PAST WINNER INTERVIEW
Sarco Stopper
AWARD CATEGORY: Innovation SIZE OF COMPANY: SME WHERE BASED: Broxburn, West Lothian TYPE OF BUSINESS: Design and manufacture of pipeline stopping and bypass solutions PROFILE: Bill Menzies JOB TITLE: Executive chairman Company Background Sarco Stopper is a family-owned SME based in Broxburn, near Edinburgh International Airport. Founded in 1996, the company began by manufacturing inflatable stopper bags for flow-stopping and bypass systems in gas, oil and other pipeline applications. Today, Sarco focuses on light engineering using advanced textiles, rubber and components to enhance product performance. The company’s range of innovative applications, such as the Hydro Bag® and patented Stent® technologies, have seen it establish a worldwide reputation for innovative line stopping and bypass solutions which have helped countless water companies meet performance targets and avoid financial penalties. Sarco’s Directors represent the fourth and fifth generations of local manufacturing in West Lothian.
The Sarco team, proud winners of the King’s Award for Enterprise 2024, in the innovation category
What made Sarco Stopper Ltd apply for the King’s Award? We had a successful range of significant contracts for the design and manufacture of Hydro® Stoppers (water inflated) for diverse applications, including a £1m contract for dewatering stoppers for offshore wind turbines for Iberdrola, to enable rework of excessive welding in the 50mtr J-Tubes carrying the turbine cables. We believed this, and other projects, could warrant an application for the Innovation category. The company had remained open and fully operational throughout Covid and export growth over five years was significant, and so we also submitted an application for International Trade.
What research did you do about the Awards and application process? We had several conversations with the King’s Awards London office prior to our applications and during the process. Their assistance and support were very important to both our Innovation and International Trade applications being shortlisted.
What planning did you do beforehand?
Our decision to make the two applications was only reached three weeks before the mid- September entry deadline. So, no time for planning, only action, to achieve the date.
How did you find the application process?
Very challenging, as the company was busy with work commitments and our team was stretched. As a family business, when Directors are away, this only makes things worse. My wife (who is the Accounts Director) and I were due to have three weeks’ holiday in the Scottish West Highlands. It was clear that if we were to complete the two applications it would largely be up to us. In practice this took up all of the first two weeks of our holiday.
Bill Menzies meets HRH King Charles at the KAE Reception at Windsor Castle
www. kingsawardsmagazine .com
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