way. Having established an international presence, KH Engineering’s highly skilled workforce has learnt to adapt to different industry approaches and company particularities efficiently and comprehensively. With such a broad range of services from project management and procurement to execution the business benefits from lucrative relationships with a number of industry heavyweights. While the company works with numerous clients in the process, process controls, piping, mechanical and civil fields, for the oil and gas industry, major customers in the Amsterdam, Rotterdam and Antwerp area are its main focus, while the main energy providers in Belgium and the Netherlands are also very important for its energy activities.

Unique to KH Engineering is its very particular HSE culture that rates clients and staff as an absolute priority, while its intelligent or i-engineering packages provide unrivalled efficiencies. The company’s KH Hydraulics solution, for instance, is an integrated design approach that supplies consultancy, design and support software specialised in hydraulic calculations of industrial networks, as well as pump and compressor support. The knowledge behind this key technology is based on many years of experience in pump and compressor applications and the recognition that the accurate modelling of networks is essential to the design of energy efficient, safe and reliable flow systems that are easy to operate and maintain.

At present, KH Engineering is also looking to further its activity in the oil and gas arena, as Frans highlights: “KH and Ludan have decided to join forces in supplying services to the oil and gas industry, particularly in the refining area. We have given a special mandate to one of our senior people to further develop this particular activity for the whole group and his particular knowledge in process safety gives us great confidence. The intention is to provide the refining industry with a more complete approach compared to what they are used to today. We intend to develop our experience, working on the most modern refineries in Western Europe and modernising even the oldest installations in Romania through major revamps. We will follow our clients wherever they intend to develop their activities. Our adaptability to new environments will provide a true global experience and local approach.”

Following its philosophy of finding a problem, then developing the solution to solve it, KH Engineering sees new opportunities every day. While looking to further business in the global market, the organisation is hoping to expand its influence in the oil and gas market. “On the domestic market we see changes from building large new installations to refurbishment and optimisation projects, where our specific process knowledge is ideally suited. KH and Ludan are also both specialised in the field of automation and we are seeing an increasing amount of potential in this area having already been awarded with several automation revamp and improvement projects from major clients in Rotterdam, Antwerp and Amsterdam. Our independent main automation and integration contractor approach on the other hand has proven its value on many occasions and continues to provide solutions for clients who are confronted with outdated or obsolete control equipment. Seizing the opportunity and turning it into a success takes money, time and, above all else, a lot of devoted energy and hard work, but we have the skills base and experience to succeed,” Frans concludes.

KH Engineering
Services: Project services