Blaze set for growth as it enters new markets

“You could say we’re a small family business in Laurencekirk,” says Ann Johnson of Blaze Manufacturing, “but we’ve always punched above our weight on the global stage.” Having diversified into new markets, and now with Balmoral Group in its corner, Blaze has arguably moved up a weight class for 2021. The business, which specialises in fire detection and prevention systems, still proudly regards oil and gas as its “heritage” and remains front-and-centre of its offering. This is where the company says “we have learned to be different, to embrace a challenge and fight for success”. However, Blaze is now also deep into a diversification programme, establishing itself as a “genuine challenger” in the industrial and commercial, renewables and power, and nuclear sectors. Blaze has already completed three largescale fire protection and detection projects in the offshore renewables sector, with customers including Orsted, Petrofac and Engie, supplied fire systems for the Glencore Mutanda mine in the Congo, and provided safety solutions to industrial and commercial clients including the NHS. Blaze has also supported a tier one contractor in its newest market, nuclear, whilst securing new projects in downstream oil and gas and offshore wind in Europe and the Far East. Commercial director Ann, who heads up Blaze with managing director and husband Howard, said, after the year that was 2020, they’re “back in the game”. “We’re growing again, the excitement here is ridiculous,” she said. “We diversified into renewables, defence, and industrial and we’ve completed some really big contracts, major accident hazard work as well, we’ve got some nice case studies. “Significant growth was expected last year but, because of the pandemic, all the capital projects that we bid on were pushed to the right and they’re only now coming to fruition. So this year we are anticipating some exciting developments. “In fact, as we go to press, we have just secured a major win in downstream oil and gas and are in final negotiations on a series of contracts, which could prove game-changing for Blaze.” All in all, not bad for a firm that started out from a garden shed in 2006. Previously the general manager at Tyco, Howard went on to become a contractor before establishing Blaze with co-founder Paul Rawling in 2006. They built the business up from an initial run of contracts including working in India on the Jamnagar project, one of the world’s largest oil refineries. Ann and Howard are candid about how recent years have meant rolling with the punches. Balmoral Group acquired 70% of the business at the end of 2019, ensuring job security and real prospects for growth which seemed unattainable in the downturn. This has helped insulate Blaze from some of the pressures that have hit others in the industry, particularly those that were still reeling from the previous downturn. Blaze now sits “very comfortably” within Balmoral Group, with the resources to “bid for considerably higher value projects”.

ENTERPRISING: Ann and Howard Johnson of Blaze Manufacturing are taking the company in some new directions.

The Laurencekirk firm is competing on a global stage in a range of sectors.