The company, which began life in April 1994 and was acquired by current managing director Martin Halford in 2009, will stage a series of events, including a staff away day, culminating in a celebration in the summer.
Halford said: “We bought the business on 1 October 2009, and I started the following month. My father was working in the offshore industry and joined me five years later, before retiring last year. I had no idea how to buy a business and didn’t really think it was possible, but that’s history now.”
Halford first walked through the DLM door on work experience as a 15-year-old. He continued to visit during holidays, while studying electronic engineering at university. He started work as a technical sales engineer elsewhere but kept in touch with DLM’s previous owners and was aware of their plans to eventually sell-up and retire.
Today, DLM provides a range of equipment, including load cells that capture data as tension is applied to lifting and marine equipment. Turnover has grown almost ten times since 2009, and in that time the company has moved from a converted barn into a state-of-the-art, 8,000ft2 facility. The company employs 25 members of staff and has a facility in Singapore.
It started out supplying subsea load pins to the offshore cable laying industry, while growth overseas has dovetailed with the expansion of calibration services, as DLM moved into electronics.
Halford said: “We still work in the same industries but have expanded and improved our product offerings and scope of our supply internationally. We have always tried to maintain the mentality that customer service is our priority, and our ethos is built on finding a way to solve project challenges. As we’ve expanded, there’s been a requirement to reinforce our product provision with [ISO, ATEX, and other] accreditations.”
Investment has continued in the hire fleet too, and Halford also pointed to development of the TW-3.0 handheld, which is a wholly owned DLM product; expansion of computer-aided design and engineering technology and personnel; and increased presence in subsea and renewables sectors. In fact, subsea load pins are a best-seller.
He added: “We are constantly innovating and looking at how our products can be better. We want to totally digitise the company and all its processes, and in the next three years we want to go paperless.
“We also want to position ourselves as the prominent load cell manufacturer in the lifting industry and continue to be known for offering custom solutions to clients’ requirements. Longer term, we aim to be the key equipment supplier to the offshore cable lay industry and be able to offer a complete package to clients ahead of projects.”
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