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Success Stories Sucess Stories
EIC Survive& &Thrive Thrive IX EIC Survive 2025
2025 JulyJuly 2025
Story type #scale up (main category), #culture, #diversification, #export, #people & competency
Benefits
Sonardyne Enacting a long-term vision and continuous improvement culture Graham Brown Managing Director
How is Sonardyne thriving? The underwater technology specialist has successfully scaled operations to meet global demand through strategic investment in people, processes and facilities. Under Managing Director Graham Brown’s leadership, the company has achieved net zero carbon status two years ahead of schedule, maintained staff turnover at a quarter of UK manufacturing industry averages and recorded an employee Net Promoter Score of 55.5. This performance stems from implementing a comprehensive five-year planning framework that balances profitable growth with creating an excellent workplace culture. The challenge - When Graham Brown took the helm in 2020 just before the Covid-19 pandemic, Sonardyne faced the complex challenge of scaling efficiently to meet surging market demand across its underwater technology platforms. The company needed to attract and retain skilled talent in a competitive market, manage supply chain pressures and adapt to shifting geopolitical situations affecting international operations. Rapid growth brought internal pressures requiring better coordination across its global offices and manufacturing facilities. Sonardyne also recognised that sustainable expansion demanded more than just adding capacity – it required embedding a culture of continuous improvement that could maintain quality and innovation standards. Most critically, it needed to balance aggressive growth targets with its commitment to being both profitable and a great place to work. The solution - Sonardyne’s approach has centred on creating a comprehensive five-year strategic framework that integrates business performance with cultural development. Rather than pursuing growth at any cost, the company has established three core objectives – profitable growth with shared rewards, diversification for sustainability and building an excellent workplace culture. The people-focused strategy has become central to everything else. Sonardyne has implemented extensive training and development programmes, including an internal factory training school offering 12-week courses to rapidly upskill new employees. The company has invested in
self-leadership and team leadership training programmes, backed by Hogan assessments and coaching support for senior management. Key account management capabilities have also been strengthened across commercial teams to better serve growing client demands. Alongside this, working conditions have received significant investment across multiple dimensions. Sonardyne has upgraded buildings with improved lighting, furniture and IT equipment alongside enhanced employee benefits packages. Meanwhile, a social committee has been empowered to organise workplace events, healthcare support has been expanded and sustainability initiatives have been launched through a dedicated Green Team. These changes have been supported by regular internal communications including newsletters, company updates and toolbox talks to keep all staff engaged with company progress. Process improvements have been implemented through the Hoshin Kanri methodology, establishing clear annual targets supported by measurable improvement activities. The company has adopted the EFQM (European Foundation for Quality Management) model, using both internal and external assessments to identify weaknesses and drive improvements across all operations. Monthly, quarterly and annual feedback cycles ensure consistent progress tracking against strategic objectives. Another key priority has been expanding manufacturing capabilities through investment in new plant and machinery, including vertical storage solutions and advanced machining equipment. Digital transformation initiatives have occurred alongside, with upgrades to Salesforce CRM with Einstein AI support and the implementation of near real-time product forecasting systems helping to improve operational efficiency and customer service delivery. Diversification efforts have reduced dependence on oil and gas markets by expanding into offshore renewables, defence and ocean science sectors. Here, the company has leveraged its core underwater technology platforms across these different applications, using common technological foundations to serve diverse market needs. International expansion has been supported through established offices in Houston, Brazil, Singapore and a new German operation, with local teams serving regional markets. At the same time, sustainability has become a measurable commitment rather than just corporate rhetoric. Sonardyne achieved net zero carbon status in 2023, two years ahead of schedule, through solar installation, heat pump systems, additional insulation and green energy
▸ Employee satisfaction, retention and engagement significantly exceed industry norms, validating Sonardyne’s cultural transformation approach. ▸ EBITDA increased greater than150% in one year.
Key findings For young people ▸ Work hard, the harder you work the luckier you get. For industry ▸ Speak from the heart, tell the story well and make sure you set it in context well. For government ▸ Talk the country up not down. Build belief not despair.
Sonardyne at a glance: Key products and services: underwater innovations for energy, defence and science. Main industries served: ▸ Oil and gas – 65% ▸ Offshore renewable energy – 10% ▸ Others (non-energy): defence and ocean science – 25% Headquarters: Hampshire, UK Year established: 1971 Number of employees: 400 Revenue: £86m Revenue from exports: 80%
procurement. The company now produces 3050% of its electricity on-site, which underlines its practical approach to embedding environmental responsibility alongside driving growth. The cultural aspect of the transformation has been measured through specific metrics, including employee Net Promoter Scores, staff turnover rates and EFQM assessments. Results have validated the approach – staff turnover runs at approximately one-quarter of UK manufacturing industry averages, with some employees reaching 40-year tenure milestones. The company maintains a 4.7/5 rating on Glassdoor and employee Net Promoter Scores have risen from 51.5 in 2023 to 55.5 in 2024. Financial performance has exceeded expectations throughout this period. EBITDA increased threefold in the last three years, with order intake exceeding £100 m and putting Sonardyne in strong position to capture further growth opportunities in underwater technology markets around the world.