Hawarden company expands into the Middle East on back of export success

An award-winning company in Flintshire has expanded its business into the Middle East for the first time after securing a 7.5-million-pound contract in the region.

The move comes as part of the company’s strategy to grow its global presence through exports.

Hawarden-based Cokebusters is a manufacturing and service provider that specialises in the maintenance of furnace and fired heaters tubes at oil refineries across the world.

The company, a world leader in decoking and inspection operations, has seen its sales rise by 41% in the last two years to over £6 million, thanks to export sales, which make up 95% of the firm’s trade.

The company currently exports to over 20 countries including the USA, United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Chile, Greece, Kuwait, Italy and Spain, with its skilled engineers travelling to oil refineries across the world.

This new five-year contract in Abu Dhabi with Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC) will provide pigging and de-scaling services for steam generators and boilers in the Middle East worth in excess of £7.5 million.

The deal is an important step in Cokebusters’ international growth strategy, where the oil rich Middle East is a vital territory.

The move is another overseas success for the company, which this year has also renewed its contracts with two major oil companies in Europe.

Commercial Manager at Cokebusters, Duncan Cully, said:

“We’re very proud to sign a major contract in the Middle East. You can only grow so much in a limited market which is why we have focused our growth overseas.

We’re looking forward to expanding our business into even more territories as we continue to develop our machinery.”

Cokebusters is one of a group of Welsh businesses that recently exhibited at the International Petroleum Exhibition and Conference (ADIPEC) following support from Welsh Government, accessed through Business Wales.

The world’s largest trade show for the oil and gas sector takes place in Abu Dhabi each year and gives businesses the opportunity to meet influencers and experts from a range of markets in the region, including UAE and Oman.

Earlier this year, Cokebusters received the Queen’s Award for Enterprise in the International Trade Category.

It was one of only 230 British companies to receive the prestigious prize, which is awarded to businesses for outstanding achievement in international trade, innovation and sustainable development.

Alongside Cokebusters’ headquarters in Hawarden, which employs 35 people, the company also has a base in the USA, enabling the firm to provide the highest quality service to oil refineries all over the world.

The company increased its workforce by 15% in the last year as export activities have continued to grow.

This year, the company expects to exceed its sales target of £7.5 million by at least ten to fifteen per cent thanks in large part to developing its export business.

Duncan added: “Wales is a world leader in engineering and creativity and our team at Cokebusters has a wealth of industrial experience, meaning that we can develop innovative technologies which enable us to best serve our clients.

“Cokebusters continues to grow and is always looking to penetrate new markets abroad. As a world leader at inspection technology, we are also planning to update our software in the near future, which will provide us with more opportunities to expand our export services even further.”