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In the latest instalment of our ‘Meet the Team’ series, STR’s Regional Director, Neil Jackson, discusses his journey since joining the organisation in 2009, while providing insight into what the future holds for STR as a global provider of technology, rental equipment and data services to the offshore energy and marine science markets.

Read on to uncover what makes Neil so passionate about his work, the best piece of advice he’s ever received, and more…

As a long-serving employee, can you tell us a bit about your time working at STR?

“When I joined STR in 2009, we were a company of approximately 25 people operating in Great Yarmouth with a core focus in geophysical technologies. We have now grown to a team of 100 experts across the globe, and it has been fantastic playing my part in this exciting journey.

“I started at STR as a Business Development Manager, which was my first role in sales following a military electrical and electronic engineering background, and then working offshore in a geotechnical discipline. This experience set me up well, as I had a broad technical baseline and relatable field experiences, enabling me to deliver a strong service to our customers.

“My role has changed massively since I joined the organisation, as I’ve progressed from Business Development Manager, to Sales and Operations Manager, and now I’m a Regional Director responsible for the largest region within STR. Over the years I’ve supported the growth of our international business, travelled across the world to support customers with our subsea products and services, and helped to lead our passionate team to achieve our ambitious goals.”

What is your key area of expertise? Which of STR’s technologies are you most involved in?

“I’m generally seen as someone who has in-depth knowledge around our historical products. Since the early days, we’ve been seen as the go-to experts for geophysical survey related products, so that’s become my core area of expertise, and that really fits quite well into what’s going on in the offshore energy market at the moment.

“In offshore wind, for example, the ability to map and define the seabed is critical and relies on well developed geophysical surveys. So our knowledge and experiences continue to be very relevant for our customers.”

What does a typical day look like for your role – what is the ultimate goal for you?

“My role is incredibly varied as I hold ultimate responsibility across all aspects of my region – P&L, organisation, customer relationships to name a few, but my typical day is centred around supporting my management team to deliver our day-to-day services and future aspirations.

“Everything we aim to do in the business is all about giving our customers the absolute best service we can, and for me, it’s really important that I have a purposeful connection with our customers. Even though I’m now responsible for worksites in Great Yarmouth and Aberdeen, we’re collectively working as one team, so I feel it’s not only important to share my own experience but to embrace the daily challenges we often face in a reactive industry together.”

What do you enjoy most about your job? Why are you so passionate about the work you do?

“Leading a team of technical experts who provide 24/7 technical support, tailored solutions, equipment rental and services in our industry isn’t for everybody. Although incredibly rewarding, it can be a high pressure, dynamic environment where our customers’ project success will often be dependent on our service delivery, but I’m someone who embraces these challenges and this is embedded in the culture at STR. Across the industry we are seeing notable advancements in data driven solutions which STR is at the forefront of providing its customers, which is great to be a part of.”

What does STR’s future within the industry look like to you over the next 3 to 5 years?

“I think the future is really bright. Supporting the transition into sustainable offshore energy is really exciting but also very important for our future, and it creates a lot of opportunities for businesses like ours who can support the industry with new technologies.

“There are plenty of transferable skills and experiences that can go into the transition, but there’s a lot of new things for us to learn too which is exciting. Our R&D capability means as a company that designs and manufactures its own products, we can continually evolve and focus on the next industry needs. By utilising our domain knowledge, we’re in a really good position to deliver products that support the energy transition. For example, due to an industry drive for remote technologies, our range of electric survey winches that have been used on typical survey vessels for over 20 years now have built-in features for remote operation on USVs, which is seen as the next big advancement in our industry.

“Offshore energy developments around the world continue to evolve at a fast pace, meaning our growth strategy must mirror the demands and needs of our customers. With the support of our investors, we will have an enhanced customer offering to enable a closer role with our clients and their project requirements. We’ve got a successful geographical footprint already, but we will continue our momentum with a focus on offshore renewable energy projects. With our increased activities globally, this creates rewarding opportunities for our team to experience working in different environments and cultures.”

Why do you think people choose STR?

“We’re perhaps not the biggest rental company in the industry but we aspire to be a market leader for service and quality, and with the support of our new investors we continue to grow and diversify in all areas of our business. For me, it’s always been about our service delivery and the client relationships we create throughout the journey. I would like to think our historical and new clients can really connect themselves to our core values.”

What’s the best piece of advice you’ve received in your career?

“Working in sales, you’re inevitably going to come across challenging situations and customer relationships aren’t always going to be straightforward because they’re facing their own pressures. But don’t burn bridges – focus instead on building partnerships and relationships.

“I was given this advice early on in my career and I’ve come back to it often. It’s important to protect your professional relationships developed throughout your career, because you just never know when you’ll benefit from that relationship further down the line.”

Find out more about STR and our suite of best-in-class services here…

Every day is different thanks to the diverse portfolio of projects I’m involved in. However, my day-to-day activities are to test the STR kit and ensure the quality is consistent and at the highest level we, and our customers, expect.

Can you tell us a bit about your day-to-day activities in your role?

Recently, I’ve also had the privilege to step into a calibration role within the Houston base. Working alongside the calibration team has provided another exciting opportunity to learn, develop my skill set, and gain new experience.

What attracted you to join STR?

My position at STR provided me with the chance to kick-start a brand-new journey in my life.

After learning about the industry from a family friend, I was captivated immediately. With such an exciting future ahead and so much potential to unlock, I was determined to break into the industry. With the work STR has performed in the Americas region, its investment in people, new technology and plans to continue growing in the region, I felt that it was the company for me, and now was the perfect time.

I was fortunate to get the opportunity to step into STR’s brand-new Houston base, where I have learned and grown alongside the business ever since. Easily one of the best choices I’ve made, the team I work with at STR has become like family, and the rotational engineers have become some of my closest friends.

STR is passionate about supporting new talent embarking on their career, what kind of opportunities do you think should be available in the industry as a whole?

I think awareness and understanding is key. I believe that if more people knew about the ins and outs of the subsea energy market, the potential and capabilities of the technology deployed, and the different kinds of equipment packages and solutions we provide every day, they would fall in love as I did.

STR prides itself on creating a culture and work environment that allows individuals to thrive and achieve their potential, develop unique skill sets, and build exciting careers for themselves.

For the industry to continue evolving and growing, it needs to invest in the next generation of leaders, managers, technicians, and engineers. STR has afforded me the chance to learn so much in a short space of time, leaving me excited for what each day brings.

What are your ambitions and goals for your role at STR? Where would you like to be in 3 – 5 years?

When I first started my career at STR, I didn’t think I would be in the position I’m in right now which is a testament to the unique working environment and encouragement for development.

In three to five years, I would like to be someone in the workshop who anyone can come to and feel comfortable asking questions and looking for help or guidance on any subject. I want to be someone who can help others learn and grow, just as my peers have been for me.

STR is a company where if you come to work every day and be diligent in your learning, the possibilities are endless.

What advice would you pass on to other young people looking to break into the industry and kickstart their careers?

Never say no to any opportunity to learn and grow yourself. Instead, dive in head first and take it as it comes.

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?

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.

What inspired you to choose a career in engineering?

“I’ve always had an interest in electronics and engineering, which developed throughout my time at secondary school. This encouraged me to study an HND in Electrical Engineering in the hope of pursuing a career within the industry.”

How has STR supported your skill development and career progression?

“STR has supported me from the moment I joined the team as a Base and Offshore Engineer in 2021. At the time, I was studying at college, as well as gaining industry experience within the STR workshop and mobilising vessels offshore. Receiving support from the STR team throughout my studies helped me to achieve my qualification and developed my knowledge of offshore engineering and processes.

“I have since been promoted to Group Survey Technician and I’m thoroughly looking forward to continuing my career with STR and seeing what the future holds!”

What opportunities has STR provided for expanding your knowledge of the energy and marine industries?

“It has an excellent mentoring structure in place, which has expanded my knowledge of the energy and marine science markets and enhanced my capabilities as an engineer.

“Extensive training with manufacturers has also been provided, which has helped me gain a better understanding of the subsea equipment that we provide and how we can support our customers with their offshore projects.”

What advice would you give to someone looking to start a career in engineering?

“I would recommend going into further education and attaining a qualification within the engineering discipline you’re most interested in. As well as this, gaining hands-on industry experience is excellent for developing your skill set and learning on the job.”