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Success stories
Blaze Diversifying to move away from O&G dependency profitability, improve certifications from appropriate bodies, and more easily find and execute projects. Ann Johnson, Business Development Director/ Howard Johnson, Managing Director
How is Blaze thriving? Embarking on a renewed strategy underpinned by innovation, diversification and export opportunities, the fire safety and loss prevention solutions provider has effectively secured its future, bolstering its reputation across several geographies and industries. The challenge Like many companies emerging out of the oil and gas sector, Blaze found itself in a precarious position when the oil price crash of 2014-2015 hit. Indeed, all largescale capital projects were put on hold, the firm finding itself in a vulnerable position and at the mercy of market fluctuations. Its owners, Howard and Ann Johnson, saw that diversification was required to survive, and so embarked on a strategy of research and development to identify new markets both at home and overseas that their products and solutions could be applied to. The solution The resulting business strategy is fuelled by innovation, and a client-focused approach, to seek out new opportunities through market expansion. Through diversification, it was anticipated that the company could diminish risk in any one single market while increasing
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EIC Survive and Thrive
This was no easy feat. Crucially, the complex contractual nature of CAPEX works associated with the government imposed the need to build a deep understanding of CEMAR and DIMIC contracts. Equally, in renewables, the firm quickly experienced the need for performance and warranty bonds coupled with punitive damage clauses which impacted cashflow and its ability to grow as a company. Come 2019, the company sought to find a partner to help it invest in growing its share of the new markets it had diversified into, having successfully completed fire systems projects in the renewables sector at this time. This led to Balmoral Group acquiring a 70% share in Blaze, the fact it is now part of a larger group enabling it to bid for considerably higher value projects. Today, the firm is spread across four different sectors. First, it has successfully completed five renewable platforms with a sixth on its books. Second, it is also working well within the nuclear greenfield market and has qualified as a tier one contractor direct to EDF, which will see the company migrate into the service and maintenance of nuclear assets. Thirdly, in the industrial space, Blaze is now accredited by FIRAS and is awaiting the award of further formal certification which will enable further growth within the sector. And fourthly, the firm remains proud to continue to support its oil and gas clients both across the upstream and downstream segments. The geographic expansion of the company has been equally impressive. Having targeted opportunities in Democratic Republic of Congo, for example, Blaze built key regional relationships to expand into Zambia, all while exporting
2023