Proserv Controls has announced the acquisition of the Middle East business of Dron & Dickson, UK based experts in the supply, assembly and maintenance of hazardous area and industrial electrical equipment.
The deal reinforces and expands the breadth of offering and capability that Proserv delivers in the Mena region, where it has multiple sites including in Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Doha and Dammam.
Dron & Dickson Electromechanical Contracting (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.
The DDEC team also supplies competent electrical and instrumentation (E&I) technicians to carry out electrical equipment installation, inspection and maintenance, with accreditation from globally recognised bodies such as CompEx, as required for working in potentially explosive atmospheres.
In addition, as part of its wholesale activities, DDEC acts as a principal distributor for several globally recognised and market-leading hazardous area product manufacturers.
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 was opened in 2020.
Speaking after confirmation of the acquisition, Proserv’s General Manager, Abu Dhabi, Angus Rodger commented: “This deal presents genuinely exciting possibilities for us. 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.
“Equally, we see real potential in the service side of the business, and we look forward to assimilating DDEC’s highly qualified technicians into our own multi-skilled and talented team. 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.”
Proserv has built a growing service business across the Middle East, underpinned by its broad bandwidth of capabilities, including manufacturing, alongside its local experience and rapid response. Its Abu Dhabi based team has developed maintenance and support partnerships with the region’s biggest players, including national oil companies (NOCs).
The acquisition of DDEC will help expand and enhance those ties further and will also enable Proserv to target greater service activity within gas and petroleum processing plants, so extending its current predominant focus on upstream support, both on and offshore, into midstream and downstream areas.
Colin Rowley, Managing Director, Dron & Dickson Group, said: “After nine years, we are delighted to pass on our Middle East business to Proserv. We are confident this move represents a perfect outcome for both our team members in the UAE and our highly valued supply partners.
“This deal allows Dron & Dickson to firmly focus on growth opportunities in the UK and European markets, and further pursue our strategic objectives both within the energy sector and diversification into new market segments.”
Davis Larssen, Chief Executive Officer, Proserv Controls, added:
“Our Abu Dhabi team has pushed forwards proactively in the past two years, forging key relationships with major local operators and, despite the global challenges of the pandemic, has moved into an upgraded new facility and added significant head count to its team. This deal is the perfect fit for the business, with many obvious synergies, including shared values around service excellence and a strong regional reputation for those engineering skills and expertise.
“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.” –Tradearabia News Service