Another Record Breaking Year of Opportunities & Agreements
2018 has been a record breaking year for SMI as we continue to deliver unassailable fit and forget power and data cable solutions for hostile environments across a range of sectors.
In Marine, highlights of the year included us welcoming Phil Jones, Managing Director of Maritime Mission Systems Thales UK to our Andover headquarters, as well as Director of Submarine Capability, Rear Admiral Tim Hodgson MBE.
Tim Hodgson congratulated SMI on more than two decades of capability approval at the DSEI exhibition in 2017, and was keen to understand how SMI’s technologies would support future submarines. We gave Tim a tour of the UK facility and demonstrated how our cable solutions are playing a key part in the next generation of vessels.
Our aerospace work continued to expand and we enjoyed our largest ever presence at an international exhibition this year at Farnborough International Airshow where we welcomed customers new and old. This was a huge show with over 80,000 visitors enjoying the aerial displays and speaking programme. The occasion was also marked by the presentation of our award for successful completion of the SC21 Bronze Award scheme by ADS.
Activity in the Energy sector once again focused primarily on wave and tidal energy projects, SMI enjoyed a profile in Wave and Tidal Energy Network Magazine ahead of the All Energy Conference in Glasgow in the summer. SMI’s Paris office are leading the company’s involvement in a range of development projects in France and Central Europe for both offshore and inshore power generation schemes.
Early in the year our local MP Kit Malthouse enjoyed a tour of our headquarters in Andover and was inspired to invite us to take part in his Festival of Engineering for 12 – 14 year old students to help inspire the next generation of engineers. SMI are investing in future talent through the support of apprentice programmes, school careers fairs and work experience. In 2018 we were pleased to celebrate with three technicians completing their apprenticeships.
In a year that has also seen our first international sales conference, and ongoing expansion across Australia and Europe, we saved the largest announcement for late in the year with our collaboration agreement with Thales.
This agreement, which builds on the strong existing relationship and the combined skills and expertise of the two companies, provides world-leading, innovative solutions for connectivity across a range of maritime platforms. Both companies have signed this agreement to formalise their relationship to develop technology and capability for maritime, civil, security and military domains.
Closing 2018 after a fifth consecutive year of record compound growth naturally the focus turns to 2019. With exciting projects across all four industry sectors, Aerospace, Energy, Marine and Transport, an expanded senior management team and secured new manufacturing facility in Western Australia we’re more excited than ever about the coming year.
2019 promises to bring new opportunities and more successes for our ‘fit and forget’ technologies which we’ll be showcasing at DSEI in London in September.