A growing company that saw a record growth in turnover in the most difficult year in the oil & gas industry has taken on its first apprentice as it expands its range and work scopes. Gee-Force Hydraulics, best known for its hire and sales hydraulic bolting torque wrench in the offshore sector, has expanded its spread of tools including pneumatic and electronic tools to push into new markets.
To service the extra and projected new work, the company has invested in its first workshop apprentice at its new bigger Great Yarmouth base. Seventeen-year-old Kyle Jerome has joined the team as demand grows for on-the-spot tools in Great Yarmouth to save offshore companies time and money mobilising equipment for offshore projects from Aberdeen. New target markets for the company include tower cranes in the construction sector, especially through Essex into London where new building is buoyant, production lines. It has recently supplied tools for its first project on the London Underground system, which it hopes will develop into a promising new market, and to a demolition company bringing down a disused power station.
Gee-Force Hydraulics managing director Graeme Cook said, “Expanding our range in Great Yarmouth is in response to our customers’ needs and our target markets. The feedback from clients is the big difference it makes to their bottom line on projects if they can access tools on-the-spot in Great Yarmouth. Previously, some customers had a 36-hour delivery time. We can get it to them in a couple of hours from our Beacon Park base, as opposed to mobilising from further afield, Aberdeen even, which some of our clients would have to do. We had a call from a customer carrying out work at Bacton Gas Terminal recently because equipment was needed urgently at 3.30 pm and it was on site by 5 pm. This is the huge difference of being based in Great Yarmouth.”
Kyle’s appointment fitted with the company’s growth strategy.
“We looked ahead at the staff we would need in the future and decided it would be sensible to take on an apprentice and train him to maintain our range now for our anticipated extra work. Kyle had done work experience with us and is now completing his level 2 qualification in maintenance with Great Yarmouth College.”
Kyle said he was delighted to be taken on as an apprentice after working at Gee-Force as a summer job after he left Great Yarmouth High School, “No two days are the same here and I’m enjoying learning about all the equipment and tools we offer, which is growing all the time.”
Gee-Force’s expanded stock of torque tools is also hoped to lead Gee-Force into new sectors, Mr Cook said, “Not all of the new sectors are going to be our core hydraulic bolting equipment. Our Norbar range has pneumatic and electronic wrenches have become far more sophisticated and sought after and are easier in tight spaces, involving less kit, and would be desirable for offshore wind sector. Its EvoTorque2 is connected to Bluetooth and leaves an audit trail, which is appealing to the offshore wind industry.”
