WinMan customer wins the Queen's Award for Innovation 2009 Congratulations to Newton Abbot-based Centek Limited, the market leader in oil and gas casing centralizers. They have won the Queen's Award for Enterprise 2009 for continuous product innovation and development over a five year period. In 2008 Centek also received the Queen's Award for outstanding achievement in International Trade. Centek manufactures casing centralizers, which are used in oil and gas drilling to position pipes down the drilled hole prior to cementation.
"This is a Devon success story and we are thrilled to receive the UK's most prestigious innovation award," said Tony Cutmore, Managing Director of Centek. "Over an eight year period we have taken the product we originally designed and improved it to such an extent that it is now the best casing centralizer available. We've put in place a new, original and highly effective joining process that further increases the already substantial strength of our centralizers, which combined with our proprietary heat treatment produces a product of unequalled flexibility and robustness. The Centek bow spring centraliser is now accepted as the best in the world – not bad for a small company from Devon!"
Innovation is at the heart of Centek's approach and success, based on an original idea of the company founders back in 2001. Centek centralizers have no welds or moving parts and are made from a single piece of heat-treated steel that reduces friction and gives great strength combined with flexibility, allowing the centralizer to compress, without breaking, as it goes down the drill hole, and to expand to its correct diameter centring the oil pipe in the hole. This allows cement to be pumped evenly around the pipe to secure it at depths as great as 15,000 feet.
"The Queen's Award recognizes the innovative designs and technologies that have enabled Centek to double its export sales since 2004," continued Tony Cutmore. "It comes as a result of years of dedication and hard work, and I congratulate and thank every member of the team for contributing to this commitment to excellence. Seeing as we won the Exports award last year, I wonder if we get to fly two flags!"
Centek employs 49 people, exporting to 32 countries with patents held in 16 countries. Centek emphasises product quality and customer support, and 80 per cent of its sales in the company year ending 31st October 2008 were repeat orders from existing customers. Centek has achieved ISO 9001-2000 and API SPEC 10 D – 0022 certification, both essential competencies in the oil industry.
The Queen's Awards for Enterprise are the UK's most prominent awards for business performance, and are awarded for achievements in three categories: International Trade, Innovation and Sustainable Development.
