Slingsby Engineering joins the Coflexip group

Slingsby Engineering (SEL), the Yorkshire-based specialist in offshore robotics, has been bought by the Coflexip Stena Offshore (CSO) Group. It will join Perry Tritech in CSO`s robotics division to create an operation called Perry Slingsby with a combined workforce of around 240 and annual sales of some $50m.

SEL currently employs about 100 people at its Kirbymoorside plant and last year generated sales of about $11m. Its products include advanced manipulators, and remotely operated vehicles. It has been sold by Flight Refuelling, a subsidiary of Cobhan plc.

CSO chief operating officer Tom Ehret says that Slingsby is "a very good fit" with the group`s existing robotics operation. "As the pace of offshore developments in very deep water increases around the world, the critical nature of advanced robotic intervention technologies can be expected to increase in importance and value," he says. "Our robotics strategy is for Perry Slingsby to be the leader in this field."