Cathelco, now part of the Evac Group, are world leading manufacturers of equipment for ships and offshore installations. They have developed a portfolio of products which encompass marine growth prevention systems (MGPS), hull corrosion protection systems (ICCP) and reverse osmosis desalinators. In addition, they have developed an innovative ballast water treatment system, now known as the Evac Evolution.
The company are the largest producers of marine growth prevention systems in the world with a record of 50,000 installations over a period of more than 60 years. The systems are supplied to vessels of every type including commercial, naval, cruise ships and luxury yachts.
In May 2018, Cathelco was acquired by the Finnish based Evac Group, the world’s leading provider of integrated water and waste management systems for the marine, offshore and building industries with offices in 14 countries and representatives in more than 70 countries.
Hydro Electrique Marine (HEM) the specialists in desalinators and potable water treatment systems located in Antibes (South of France) have also become members of the Evac Group together with Echo Marine who serve the superyacht market from their base in Mallorca.
With over 100 employees at its headquarters in Chesterfield, United Kingdom, Cathelco has maintained a record of steady expansion, building on its reputation of quality products and technical expertise of the highest calibre.
The latest development is the opening of a new factory on the Chesterfield site devoted to the production of ballast water treatment systems which will be marketed under Evac Evolution brand name.
History and growth of Cathelco
Cathelco was formed in 1956 at Chesterfield, United Kingdom where it produced marine growth prevention systems for Royal Navy submarines and later moved into the commercial vessel market.
A key factor in the growth of the company was the decision to appoint a network of overseas agents during the 1980’s which led to a thriving export business with shipbuilders and repair yards worldwide. By 1991, more than 1,000 marine growth prevention systems had been supplied for vessels ranging from oil tankers and cargo ships to ferries and cruise ships.
In 1992, Cathelco entered the ICCP hull corrosion protection market with the C-Shield system. Seizing the potential for expanding sales they acquired Corrintec in 1995, a Winchester based competitor, which was active in the protection of cruise, commercial and military vessels.
With the growth of shipbuilding and repair in South East Asia, Cathelco established two strategically placed subsidiaries. Cathelco Korea, based in Busan, was set up in 2005 and Cathelco SEA (Singapore) became a subsidiary in 2011. More recently, Cathelco Middle East has been established a subsidiary in the United Arab Emirates and Cathelco Systems India has been set up to serve the subcontinent.
In 2010, the company purchased Seafresh Desalinators, a small company with experience of producing reverse osmosis watermakers which paved the way to greater things in water treatment.
Five years later, with deeper knowledge of the market, Cathelco acquired Hydro Electrique Marine (HEM), located in Antibes (South of France), specialists in the design and manufacture of desalinators and water treatment systems for luxury yachts.
Therefore, in 2017 it was a logical step to acquire Echo Marine, a former HEM agent, based in Mallorca, to provide a service centre for the superyacht market in the Western Mediterranean.
The acquisition by Evac provides gives Cathelco access to a greatly enlarged sales and service network together with the opportunity to win new customers as a member of a group offering a comprehensive range of water treatment and corrosion protection products.
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