Wärtsilä strengthens its UK service support with the acquisition of Ships Electronic Services Ltd

The technology group Wärtsilä strengthens its service offering by acquiring Ships Electronic Services Ltd (“SES”), a UK based company specializing in navigation and communication electronics, installation, maintenance and repair services, mainly for commercial and leisure vessels. The acquisition was signed and closed on 2 May 2019, the group said in a media release.

SES, established in 1974, has its headquarters in Rochester and operates also out of nine other offices in the UK. The company, together with its wholly-owned subsidiary Greenham Regis Ltd, holds a strong local presence across the local marine service market. SES’ turnover is approximately GBP 10m and the company employs 47 staff. The enterprise value of the transaction is GBP 3.2m.

“Wärtsilä has a long history in providing electrical and automation services in the UK. The acquisition strengthens our in-house service competences and local coverage. We are able to support our customers even better with a full range of electrical, automation, navigation and communication services,” says Tamara de Gruyter, Vice President, Europe and Africa Area, Wärtsilä Marine.

“We are very excited to join Wärtsilä,” says Paul Rees, former shareholder and management team member, SES. “We have already identified several shared opportunities between the companies and look forward to bringing the enhanced service offering to our customers.”

Wärtsilä is a global leader in smart technologies and complete lifecycle solutions for the marine and energy markets. By emphasising sustainable innovation, total efficiency and data analytics, Wärtsilä maximises the environmental and economic performance of the vessels and power plants of its customers. In 2018, Wärtsilä’s net sales totalled EUR 5.2 billion with approximately 19,000 employees.