CAN-Do: 40 Years On

CAN Group is proud to mark 40 years in business, celebrating four decades of innovation, care, resilience and excellence within the asset integrity arena.

What began as a pioneering idea, introducing rope access offshore in the North Sea as a more cost effective alternative to traditional scaffolding access, quickly set new standards as it became a tried, tested and trusted method of access across the energy industry. From the outset in April 1986, CAN has continued to challenge traditional approaches not simply to work differently, but to work smarter – reducing risk, improving safety and delivering operational success for its clients. 

Driven by this approach, CAN’s foundations in rope access and trades based remediation services expanded over the years to meet the challenges of the evolving energy industry, transitioning into mainstream inspection and advanced non destructive testing services, and thereafter adding engineering elements including integrity and inspection management services and vendor assurance, strengthening its capability to support assets across their full lifecycle.

Trusted Partner

Headquartered in Aberdeen, UK, the CAN Group of companies today deliver a comprehensive range of innovative & integrated asset integrity services and solutions to the energy industry worldwide from its strategic locations in the UK, North America and West Africa.

Key to the success and sustainability of CAN are its people, corporate competence and their CAN-Do attitude, delivering their range of solutions safely and with integrity. Keeping sight of both plant integrity and the integrity of the services it offers, CAN has evolved to have one of the most comprehensive UKAS accredited scopes as a Type C, Independent Inspection Body, as well as being the first company in the UK to be accredited for Integrity Management to ISO 17020 – assuring its clients of independence, impartiality and a best-in-class services. 

Smart Solutions

With innovation in its DNA, seeking smarter ways to protect people and assets while delivering value, from alternative access to data-rich solutions, are the principles that continue to drive the company forward. Most recently, CAN has collaborated with a major operator in the energy industry to deliver Angola’s first remote Class Approved inspection utilising confined space Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Technology, minimising the risk to personnel and optimising operational efficiency being just one example of how the business continues to provide smart and safe solutions to deliver excellence.  

In this digital age, CAN embraces and utilises leading technologies to deliver digitally rich datasets that support faster and more robust decision-making. This includes optical solutions such as LiDAR and photogrammetry, which are used to create accurate digital models for detailed analysis, work planning, and the visualisation of assets and critical infrastructure.

40 Year Milestone

Reflecting on CAN’s journey throughout the years, Group Directors Adam Byrne & Innes Walker, who have a cumulative tenure of almost 70 years at CAN said; “Forty years on, and with so many highlights along the way, we’re proud of having the same CAN-Do spirit and attitude that’s driven us since day one. From looking out for each other, delivering for our clients, and helping to shape a safer, smarter industry, our commitment to safety and caring for our people, clients and the environments we work in continues to power everything we do, keeping us focused on what matters most, every day.”

As a people-powered organisation, Adam and Innes, add: “Reaching 40 years in business is a milestone built on our people who deliver our range of services day in, and day out. It reflects decades of our teams caring about doing the right thing, every time. Our people underpin our culture & values, reflecting who we are and what we stand for, and remain central to our continued success.

“We are proud of the long-standing partnerships we’ve built over the years, from our workforce, our clients and our partners past and present – they have all been instrumental in shaping CAN into the company it is today, and we can’t thank them enough for being part of this journey.”

Forty years on, CAN Group remains committed to being a trusted partner, combining experience, innovation and care to build on its heritage for the future.

Here’s to 40 years, and the journey ahead.

This article featured in Global Energy Network's magazine, available here