BUSINESS NEWS


Wales’ Minister for Economy officially opens Markes International’s new headquarters


Welsh Minister for Economy, Vaughan Gething MS, officially opened Markes International’s new headquarters on 23 September.


The specialist analytical instrumentation manufacturer had moved its entire Welsh operations in March this year, relocating from Llantrisant to a newly refurbished site in Bridgend which is twice as large as its former premises.


“Obviously the pandemic delayed any official opening, but with restrictions now lifting, we felt the time was right,” commented Markes’ Managing Director, Tim Hawkins.


Before cutting the ribbon, Hawkins and Markes’ Head of Business Operations, Pamela Simpson, took Economy Minister Mr Gething on a tour of the site, starting with the company’s demonstration laboratory before moving onto its 52,800 square foot factory and bespoke-fitted research and development facilities.


Markes develops and manufactures all of its specialist laboratory instruments at the site, which is its largest in the UK. Markes also has sites in the US, Germany, Canada, China and Asia-Pacific. The company’s instruments are used to detect chemicals in solids, liquids and gases in much smaller quantities than have been previously possible. The instruments are used in numerous sectors such as environmental monitoring, defence and forensics, food and drink – and often in ground-breaking ways, such as detecting COVID-19 and


Fugro boosts laboratory capacity by 50 % to meet industry demands


cancer in breath and biological samples.


Explaining why Markes had chosen Bridgend to relocate to, Hawkins said: “Location is everything for a manufacturing business like ours. This is an established industrial area, so we benefit from a readily available skill set. Also, Bridgend has great transport links – the M4 is just minutes away, as is Cardiff airport. Plus, as a scientific company, we have strong partnerships with national [Welsh] universities, both for shared research projects and also as a resource for our graduate and postgraduate posts.”


Following his tour, Economy Minister Mr Gething said: “It was interesting to learn that Markes doesn’t just invent and make the instruments it sells the world-over, the business is also involved at an industry ‘grass roots’ level, often sitting on the boards of standards agencies like ISO, CEN and the FDA and helping to establish actual testing methods. It’s another example of a Welsh tech company setting the global standard for excellence – literally, in Markes’ case.


“It was a pleasure to visit and meet the staff and to officially declare the site open, and I am delighted we have been able to support the company via our Business Wales service. I wish Markes every success with their continued growth trajectory.”


After the visit, Sarah Murphy (MS for Bridgend and Porthcawl) commented in her Twitter feed: “We’re fortunate to have such an


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excellent factory and technical centre for research, manufacturing and engineering in our community, and Wales.”


Markes’ Founding Director, Alun Cole, said: “We were absolutely delighted that Economy Minister Mr Gething could come and see the site for himself, and very grateful to him for doing the official opening. We’re a Welsh ‘born and bred’ company and have almost 140 staff here in Bridgend, so it was a proud moment to be able show a Welsh Government Minister around.”


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In-Situ expands expertise in surface water and coastal monitoring with new application development managers


In-Situ Inc. is pleased to announce that Kerry Caslow and Brock Houston have joined the company as application development managers specialising in surface water. Their arrival increases the company’s capacity to support customers working in rivers, lakes, wetlands, and coastal monitoring applications.


Fugro’s advanced geotechnical testing laboratory capacity is set to increase by over 50 % across Europe and America by the end of 2021. This development across three key laboratories - Wallingford, Houston and Brussels – will significantly reduce the turnaround time of test Geo-data and ensure a rapid response to the growing demands of the energy and infrastructure sectors.


All laboratories feature newly customised equipment that has been designed in collaboration with suppliers, allowing Fugro to offer project- specific and research-level testing on a commercial scale. The total expansion includes over 100 cyclic and static simple shear and triaxial testing devices to ensure representative results across all soil types, including stiff clays, sand and soft rocks. A third of these devices are capable of measuring soil small strain stiffness parameters, which are critical for offshore wind farm foundation design.


Amin Rismanchian, Fugro’s Global Director of Geotechnical Laboratory Services, said: “Our laboratories provide unprecedented capability for advanced geotechnical testing worldwide, answering the call from clients for increased testing capacity. We’re not just receiving and analysing samples; with this investment in people, equipment and technology, we’re providing an all-in-one solution for clients that delivers high-quality testing results on time and within budget to reduce project risks.”


The laboratories have similar scopes of accreditation, quality management systems and procedures, guaranteeing harmonised and reproducible results throughout the regions.


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For the last decade, Caslow has worked as an emerging leader in the hydrology industry, focused on helping others understand their water quality equipment to achieve the highest quality data possible. Her career has taken her from serving on an urban hydrology team with U.S. Geological Survey, where she guided sampling teams and helped determine the effects of surface runoff on local watersheds, to her most recent position as an application specialist, where she was responsible for customer training and beta testing new products.


“I’m extremely excited to be part of the team at In-Situ. The opportunity to join a team of like-minded, goal-driven professionals is a dream come true, and I can’t wait to see what comes next,” says Caslow.


As a biologist with years of experience designing custom field stations and integrating technologies that sense a wide variety of parameters for scientists and coastal stakeholders, Houston is passionate about protecting the ocean as the world’s biggest natural resource. He also brings a wealth of knowledge related to integrated systems and providing complete system solutions for customers. He holds an M.S. in Marine Resource Assessment from the University of South Florida’s College of Marine Science.


“It’s great to be part of In-Situ and contribute to the continued success of this company,” says Houston. “I’m looking forward to working with the team to help expand our presence in the coastal market and innovate new and improved technology that meets the needs of customers.”


Caslow and Houston join Adam Hobson, PG, In-Situ’s application development manager for groundwater. Hobson has more than 20 years of experience addressing water and environmental issues around the world. With the addition of Caslow and Houston, this well-rounded team is prepared to lend their knowledge to customers and increase the company’s capacity to assist with monitoring projects locally and around the world.


“With Kerry and Brock joining us, we’ve added significant surface water and coastal application knowledge, as well as system-integration expertise to our team. This is a great complement to our existing and extensive groundwater application experience,” says In-Situ Vice President of Sales Chris Lowry.


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