4 EYEBROW


EUROPE & MIDDLE EAST NEWS


New force in marina infrastructure F


ounded in August, 2017, ProComposites is set to expand its activities in the marina and waterfront sectors, following


its acquisition by Lionweld Kennedy (a part of Hill & Smith) in May, this year. The men behind ProComposites are Andy Buckingham, who has years of experience in supplying high-quality, bespoke wood-plastic composite and fibreglass products to customers across the UK and worldwide, and Phil Wrigley, who brings a wealth of commercial acumen to the business. ProComposites grew rapidly and


enjoyed early success by gaining a number of major clients for its design


solutions and GRP products across various industries. It was whilst fulfilling these contracts that the new company came to the notice of Lionweld Kennedy, which has been manufacturing and supplying forge-welded steel gratings and access products for over 100 years. It has also supplied GRP gratings and composite structures across many industries for over 30 years. Although an over-used word, there


was an obvious ‘synergy’ between Lionweld and ProComposites, and since the acquisition, it has been decided to establish a Marine Sector to be known as ‘Waterways’ that will


Andy Buckingham (left) and Phil Wrigley.


build on their combined strengths to win projects throughout the world. Andy, who will design new products employing composites such as embankments and free-standing bridges, is keen to promote GRP and is happy to list its benefits. “For marinas


Walcon MD celebrates 25 years


James Walters, Managing Director of Fareham, UK-based Walcon Marine, has recently completed 25 years at the company. The occasion was marked at the pontoon manufacturer’s main site at Segensworth, Hampshire, with the presentation of a ship’s bell and celebratory champagne. The son of Robin Walters, who


founded the company over 50 years ago as Walters Construction, James was always destined for a career at the family firm and while still at school, he worked in the factory during his Summer holidays, building pontoons and then installing them for the Southampton Boat Show. After gaining his engineering, degree he spent three years with construction firm Dean & Dyball, where he gained valuable experience in the construction industry, both on-site and in the office, before joining Walcon.


The early ‘90s was a difficult period


for businesses everywhere as the country recovered from recession and Walcon had been through its own period of belt-tightening. However, contracts were being won and initial projects that James worked on as a Project Manager included Sovereign Harbour at Eastbourne and the installation of a floating breakwater at the Town Quay in Southampton. “Not long after that we made the decision to start doing our own piling so as to offer the complete package to our clients,” James recalls. “We started out using an existing barge that we had, but the demand for the service led us to purchasing our first piling barge, the Walcon Wizard, which is still going strong today. This took us on from being simply a manufacturer of pontoons to an integrated marine civil engineering company.” Today, the company owns three


barges that it uses for piling, as well as for transport and secure storage. They also enable materials to be taken to sites where access by land is restricted. In his 25 years at Walcon, James


has seen big changes in the marina industry. “Marinas and their clients have become more demanding,” he said, “driven in part by higher expectations and new technologies and also due to higher standards of


Harbour Assist expands team


Now used by over 50 marinas around the UK, the innovative marina management software from Harbour Assist has been adopted by facilities ranging from independent, family-run marinas to the largest international harbours. Harbour Assist is completely


cloud-based and securely accessed


from any internet-enabled device, including all technical support and training. This allows it to be run anywhere in the world. Despite this, the philosophy behind the system is to bring people closer together through communication. By creating real-time sharing of information, tasks, situations and making the


MARINA INDUSTRY • EUROPE & MIDDLE EAST • JUNE 2018


system do the hard work, it allows all marina staff to spend more time with customers and around the facility, as they are not tied to a desk or PC. The company has just won its first


overseas order – a project to install Harbour Assist at three marinas in the UAE and this has led to the


health and safety. At the production level, we have achieved significant advances in productivity through investment in new machinery and the use of computer-aided design. The result of these combined forces is that we now customise our products much more so as to meet the needs of individual customers. “I’ve been very fortunate to have had the opportunity to play a role in the business that my father founded back in 1963. The marina and yacht harbour sector continues to be a great industry in which to work; full of people who are enthusiastic about what they do. “The work is varied and has


taken me all over the world. Over the years, I have seen Walcon as a company develop an amazing bank of knowledge about sites all around the country and beyond, and we must be doing something right as many of our customers keep coming back for more.”


expansion of its team to support existing and future clients. Joining as Operations Manager is


Rachel Hodgkinson, who brings a wealth of experience in the inland waterways sector gained over the previous 28 years. One of her first tasks will be to introduce Harbour Assist’s new General Data Protection Regulations (GDPR) software that is compliant with the latest legislation.


and waterfronts,” he explained, “these include anti-slip properties, low life cycle costs, quick installation, virtually zero maintenance, resistance to corrosion, fire-resistance, availability in different colours and long lifespan”. Originally based in Sudbury, Suffolk,


ProComposites will move into a 17,000 sq ft facility in Colchester, Essex. Meanwhile, Andy can be contacted on his mobile: 07809 600012 or via e-mail: andy@ procomposites.com.uk. Alternatively, he will be available to discuss any requirements on the company’s stand in the Marina Yard Pavilion at METSTRADE in November.


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32  |  Page 33  |  Page 34  |  Page 35  |  Page 36