30th Year Celebrations for Systems Integrator

Celebrations are underway this month as Systems Integrators, CSE Servelec, mark their 30th anniversary.

CSE Servelec, previously known as Servelec, began in July 1977 selling water-cooled panel instrumentation to British Steel in Rotherham.

During the 80’s the company branched out, first into the design and installation of fire and gas detection systems on North Sea exploration platforms with Mass Flow Computing, and then into the water industry, creating control systems for water treatment works.  The development of such systems brought new expertise to the company in computer software.

Throughout the late 1980’s and early 1990’s Servelec worked with the newly privatised water companies on the modernisation of the nation’s water infrastructure with microprocessor and control instrumentation.

The hi-tech skills acquired and nurtured during this period led to diversification into a wide variety of unrelated industries, from food manufacturing to pharmaceutical, healthcare to mass communications.

The company also has a manufacturing division, CSE Seprol, which designs, builds and assembles remote telemetry units for information gathering.

Servelec moved to its base on Rotherside Road in 1982, doubling in size of the premises in 1988 and then again in 1991. 

The speed of growth of the company brought a number of ownership changes.

In 1998, when the company picked up a significant contract with Welsh Water, it needed a parent to act as a financial guarantor and was acquired by Portals.  But when, in 1995 Portals was acquired by De La Rue, a management buyout tookplace in partnership with 3i.

In July 2000, the company was bought by the Singapore-based CSE, a systems and engineering specialist with an international presence spanning Americas, Asia Pacific, Europe, Africa and the Middle East.  The Group employs over 1000 people worldwide, with over 85% representing its design, engineering and project management capability and experience.  CSE is one the largest independent systems integrators of its kind.

In 2003, Servelec expanded through the acquisition of ttc, an oil and gas pipeline systems supplier, based in Bratislava, Slovakia.  ttc employ over 70 people who are based in offices in Nitra, Bratislava and Kosice, and whose experience complements CSE Servelec’s existing skill and capabilities in the oil and gas pipeline markets.

Early this year the Group continued its expansion through the acquisition of Scomagg Limited, a company based in Scotland which provides system integration services to the oil & gas, power generation, utilities and food & beverage industries. 

Employing approximately 100 staff and operating from offices in Aberdeen, Motherwell and Rotherham, Scomagg provides a wide range of technology driven consultancy services, information management solutions, systems integration and system support services for many blue chip clients in the public and private sectors.

The history of the last 30 years shows, more than anything, that CSE Servelec is flexible and innovative with a strong track record for making the most of its strengths.   The current workforce in Sheffield of around 240 is still expanding, and there is still room for growth on site.

As a result of their success, the CSE Servelec Group is celebrating their 30th anniversary with a Summer Ball which will take place later this month.

July 2007