Executive Summary

Dorman Long and Amalgamated Engineering Ltd was established in 1949 as a Structural Engineering Company specialised in structural steel fabrication for bridges, warehouses, factories, recreational and commercial buildings, and storage tanks for water and fuel.

The company played a major part in the industrial development in Nigeria which took place between 1970 and early eighties. Many of the main factories and warehouses constructed during this period contain steel structures fabricated and erected by Dorman Long. The construction of the bridge across the river Niger is undoubtedly the most remarkable of the projects in which Dorman Long was involved. Annual production figures reached up to 5000 Tonnes which at current rates would translate to an annual turnover of one billion naira (=N=1,000,000,000.00 ).

UTC Nigeria PLC took over the management of the company after acquiring 60% of the share holding in 1987. In 1989 another subsidiary of UTC in the steel fabrication business – Structural Steel Works Ltd – was merged with Dorman Long and Amalgamated Engineering Ltd. With this merger the product mix of the company was expanded to include fabrication of Mobil Units such as tankers, trailers, bodies built on chassis, and process equipment which was the area of specialisation of Structural Steel Works Ltd. The company now has two large fabrication shops with a total covered area of 15000m 2 .

The company diversified into other markets, products and activities and obviously the Oil and Gas industry was the first target. From 1991 the company also started re-capitalisation in order to secure cash for new investments and products development. We now have well equipped workshops suitable not only for our traditional steel fabrication but also for fabrication of Pressure Vessels and components required for the Oil and Gas industry which have up to now been imported.

Our efforts met with some success when in 1992 the company won the contract to fabricate locally 48 units of gas tanks (Pressure Vessels) for the NNPC Butanization project. The facilities, at our Idi-Oro workshop used for this project is now available for local fabrication of Pressure Vessels. We also offer specialised services in the Oil and Gas Industry which is naturally a fall out from our marketing efforts for Pressure Vessels in this industry.