TOSL breaks engineering mould

TOSL Engineering CEO Shazan Ali says by partnering with energy cities,  local engineering companies can forge alliances that could help them grow. He was referring to the recently hosted World Energy Cities Partnership’s (WECP) Annual General Meeting (AGM), and first Annual Energy Trade Show at Paria Suites, La Romaine. TOSL had already formed business relationships with two Aberdeen-based companies — Amec, with which TOSL has a Joint Venture Partnership, and The Rigblast Group. TOSL and Rigblast are joint owners of Wilcox Engineering Services Limited (WESL), a Trinidadian Engineering Service Company involved in the Upstream Energy business. Registered in March, 1970, as Trinidad Oil Field Services Limited, Shazan Ali took the reins of the company in 1982, and moulded it into one of the leading service and design, engineering local company.

Now, known as TOSL Engineering Services Limited, the company is forging ahead. Ali noted that the partnership with WECP provided an opportunity for partnering energy cities to improve existing infrastructures and exchange of technologies. “It brings energy cities increased opportunities for partnership with foreign companies and improvement of technologies,” he said. He added that WECP was the perfect setting for TOSL to achieve its desired future vision, to dominate local markets in areas that the company is involved. “Our logo implies just that : Out of Trinidad, around the world.” Ali revealed that the company had kept its light hidden. “TOSL’s strategy for achieving its vision is having the best staff to achieve desired objectives,” he said.

The company has 14 engineers, 50 technicians, and a staff of 125, 50 percent of which has tertiary education. He added that his company plans to play a major role in the development of Trinidad and Tobago’s Energy Sectors for the people of this country, and to dominate the engineering service.” TOSL Engineering Services Limited is a diverse company which provides for both the upstream and downstream aspect of the Energy Sector.  The company has moved from product supply to value-added service and recently started work in Barbados, Guyana, and Suriname. At the recent first Energy Annual Trade Show, the company displayed millions of dollars worth in equipment. The company only has competitors in small fragmented parts, he said, noting that TOSL occupies niche markets by providing engineering solutions to the oil, gas, petrochemical, power generation, utility and manufacturing industries inclusive of cement, sugar and pharmaceuticals. 

TOSL provides engineered solutions to problems, within its engineering services;  compression services; pumps; reliability and predictive maintenance engineering services; testing and inspection services; electrical instrumentation and automation (E I & A); safety sales; industrial sales; petrochemicals and process engineering; wire rope and rigging; refractory; and construction services. The company has since successfully upgraded its ISO 9002: 1994 Certification to ISO 9001: 2000 in October 2003, and implemented a health, safety, and environmental system that is in compliance with the ISO 14001 Standard.

Ali cited several reasons for the company’s performace: “The ability to attract and keep key staff, the ability of the people to work as a team, the ability of TOSL to have a future vision and staff buy into the vision, and most importantly attract significant joint venture partners to grow its business locally and internationally.” Next week is “Trinidad week” in Aberdeen, Scotland, where companies meet to discuss what is taking place within the energy industry, and possible joint ventures and benefits with local companies and aberdeen companies. The Lord Provost, John Reynolds, Mayor of Aberdeen last week visited TOSL. He was accompanied by the two members of his technical team: Ewan A Daniel, Business Development Executive Economic Development; and John Langler — Chairman and Ceo-Walker Technical Resources Limited. Ali said it was a good opportunity to deepen the local content.