Expanding The Team At Our UK Technology Centre

In recent weeks we have welcome two new recruits to our UK Technology Centre just outside Chester.  The first is Umagash Perinpanathan (Uma for short!) who joins us as a Commercial Co-ordinator and the second is an old friend, Lukasz Kremski, who worked for Cokebusters from 2006 to 2022 and returns to take up a new role as New Build Project Manager.

Uma’s role is to liaise with clients from pre-tender stage through to the handover of a commissioned project to the designated Operations Team. Alongside his colleague Pourya Mirilavasani, Uma’s role includes compiling bids and tenders, ensuring all technical requirements are reviewed and incorporated and supporting the Directors in business development activities such as pitches and conferences.

Whilst he has adapted quickly to his new role at Cokebusters, Uma is yet to experience site works.  The role of Commercial Co-ordinator doesn’t require any site experience per se, but given that ours is such a niche service we find it useful to give team members with administration roles the opportunity to visit a site job and see first hand what it is we do!

In readiness, Uma received some training from veteran Cokebuster, Lukasz, this week in what to expect when that time comes.

Lukasz first joined Cokebusters as a Workshop Assistant way back in 2006 when the company was just a year old and he had only recently immigrated from Poland.  It quickly became clear that he had skills which lent themselves to a role with greater responsibility over the design and build of our bespoke Double Pumping Units.

Lukasz guides early container machine, CB3, from the original workshop at Hawarden in 2008.

In 2007 he was promoted to Machine and Equipment Technician.  In 2013 he became Machine Controls Designer and in 2020 he was invited to become Machinery and Design Manager.  Lukasz was Business Lead for Design and Manufacturing when he left Cokebusters in 2022 to pursue other career opportunities.

During Lukasz’s time at Cokebusters our specialist Double Pumping Units progressed in both design and capability, as we continually strived to embrace the latest technology so each new machine was better than the last.

Cokebusters was arguably Lukasz’s first “real job” in the UK and after sixteen years he had become a valued member of the family, so at the time the company was sad to see him go but understood the desire to stretch his wings.

Lukasz with Cokebusters colleagues in 2021.

There has been significant change at Cokebusters over the past two years.  We picked ourselves up after the COVID-19 pandemic, played catch up on maintenance projects which had been delayed by lockdown and quickly entered a new phase of growth.  Consequently we have expanded our workshop facilities and welcomed new recruits across the board at our Technology Centre in Chester and in Houston.

Whilst still holding on tight to its core ethos of technological innovation, in-house design and manufacturing and delivering quality combined services, Cokebusters has also been maturing as a company in order to fulfil its potential.

The scene has altered somewhat since 2022, but we continue to refine and improve our processes in order to maximise productivity.  One area which we had  identified as in need of closer control and direction was the workshop.  Our latest machine, CB20, is a triumph.  The most environmentally-friendly Double Pumping Unit in our fleet, it mobilised to site in February of this year and the feedback from our operators and clients is excellent.

The challenge is to streamline our specialist machine manufacturing processes to ensure a faster turnaround without compromising on quality.  And this is where Lukasz comes in!

Cokebusters Chairman John Phipps recalls hiring Lukasz back in 2006 and says:

“After fifteen years in our workshops and on site operations, Lukasz Kremski has a deep knowledge of Cokebusters machinery and associated equipment. We’ve complete confidence he will manage the company’s skilled teams efficiently and effectively to ensure we continue to improve and grow our fleet of Double Pumping Units. Strategically located around the world, the more machines we have, the more energy industry clients we can serve.“