Rosco Petroavance celebrates 60 years

Staffers have reflected on the company’s achievements which date back to its birth in 1950, under the original name English Drilling Equipment Company Limited or Edeco (Trinidad) Limited.

A special function will be held ‘‘Down the Islands.’’ This, according to CEO and director of Rosco Petroavance Ltd Wayne Bernard.

He said the company has come a long way and will continue to grow and supply customers with the highest quality of goods and services.

Bernard said back in the 1950’s when businessman Elgen Scott founded Edeco, oil companies imported most of their equipment directly from England as there were few local suppliers.

“Mr. Scott realised the potential of forming a business around importation and distribution of Oilfield Equipment and Supplies. Edeco was very successful and grew rapidly to become a leading supplier, representing many quality manufactures,” Bernard said during an interview at his office located at Rodriguez Avenue, Cross Crossing, San Fernando.

Upon Scott’s retirement he was succeeded by his son George, who died around 1983. The business was then acquired by Roger Rostant, an Edeco employee at that time. On the change of ownership, Rostant changed the name of the company to Rosco Sales Limited effective July 24, 1984. Over the next 11 years Rosco faced the worst downturn in the oil industry and Rosco came up for sale.

“In 1995, my father Walter Bernard along with Agostini’s Ltd purchased Rosco Sales Limited and became a partly owned subsidiary of the Agostini’s Group. In August of 2001 both companies moved to the same compound here and during the next eight years both companies worked on amalgamation, ” Bernard said. Last year these two companies merged and hence the name changed to Rosco Petroavance Limited.

“Over the 60 years many changes have taken place but one constant has been the same, our core business is still oilfield products distribution,” Bernard said. The soft-spoken CEO boasted that staff members pride themselves for quality products, at competitive cost effective prices and the well-trained customer-friendly employees. The company currently operates with six divisions including oilwell equipments, valves, hydraulics, rig spares, safety and services.

Bernard admitted however that despite economic growth within the company, the global economic downturn still hampered its progress.

We are working daily to get back where we were in those days,” Bernard said.