Datum RMS is renowned for specialist rotary machining within the marine industry – a reputation that has only grown since being acquired by AES Engineering. Now, with its new parent company’s support, Datum is gearing up for new growth under its continued diversification into commercial marine applications. Owner Andrew Lynskey and Head of Commercial Marine Jordan Lewis discussed the latest developments with Imogen Ward.
With deep-rooted maritime expertise at its core, Datum has built its reputation on delivering specialist engineering support where it matters most.
“Datum is an engineering support company focused on reliability engineering,” explained Owner Andrew Lynskey. “Because of our position in South Florida, we, have been able to focus predominantly on the marine industry from the offset. My background as a former British Royal Navy engineer and my late business partner Steve’s experience as a shipyard guy also greatly inspired this decision.”
Solid foundations
Having maintained a strong presence within South Florida’s marine industry since 2013, Datum has grown its capabilities, offering support via propulsion services and alignment, vibration analysis, and condition monitoring. Despite this, the company is not quick to turn away other requests.
“We never turn a customer away, even if what they are after is not in our wheelhouse,” said Mr Lynskey. “In doing so, we have built up a lot of trust with our customers. It has also enabled us to extend our focus from large yachts into industrial applications and beyond.”
Most recently, this has led the company into a new area of the industry: commercial marine. Having only previously dipped its toes into this sector, Datum soon recognised its potential and began exploring new opportunities for growth.
It was then that Head of Commercial Marine Jordan Lewis joined the company. After a series of events led to their introduction (and the discovery that they were both from Yorkshire), the two men set to work pushing the commercial division.
This decision was one that was encouraged by the company’s newly instated parent, AES Engineering.
“Our parent group was incredibly supportive of the decision, and its backing helped accelerate Datum’s growth in this new segment,” said Mr Lynskey. “AES Engineering already had a global reach and a strong reputation for reliability engineering, as well as its own proprietary products that were well suited to the needs of our commercial customers.”
A new chapter
Datum’s presence in commercial shipping has been growing steadily ever since.
“The entire commercial shipping sector works on trust,” explained Mr Lewis. “These companies aren’t interested in who is the cheapest, it’s about what partners can get a job done to a high quality, and what companies are going to answer the phone when they need a hand. Because Datum is still quite a small company, we benefit from increased mobility. If our customers call, we can be there. We’re not tied down like other, bigger corporate engineering companies.”
Datum also takes the time to understand a client’s problem, rather than jumping straight in. This has proven to be highly beneficial to its clients, especially where more complex projects are concerned.
“We never just dive into a project,” added Mr Lynskey. “It is much more important to take the time to understand the issue and get to grips with it from an engineering perspective before we agree to fix it. At Datum, we operate via a more analytical approach rather than just pulling the trigger and showing up with tools. As a result, customer satisfaction and repeat custom remains high, which means everything to us.
“Of course, there will always be times where things go wrong, but how you show up in those times is what matters. People will forget if a project is a couple days late, but what they will remember is how you made them feel and how you stood by your work and showed integrity throughout. We are committed to giving our clients that same sense of confidence and trust at every stage of a project.”
Developing together
Datum is also fully committed to keeping its products at the forefront of the market by embracing the latest technologies and ensuring its workforce is equipped with the knowledge and training needed to utilise them effectively.
According to Mr Lynskey, AES’ support has also helped enhance this area of the business: “AES has developed some of the best condition monitoring equipment on the market, and the company’s R&D team is constantly working in the background to update, upgrade and improve the way its solutions operate and what technology it will use.
“We now have access to this R&D expertise and have gained valuable insight from our parent company that helped enhance our own innovative development.”
Just as AES has supported Datum’s continued success, so has the company’s workforce and suppliers.
Each and every supplier works hard to offer Datum the very best materials and equipment, having nurtured these strong, long-standing relationships for many years.
“These partnerships were already developing before I joined the company,” explained Mr Lewis. “Steve had previously worked for Rolls-Royce, so he brought some fantastic contacts with him.
“We attended the New Orleans Workboat Show last year, and Steve seemed to know everybody. I am now working hard to build on these relationships and create new ones, in order to honour Steve’s legacy within the company.”
Mr Lewis has already brought in new business through relationships established throughout his career. One such client is major US shipping provider OSG. Having known Mr Lewis for years, the company was willing to put its faith in him and give Datum the opportunity to prove itself. The decision has since paid off, with OSG now a repeat customer and its fourth project with Datum about to get underway.
Looking to the future, Datum intends to build on its previous success with the support of its customers, employees and partners alike.
“We intend to continue growing in a steady, sustainable way,” said Mr Lynskey, in conclusion. “Our position in South Florida will support this, thanks to our proximity to the Caribbean, Bahamas and Gulf of Mexico. At the same time, we are an incredibly nimble company, having travelled as far afield as Dubai to provide responsive support wherever our customers need us. This combination of flexibility, accessibility and commitment to our customers will continue to shape our growth and drive Datum forward.”