Director’s Report
‘Our best year yet, but…’
2016 will again see the BVAA participate in Valve Word, and host the British Reception.
Membership continues to rise steadily.
Regular readers will know that a report of significant growth at BVAA – on several measures - has generally been the norm for the last decade. Indeed so it was in 2015, fiscally our best year ever… But with oil prices plummeting globally, the UKCS sector – where many members are focussed - is proving a particularly difficult place for them to win new project business. Yet perversely there was a recent announcement of a significant upturn in year-on-year UKCS production - the huge investments of recent years having obviously paid off. A lesson to be learned there for us all perhaps. Even so, not all the operators can turn a profit in the prevailing conditions, but some notably can, and we must ask ourselves ‘why not all?’ Given the situation it will therefore come as no surprise that our Board have focussed attention on what BVAA can do to help the UKCS operators with efficiencies so they can continue to invest, while at the same time – through the formation of a new BVAA Business Development Group - starting to explore opportunities in other markets for the industry. Last year the Secretariat girded itself for a turn down, taking the appropriate measures, but again contrarily we were busier than ever ourselves. Despite consolidation in the industry BVAA membership continues to grow, albeit in a less dramatic manner. We did cross the 200-member threshold though – heady stuff compared to our low point of just 55 in 2003. The new HQ is proving a solid, wellused investment and as our Chairman indicated we are already setting about reducing our modest mortgage. Seeing 32 delegates training on the same course together in the Peter Churm Technical Centre is certainly a very rewarding sight! As was the first of meeting there of our aforementioned ‘Future Leaders’ group – another huge BVAA investment in the future of our industry.This year also saw something of a renaissance in the already-busy Technical section, with several new strands of activity being launched, and the introduction of Technical Expert Groups - a new concept in the way technical matters will be managed. Also new was our ‘Supplier Day’ initiative, bringing the valve industry supply chain and our many diverse members together. And at first offering, it was the best-attended event of the year, save the AGM. There’s more on this in the following reports. All this could not be done of course without my hardworking team of the BVAA Chairman, Board and members, and in particular the working group chairs. Lastly I would also like to take this opportunity to personally thank my small team of Karen Webb, Barbra Homer, Isobel Goldthorpe and our Accountant Chris Griffin, plus of course Technical Consultant Martin Greenhalgh, who help keep the Association running so efficiently.
Published: 17th February 2016
