ATR Group has announced a six-figure investment towards developing its inspection capabilities which will see in-house personnel delivering further rope access services and non-destructive testing (NDT), a method fast becoming one of the most in-demand techniques used by the energy industries across the globe.
NDT measures various material and mechanical properties of an object without affecting its operating performance. According to a recent report the global NDT market was estimated to be valued at $12.98 billion (USD) in 2015 and is projected to reach $18.88 billion by 2020.
As part of strengthening the capabilities of ATR Lifting Solutions’ 33 in-house engineers, the Group has appointed George Byers as divisional manager. An industry veteran with 30 years’ experience in oil and gas under his belt, he joins ATR following six years at international inspection services company Reel Group where since March 2015 he was the regional general manager in Houston, Texas.
ATR’s personnel are currently fully trained to industry body Lifting Equipment Engineers Association standards and are also qualified in accordance with Lifting Operations and Lifting Equipment Regulations 1998. Based in Aberdeen, Mr. Byers will oversee the workforce as they attend a combination of external and in-house training to become fully qualified in magnetic particle, dye penetrant, eddy current and ultrasonic NDT methods.
Findlay Moir, ATR Lifting Solutions Divisional Director
ATR Lifting Solutions divisional director Findlay Moir said: “We have one of the largest teams of inspection engineers in the UK oil and gas industry and, with George on board, the company is in a strong position to further develop our inspection and testing services to the next level.
“Given the challenging times facing the sector, we believe it is important to keep investing in and developing our people to ensure we can continue to offer increased value to our clients and galvanize our workforce.
“Advanced inspection services are the next logical step for ATR Lifting Solutions and we’ve already had strong interest from our clients to deliver this class of inspection. With the prospect of just one engineer needed to carry out routine inspections and NDT on the same work scope, it automatically makes it more time and cost effective for clients. It also has better safety implications.
“We look forward to George coming on board and broadening our inspection team’s expertise.”
Mr. Byers, who began his career as an NDT technician moving into management 10 years later, added: “ATR has a fantastic reputation for delivering successful campaigns here in the UK and globally, and I’m thrilled to be part of helping build on this even further.
“The supply chain has been hit hard by the downturn with companies looking to cut costs and make savings where possible. I truly believe this kind of investment in training will not only pay dividends to the business but strengthen ATR’s position as a leader in the sector.”
ATR Group is the market leader in the rental, sale and inspection of specialized equipment to the petrochemicals, marine, subsea and the offshore oil and gas industry. Its four business units are ATR Equipment Solutions, ATR Lifting Solutions, Underwater Engineering Services and Safety & Technical Hydraulics.
