One year on, we caught up with the team to discuss the division’s key milestones, progress across the region and what lies ahead for ICR in Africa.
1. Looking back over the past 12 months, what have been the biggest milestones and achievements for your team?
Scott Byers, Head of Sales – Africa: “Scaling up the team has really increased our capacity to meet the growing demands of our African partner network and allowed us to invest more time in developing their territories. The expansion has also given us the opportunity to enter new regions, promote Technowrap™ and Quickflange™ more widely and continue our plans to increase our coverage across Africa.”
2. How has customer demand across Africa evolved over the past year, and what trends are you seeing in the market?
Scott: “Demand for our engineered composite repairs continues to grow, driven by our reputation for quality and reliability. Combined with our ability to reinstate structural members and decks, this is contributing to a shift towards a more preventative maintenance mindset. We are also seeing increasing demand for Quickflange™ as clients recognise the benefits of reduced downtime and workforce requirements compared with hot-work pipeline repairs and replacement.”
3. Having spent more than a year supporting customers across Africa, what has stood out to you most about the region and its requirements for ICR’s services?
Niel Jordan: “What’s stood out to me is the clear desire to develop technical knowledge across the region and embrace new technologies like Technowrap™ and Quickflange™ to overcome challenges more quickly and safely.”
4. What challenges are customers bringing to you, and how are solutions like Technowrap™, Quickflange™ and INSONO™ helping them overcome those challenges?
Niel: “Many assets across the region are reaching later stages of their operational life, with operators looking to extend their lifespan beyond their original design life. That’s where our technologies come in, whether through Technowrap™ composite repairs that can deliver design lives of up to 20 years or Quickflange™ weldless connectors, which provide a permanent solution for pipeline repairs without hot work.”
5. You have more than 11 years of hands-on experience with Technowrap™ installations. How does that practical background help you support customers today?
John: “I’ve found that my hands-on experience helps me provide quicker, more informed answers to customers. Having worked with Technowrap™ in a variety of situations and environments, I can offer practical, operational and technical guidance informed by real-world experience.”
6. What do you think sets ICR apart when delivering asset integrity solutions across Africa?
John: “The integrity and transparency of our teams, combined with more than 30 years of experience, set ICR apart. We pride ourselves on the quality of support we provide to clients, partners and operators, and I think that shows in our track record.”
7. Looking ahead, what excites you most about the future of ICR in Africa?
Niel: “What excites me most is building on the success we’re already seeing and expanding our footprint across the region. Africa has significant ageing oil and gas infrastructure, alongside major offshore and onshore developments. Operators are increasingly looking for safer, faster and more cost-effective ways to maintain their assets and extend their operational life, and I believe ICR is well positioned to support them.
Our proven technologies, Technowrap™ and Quickflange™, are backed by extensive global experience, and we are seeing growing interest in both across Africa. We are also continuing to develop our partner network, combining ICR’s engineering expertise and technologies with strong local capability and knowledge.
Ultimately, I see significant potential for ICR to continue supporting operators in maintaining asset integrity, reducing unnecessary shutdowns and hot work, improving safety and extending asset life across the region.”
Contact Our Africa Division Today
If you’re interested in discovering what benefits our technologies can unlock for you, then reach out to a member of our team today.
