I started as an engineer back in 2004 and having been with the company for nearly two decades. It’s incredible to see how far we’ve come, from delivering small rental fleets to manufacturing our own products and providing critical equipment, products and services, globally to the marine sectors.

As one of the longest-serving employees in the business, can you tell us a bit about your time working at STR?

I started as an engineer back in 2004 and having been with the company for nearly two decades. It’s incredible to see how far we’ve come, from delivering small rental fleets to manufacturing our own products and providing critical equipment, products and services, globally to the marine sectors.

The business has experienced a tremendous amount of growth through investment in our team and technologies which has helped build a solid foundation for the business. I’ve worked within the design team since 2005 and there is a wealth of domain knowledge within our team; I believe that this is testament to STR’s culture and success.

Ultimately, engineering is about problem solving, and we have built a loyal customer base and feel they can approach us with a need to solve their technical and operational issues. A key differentiator for STR versus our competition is that we have in-house design and build capability to engineer a suite of in-house products and bespoke solutions that places us in a unique position within our market segment.

How would you say your experience contributes to the development of STR?

Over the years, I’ve been heavily involved with product design and development within STR, and it’s taught me the crucial importance of having a ‘We’ mentality in business and it pushes me to continue to drive things forward. In the subsea energy and marine science markets, you can’t get complacent, so we have to be prepared to continue to innovate and work towards developing the next disruptive cost effective product.

It’s important to remember the best solution is not always the most complex or expensive one, it’s often the simplest one; my experience has taught me that efficiency and innovation are key to providing simple, cost-effective solutions.

Can you tell us a bit about STR’s current technologies?

Innovation is a core tenet of STR. We are continually looking to improve our product range and develop new solutions which can be demonstrated through the evolution of our technology and product suite.

As the portfolio of technologies grows, the systems get smaller and more efficient. Having evolved to create innovative digital communication systems, the limits of our technology have been tried, tested, and proven to work well; our range of Drop Camera Systems is a prime example of this.

Our Drop Camera Systems are powerful communication systems equipped with 21 mega pixel digital SLR Cameras interfaced with a wide range of lights, sensors and datalogger. We’ve designed and manufactured everything in-house to create these products. This allows us to fully control our supply chain, optimise cost and system performance.

From these systems, the technology that has really been developed by our team is now utilised across a wide variety of systems including many ROVs.

Since 2021 we have also been redeveloping our winch suite to advance technologies and performance, such as remote interfacing to support operations via USV/ASV vessels and improved power efficiency, safety, reliability, and performance including speed and working load limit increases.

Initially we launched the SeaTow 6000, to complement our fleet of deep water sidescan sonar (SSS) and sub-bottom profiling (SBP) systems and quickly followed up with the SeaTow 500, which is set to become our most popular winch product. SeaTow 2000 has been developed subsequently as a high speed and line-pull product to support ROTV operation and high stress loads (such as gradiometers and combine SSS & SBP applications).

Unlike other electric winches in the market, we have applied our extensive domain knowledge and operational experience to design and manufacture systems that mitigates typical performance issues relating to signal loss and data corruption caused by electromagnetic interference generated by the winch itself. This ensures not only that the system can operate reliably without compromise to the data quality of the deployed sensor, but also ensures that the sensors are able to be deployed on the very longest lengths of cables; supporting increased depth of operation, and maximising the capability of the winch and sensor as a system.How do you think these technologies will contribute to the future of the industry?

How do you think these technologies will contribute to the future of the industry?

If we create a successful product, we don’t stop there, we’re always looking at ways to improve our products and meet the changing demands of the industry.

Efficiency is key, customers are always looking at ways to reduce time, vessel cost and improve data integrity. Our engineers are equipped to think critically and break the problem down so that they can improve and evolve our products to meet industry demand and support the journey to sustainability.

What are your business growth goals and plans for the next 3-5 years e.g., technological advancements?

We are working on a variety of different products, the team at STR conduct a series of research projects to adapt our priorities and anticipate future needs.

We are working with several customers to support the integration of our winches and their associated data telemetry systems/towed sensors into new build vessels such as ASVs and USVs, which is an exciting new chapter in development as customers seek to perform more work remotely or autonomously in the immediate future.

What’s the best piece of advice you’ve received that has helped you progress in your career?

I believe the single most important thing to realise is that you can’t give up. Being an engineer means you must embrace problems as without them, we wouldn’t be there to solve them. What I often tell entry level engineers is that if we were certain a product would pass its test, we wouldn’t bother testing it – we need to accept that things don’t always go to plan. We adapt, we refine, and we don’t give up.

Subsea Technology and Rentals (STR) is further strengthening its presence in the APAC region by securing new custom-designed premises in Singapore as part of its ongoing international growth plans.

STR, a leading provider of specialist survey and inspection rental equipment, products, and data-enabling services to the offshore energy market, has made the move to a larger 10,000 sq. ft. facility – three times the size of its previous premises.

The facility will allow STR to increase its service lines and capabilities and includes a large open-plan electronics workshop that features space to set up and test multiple complete offshore electronic spreads, cable spooling, testing facilities, and state-of-the-art access control features to satisfy the requirements for Singapore Customs Strategic Goods export controls.

With significant investment in its regional resources, including equipment & organisation, the custom-designed facility will enable the business to better support the growing demand from clients based in the region across the offshore energy market.

The move reflects the group’s ambitious growth plans following investment in new larger facilities in the USA and the launch of its 30,000 sq. ft Innovation and Technology Centre in Great Yarmouth, home to the research and development of STR’s technical solutions and products.

STR’s Regional Director for the Asia Pacific region, Jason French, said: “Our new Singapore facilities are further testament to the ambitious growth plans we have at STR and the trust we have built with our clients. It’s an opportunity to further build on STR’s significant presence and reputation in the region.

STR has the youngest and most advanced survey equipment fleet in the world. Offering an industry-leading working environment will provide a platform to attract more talent to our team enabling STR to provide a more extensive and best-in-class response service to our clients across the growing offshore energy market.

Strategically located alongside key logistics channels, we are looking forward to welcoming clients into our new facilities to experience first-hand our operational capability, new equipment fleet, in- house products, and specialist services we can support them with.”

Subsea Technology and Rentals (STR) is delighted to announce the appointment of Americas VP, Randy Mullins.

Randy brings over two decades of experience in offshore surveying and operations, fourteen years of which was spent with UTEC in senior roles, and in the company’s first global support role. Prior to this, his role with Fugro Canada as an offshore survey party chief involved delivering challenging construction projects both locally and globally. Randy brings extensive knowledge of the market and aims to strengthen the Group’s presence in the Americas.

Randy Mullins, VP Americas said: “I think 2023 will be a really exciting year for the energy market, especially with the emerging renewables sector in the Americas. I am looking forward to getting started in my new role and excited to join a business with a clear growth strategy and plans to further strengthen the team, equipment fleet and in-house product range. We have a great facility, a highly motivated team and a well invested equipment fleet which will enable us to service our customers with their growth plans through the energy transition in the Americas.”

Meet David, our QHSE and Facilities Manager!

With over 20 years of experience across a range of industries, David stepped into a QHSE role in 2015, and since then he has dedicated his attention to ensuring safe, secure, environmentally responsible, and healthy workplace practices. Having had previous experience supporting the offshore industry, two years ago David took the plunge and applied for the QHSE position at STR. David is an invaluable asset to our team and ensures our offering is delivered to the highest standards, adhering to all relevant QHSE standards and practices.

Sharing an insight into his career and how he ensures QHSE is prioritised across the group, here’s what David had to say.

Can you tell us a bit about your career history and how it has contributed to the progression into your current position?

I’ve had previous experience within several industries working from pharmaceutical analytical laboratories to quayside operations. My first venture into HSE activities was working for a survey company and seconded into an advisor role. From there, I completed my NEBOSH (National Examination Board in Occupational Safety and Health), became an HSE advisor for both onshore and offshore operations and after a few years, I wanted to further my academic achievements by embarking on a Diploma in Occupational HSE.

In previous roles I was responsible for multiple sites which has aided me, along with my expertise and experience, in undertaking my global remit at STR.

With extensive experience in health, safety and compliance roles, how do you ensure QHSE is prioritised across the business?

As a QHSE professional, my role is to ensure that these activities are viewed as a priority for STR and all its staff and as my primary function within the business, it gets my full attention. QHSE is a common discussion point in meetings across the business, with monthly updates given to the Board, management, and staff. I also support teams across the business; remaining accessible to differing working environments and engaging in conversation to identify potential improvements, areas of concern as well as the health and wellbeing of our employees.

A key aspect of my role is ensuring all new starts undertake a comprehensive QHSE induction, allowing me to introduce and explain STR’s core values and QHSE standards.

Leading QHSE activity in the group, can you outline a few strategies that are being implemented to ensure QHSE targets are being met?

Within STR, my aim is to make QHSE easily accessible to encourage engagement. We have recently introduced an online reporting system for safety observations to which all staff are encouraged to use this facility to report anything they think may be unsafe or potential ideas for improvement.

We’ve improved our means of auditing, adopting a more efficient platform, which is app based. This allows for pictures to be captured during audits for documentation, which increases the effectiveness of the process whilst also improving the evidence submitted to auditors.

By encouraging my colleagues to be involved in QHSE management, these updated systems have allowed us to use one system throughout the group; providing improved reporting and insights.

In light of STR’s recent ISO certifications for its UK facilities, what do you think this reflects about STR’s management standards?

Obtaining the three ISO standards (ISO: 14001, ISO: 14005, and ISO: 9001), first in our Great Yarmouth facility and more recently in Aberdeen, is a positive reflection on both the internal and external practices of the company.

To achieve multi-standard certification is not only a testament to STR’s management system but reflects the stringent compliance that is evident across each of its practices, processes and operations carried out by staff on a day-to-day basis across the entire group.

Subsea Technology and Rentals (STR), a leading global provider of specialist survey and inspection rental equipment, products and data enabling services to the offshore energy market is celebrating the launch of its Global Technology and Innovation Centre of Excellence after investing £ 1 million into the facility to drive its innovative solutions and support its growth plans.

The 30,000sq. ft facility in Great Yarmouth will be the home to the businesses’s standalone technology and innovation team responsible for STR’s research and development of its technical solutions and products.

The purpose built facility features state-of-the-art engineering and product development suites, mechanical and electronic assembly and testing areas supported by the recruitment of 19 new employees in Great Yarmouth.

The firm has experienced rapid growth during 2022 following the earlier announcement of investment from Baird Capital to support the STR’s growth with further plans to expand and strengthen its capabilities.

STR Chief Operating Officer, Scott Johnstone, said: “The launch of the new technology and innovation centre of excellence is a fantastic addition to the STR group offering. Through combining state of the art facilities with our experienced team and in-house technologies we will be better positioned to support our customers. We have a team with extensive knowledge in their field and as a company we have a proven and impressive track record of providing leading edge solutions and in-house products across the offshore energy market for more than 20 years.”

Photograph: STR Global Centre of Innovation and Technology

Email: erin.forbes@str-subsea.com
Tel: 01493 445440

Based in Aberdeen, Jill will spearhead STR’s organisation strategy, recruitment, talent development and delivery.

Since STR was acquired by Baird Capital in January 2022, the business has continued to invest in its people as it focuses on strengthening corporate and regional capabilities to deliver service excellence to its customers.

Steve Steele, STR’s CEO, said “Two key tenets of our strategy are our people and our customers. With plans to significantly strengthen our global organisation, Jill’s extensive HR and energy industry experience will make an important contribution to our growth ambition as we continue to invest in developing our organisation and strengthen our international operations to meet the growing demand across the subsea energy market.

I’m delighted to have Jill join our management team and believe the appointment will better equip us to overcome some of the current challenges and capitalise on the growing demand for our technology and services.”

Jill Williamson, STR’s Group Human Resources Manager said, “I am excited to join the STR team and look forward to developing a group-wide HR approach that underpins the group’s wider business strategy, with a clear focus on our people.”

Photograph: Jill Williamson
Email: erin.forbes@str-subsea.com
Tel: 01493 445440

SUBSEA TECHNOLOGY & RENTALS (STR) IS PLEASED TO ANNOUNCE THE RECENT APPOINTMENT OF ERIN FORBES AS GROUP MARKETING AND COMMUNICATIONS MANAGER.

Based in Aberdeen, Erin will spearhead STR’s brand and customer experience strategy and delivery.

Since STR was acquired by Baird Capital in January 2022, the business has continued to significantly invest in its people, global equipment fleet, in-house technologies, and facilities to support customers regionally and internationally.

Steve Steele, STR’s CEO, said “To attract someone of Erin’s calibre and experience into STR is a great endorsement of our culture, strategy and ambition. Erin has extensive marketing and commercial experience and joins us from one of the largest survey and geo-data companies in the energy sector. As such, she has an in-depth understanding of the main challenges our customers face and how we can best support them.”

“I am thrilled to announce the appointment of Erin as it will provide us with greater capability and focus on expanding our brand and the STR customer experience internationally.”

Erin Forbes, STR’s Group Marketing & Communications Manager, said “It’s an exciting opportunity and a first for STR to appoint a Group Marketing & Communications Manager. This is a testament to the organisation’s evolution and growth in what is looking to be a bright future.”

Photograph: Erin Forbes
Web: www.str-subsea.com
Email: ka.henney-cant@str-subsea.com