Dräger Marine & Offshore, a subsidiary of Dräger, a leader in the fields of safety and medical technology, has reported an increase of more than 20% in the rental of equipment following the opening of its new sales and training centre in Aberdeen.
The multi-million-pound facility, which opened last summer, is home to a confined space training unit and service and maintenance centre, while it can also provide a variety of classroom-based courses for the offshore and marine industry.
And the company believes moving into the new 2,000m2
site in ABZ Business Park, as well as investing £600,000 in on-site stock availability, has played its part in the increase in activity for Dräger Hire, a division of the UK business that offers cost effective, efficient and flexible support tailored to meet specific client safety challenges.
Matthew Bedford, Dräger Managing Director UK & Ireland, said: “I am delighted with the significant increase in rentals we have seen across the last year. The performance has exceeded expectations, and a large part of that is down to the investment the company has made in the stock we have available for hire.
“We have seen a rise in the number of rentals in different areas of the business across the whole organisation, which is an indication of the way the general market is going. Customers see us as trusted advisors rather than just suppliers, and being able to get everything they need for their operations from advice to kit in one place makes everything quicker and easier for them.”
Matthew also said that while the global shortage of semiconductor chips has presented a problem for manufacturers, it is a challenge the Dräger team in Aberdeen is able to overcome for customers – and quickly.
“Supply issues across all industries have meant customers can’t get the equipment they need as easily as they once could,” he said. “Manufacturer lead times across the globe can be up to six months, but by hiring equipment such as gas detectors and breathing apparatus, customers can receive what they need sooner, sometimes within hours of placing an order.
“We are also able to supply the most up-to-date equipment which can be tailored to the specific challenges customers have. For example, if there are certain gases they know could be present, they don't have to change out the sensors in their own kit, they just let us know the configuration required and it arrives ready for immediate use.
“We have found a lot of customers who would traditionally have bought their own equipment are now looking more at the rental market, and that, coupled with the investment we made in our stock last year, has proved positive for us. It is a market that we see continuing to grow throughout 2023 and beyond.”
Dräger Marine & Offshore Marketing Manager Euan McIntosh said the relationships and reputation the company has built in the marine and offshore industries has been crucial to its success.
He said: “A lot of the projects that we're working on have been long-term relationships, and we are advising customers a month or two before the work actually begins. We’ll go to the site and carry out surveys, working with the technical teams and drilling teams to establish precisely what they need so there are no curve balls on site. That early engagement with customers is crucial as there can quite often be a smarter, more efficient way of doing things.
“The investment in the infrastructure and facilities has been huge because we've been able to scale up our offering with more kit readily available. We have been able to host many lunch and learn sessions which have been beneficial for current and prospective customers as we can find out what their challenges are and talk about what we can do to help.”