The recent announcement that EnerQuip had taken on its 100th member of staff was a huge milestone for our company, and an important reminder for us to pause and reflect on how far we’ve come in a short time writes Andrew Robins, Managing Director, EnerQuip.
It’s amazingly easy to get caught up in running and growing a business, and to a certain extent that’s necessary, but it’s also useful to stop and look at what you’ve achieved (sometimes against the odds) to renew your focus and vigour for the next phase of the journey.
EnerQuip set up shop in 2015 in the face of a challenging economic downturn in the oil industry and aimed to showcase the combined power of teamwork and innovation. From the beginning, we were immensely proud of our resilience in the face of adversity and it’s just as well – as we all now know, worse was to come when the pandemic struck. In a sense, however, opening the doors during tough times gave us something of a grounding in resilience and adaptability, built on a solid foundation of innovation, teamwork and unwavering determination.
Eight years ago, as the oil industry grappled with uncertainty then as it has again more recently, we seized the opportunity to disrupt the torque machine market, taking a global view from the start. That broad vision plus an emphasis on innovation and building a talented team of people proved to be the driving forces that gave us the tools and strength to face challenging market conditions.
Often in times of uncertainty, it’s a natural reaction for companies to tighten their belts and shy away from risk but rather than consign ourselves to the ebb and flow of market vagaries, swimming against the tide has proved to be our greatest growth strategy. New products, new places and new people have provided the pillars of calculated risk which have paid off in spades – even during the most unpredictable of times – and weaving them into our team’s DNA from the start has helped us to face business headwinds, market fluctuations and global disruptions to stand tall.
This year alone, we’ve seen a steep upward growth trajectory which saw a 25% year-on-year increase in work won during the first quarter of the year, with EnerQuip securing more than $6.2 million of capital equipment contracts during that period. That has, in turn, sparked an ongoing recruitment drive which has taken us to the milestone of now having 100 of the best in the industry on our team and that will only serve to bolster us as we look to the future with confidence and optimism.
So, what’s the message here? Well, in short, always remember that it is possible to grow your business, sometimes against the odds. It can be hard and it’s far from plain sailing but it is possible – and when it happens, remember to stop and reflect on how you did it, so you can keep doing it!