Press Release
25-04-2007:Chemring Marine Limited, part of Chemring Group PLC, formed to become customer facing business unit for leading marine pyrotechnic brands Pains Wessex and Comet
April 2007 A new company, Chemring Marine Limited, has been formed to handle the two world leading marine distress signal brands for the leisure and commercial marine sectors. The company will be led by Managing Director Robert Hill.
Headquartered in the UK, Chemring Marine Limited will market the Pains Wessex and Comet brands, reflecting the strength and importance of both to their respective worldwide distribution partner networks.
“Setting up a single company provides more flexibility and increased capability, enabling Chemring Marine to improve its supply and service into its key markets from its manufacturing sites in Europe” said Hill.
Chemring Marine’s sales team, based in the UK, Germany, and USA will handle sales throughout the world, working through the established and long standing network of sales distributors for both Pains Wessex and Comet. Procurement, manufacturing and logistics will be based at Chemring’s factory in Germany, and orders and product support will be handled from Chemring Marine’s headquarters in the UK.
Robert Hill said “Since Chemring Group PLC acquired Comet GmbH alongside Pains Wessex within its Energetics Division, we are proud to have become established as a core competence within the organisation. Coupled with world class manufacturing and logistical capabilities from our factories in Germany, Chemring Marine Limited is the first choice distress marine distress signal supplier.”
Robert Hill joined the Chemring Group in 2006 as Managing Director of McMurdo Limited and ICS Electronics Limited. His remit was to supervise the divestment of the electronics business comprising McMurdo lights and distress beacons, and ICS
weather stations. This was completed in March 2007, enabling Robert to focus on the integration of Comet, purchased in December 2005, with Pains Wessex to create a single business unit handling two of the world’s leading brands for commercial and leisure use.
Comet and Pains Wessex will be retained as two individual brands, with new enhanced logos reflecting a Chemring marine Ltd family image. The new logos, communication plans and marketing activities were launched to Pains Wessex and Comet distributors from all over the world at a distributor conference and dinner held by Chemring Marine Ltd on the eve of SASMEX.
Robert Hill reported: “SASMEX offers us the opportunity to showcase our two ranges to buyers from all over the world, and to give our family of Pains Wessex and Comet distributors the introduction to the tools and mechanisms we are providing to help them maximise the sales potential in both commercial and leisure sectors.”
NOTES TO EDITORS
- Chemring Marine Limited is currently based at Silver Point, Airport Service Road, Portsmouth, but will be moving to the new Chemring Group plc head office near Fareham by Easter 2007. www.chemringmarine.com
- Pains Wessex, based in the UK has been established for over 100 years. Their pyrotechnic products are approved globally and are manufactured in compliance with the latest SOLAS / Marine Equipment Directive (MED) requirements. These products are trusted for their reliability and consistent superiority by rescue services, navies, merchant ships, fishing fleets and yachtsmen and women throughout the world.
- Comet GmbH is based in Bremerhaven, Germany and has been established for over 50 years. Their pyrotechnic products are approved globally and are manufactured in compliance with the latest SOLAS / Marine Equipment Directive (MED) requirements. Comet prides itself on performance, availability and safety under all conditions and the manufacturer is the official supplier of marine pyrotechnics to the German Yachting Federation (DSV) and the German Motor Yachting Federation (BMYV).
- Chemring Group Plc is a specialist manufacturer of decoy countermeasures and energetic materials for the global defence, security and safety markets. The company is a world-leading defence company involved in major defence development programmes in the UK, US and Europe. Chemring provides unique solutions to customer requirements based on core competences in:
• Energetic materials
• High reliability and safety
• Volume manufacturing
The Group is built on a hundred-year history of innovation and development and now employs over 2000 people at 15 operations in the UK, US, Germany, Spain, France and Australia. www.chemring.co.uk
Press information
For press information please contact Alice Driscoll or Katy Kenyon at ADPR Ltd, Tel: +44 (0) 1935 826451 or e-mail alice.driscoll@adpr.co.uk or katy.kenyon@adpr.co.uk
Company information
Robert Hill Tel: +44 (0) 2392 623902
Steve Lucas Tel: +44 (0) 2392 623906
April 07 – PR 25
ENDS