OGV Energy meet with Nicky Adams of Aberdeen Corrosion Solutions

Aberdeen Corrosion Solutions covers every aspect of Industrial Coatings, from training & competence assessments, technical advice, surveys, supply/hire of equipment & inspection.

We operate from a purpose built in-house facility based at Stork in Dyce, which has recently been developed to allow us to take larger items such as offshore containers and casings. Additionally, we also have previous experience with “general” items such as alloy wheels, red London phone boxes and garden gates; all of which keeps us busy.

The company was initially formed as a Ltd company by a friend, Craig Hobin. At the time Craig was operating on his own and focusing on paint inspection and training. Due to Craig being offered a permanent role elsewhere, I took over from him and became owner, closing my own company NJA coatings Management Ltd. Doing all of this during a slump in the industry was very nerve wrecking, but I was up for the challenge and had belief in my venture being a great success.

The biggest challenge has most certainly been developing our business model with Stork to where it is today.

Our development concept originated on what is now referred to as “the magic whiteboard”, a small board in my office that I used to draw a sketch of how the expansion would look and “selling” that to Stork management - it’s almost nostalgic and will always be a reminder of where it all started. I’m delighted that these challenges were overcome through persistence and forging strong collaborations based upon quality, cost, flexibility and exceeding expectations.

All Aberdeen Corrosion Solutions staff are highly trained and occupationally competent, and the company delivers a broad range of accredited training courses to meet industry standards and specific client requirements.

We are looking to expand on this and operate an apprentice type of system; introducing younger people to the specialised coatings trade is something we are very keen on doing and are excited about, along with having our own accreditation standard.

Within the short time of myself as Director, March 2018, we have rapidly grown from 1 to a current team of 4 employees, along with a live CV database with over 50 names fulfilling various positions within the industry, something we pride ourselves on maintaining and building.

The data base is used so as we can meet the needs of our clients as fast as possible whilst still providing the highest possible standard. All employees assigned to any job will have the appropriate training, skill set and conduct a pre job brief to ensure a job specific assessment is conducted.

In collaboration with Stork, our client base ranges from local small companies to some of the biggest service providers within the industrial coatings sector, something we are looking to build on in the future.

Our initial drive was to focus on the Offshore and Marine industry, however since the positive recognition of Aberdeen Corrosion Solutions we have now moved into other sectors such as renewable energy wind farms, nuclear plants and sub stations, we have even grown into the market of alloy wheels. My focus has always been to try and have all things surrounding protective coatings under one roof, why go anywhere else when you can do it with us. We have specialist working for us in each department so you will receive the highest industry standard no matter what your requirements are.

I have been involved in Protective Coatings since May 2008. I was on the pilot course of the OPITO Level 1 Blaster sprayer trainee course which I later went on to instructing. I also then went on to carry out the competence assessments, become NACE qualified and held various job roles offshore such as Charge Hand & Supervisor. Having this experience has allowed me to introduce the positive aspects of each role and to implement an improve plan where needed. This allows us to be open minded with each job and not afraid to do things differently, whilst still complying with standards.

Our main “partner” in progressing the business has been Stork, and in particular their excellent Training & Competency Assurance team. Training has always been something I have been passionate about and it is where all of this started. Had the management at Stork training not helped me realise my passion and ability, and recognised the opportunities that presented, then who knows where I would be right now.

Looking ahead, we already have a number of potential new clients in the pipeline that will enable us to expand our capabilities and we are passionate about becoming a recognised industry service provider ourselves. However, we are going to have to walk before we can run and that is something we are very aware of, with a fast paced industry that is constantly improving and developing we need to stay current without getting too far ahead of ourselves. With the current team we have, the support behind us and our improvement plan I think we will do well. I also recently had a son, Reid Adams, so every step I take and company decision made is with him at the forefront of my mind, I don’t want to be the father who tells his son about a company he once had, I want to be the father who says “here son, take the reins”, as cliché as that sounds.

Find out more about Aberdeen Corrosion Solutions at www.aberdeencorrosionsolutions.co.uk