vision
44
www.northeastvision.co.uk
north east
Ports, Marine
and Offshore
T
HE roots of Teesside-based consulting
engineers Simpson Coulson and Lees
stretches back almost 45 years.
It was in 1965 that former ICI engineers
Dick Simpson and Bob Coulson started the
company to work with the petrochemical
industry in its initial development.
The firm grew rapidly in size, and acquired a
significant and enviable portfolio of clients.
It also diversified into many other fields such as
infrastructure, marine works, metals, oil and gas
and fine chemicals.
I purchased the company in 2002, retaining the
experience and expertise of Alan Robinson who is
still working here today on specific projects.
And in July of this year Trevor Arnold � former
managing director of engineering firm K Home
International � joined me in the business as a
partner, with the firm now jointly owned.
Since July the company's direction has been
discussed and developed by staff right across the
business.
The company is set to grow in a controlled
manner, utilising the obvious skills of Tees
Valley-based engineers.
Simpson Coulson and Lees also intends to
utilise these skills for the benefit of our clients.
We as a company believe that "if you always do
what you always did, then you will also get what
you always had".
This in today's hi-tech world is not acceptable
to us. Our job is to not only to bring a project to
fruition, but to enhance it so that it adds value to
the client.
If it is a production plant then our job is ensure
client downtime is minimised and that the
quality and production rate of the product is
increased.
This must be achieved in a safe manner and
should allow the facility to run longer and more
efficiently thereby increasing profitability.
Whether we are developing a hotel, hospital,
school, stadium or shopping mall, the same rules
apply.
Plus the building, wherever possible, should be
sustainable, carbon neutral and environmentally
sound � that is because we should never ignore
the environment.
Engineers can utilise this thinking to build a
better infrastructure for the future.
Whatever building we develop, we have to
ensure it works, with intelligent management
and building utilisation.
A school for primary children, for example,
needs to be good for both learning and teaching,
and a hospital has to be engineered and built
with wellness and state-of-the-art healthcare kept
at the forefront of our thinking.
Our office at Billingham is currently growing
and we have just been awarded a large contract to
provide technical expertise on an 80,000 tonne
district cooling plant on Sowwah Island in Abu
Dhabi. This will supply cooling to more than
95,000 people in mixed-use units on the island.
We are working on this project with White
Young Green and we see this, and other alliances,
as the key to keep progressing during the difficult
economic climate.
We also have alliances with Balfour Beatty,
Space architects of Newcastle, Stokesley-based DKS
Architects, Hall Construction, SGW and also with
several other construction companies including
Dhabi contracting in Abu Dhabi.
We are also expanding our presence globally
and in August this year our Abu Dhabi office was
opened to service the Gulf region.
John Lees is managing director,
Simpson Coulson and Lees
Whatever building we
develop we have to
ensure it works, with
intelligent management
and building utilisation
Engineers return to their
roots to grow big business
Above, an artist's
impression of Al
Sowwah Island.
Right, Artists'
impression of the
Business Centre at
Al Sowwah, and
below, phase one
of the business
centre currently
under
construction.
John Lees
SIMPSON COULSON AND LEES

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