Atyrau Oil & Gas
Technologies for Life. 20 Years
ECOS LLP Company has been present on Kazakhstan market scene since 1994. The company’s headquarters are located in Almaty. Provision of enterprises of our country with high-quality equipment for industrial and personal safety, instrumentation and automation for various industries has become the main focus of the company.
The company’s specialisation lies in four core business areas:
- Supply of equipment for safety and health, as well as instrumentation equipment;
- Design, supply of equipment and installation of security and gas detection systems, automation and process control systems;
- Aftersales Service of the supplied equipment;
- Manufacture of disposable filtering respirators.
The company possesses all the necessary state licences and permits, and complies to the relevant laws and regulations related to its business activities:
- All supplied equipment is certified in the Republic of Kazakhstan;
- The Company has been accredited to conduct the verification of measuring instruments and to issue the standard-type certificates;
- The License for repair of measuring instruments;
- Licenses in the field of architecture, urban planning and construction for the right to design, installation and commissioning of equipment and security systems;
- Compliance with the requirements of the Maritime Register of Shipping (RS) as a company engaged in work on the calibration and verification of gas analysers, service maintenance of breathing apparatus and hydraulic testing of steel and composite cylinders;
- Certificate for the works in the field of industrial safety;
- Quality management system is implemented in accordance with the requirements of ISO 9001:2008.
Today company ECOS is presented by 240 employees, including the company regional service centres. The company's employs specialists with many years of practical experience in design and implementation of safety instrumented systems at the facilities of oil, gas, metals and mining industries.
In order To ensure the optimal work of equipment servicing in the field, 11 regional service centres have been created and successfully operate in the following cities: Almaty, Aktau, Aktobe, Aksai, Atyrau, Uralsk, Ust-Kamenogorsk, Pavlodar, Shymkent, Kyzylorda, Karaganda. The aforementioned service centres are equipped with the necessary equipment and staffed with qualified personnel.
“Company ECOS” LLP offers a wide range of engineering and equipment supply services for the relevant industries in Kazakhstan. The aforementioned services include selection of materials, budgeting, procurement, transportation, customs clearance, certification, storage and delivery using advanced technologies, and provide service and support for the following industries: mining, chemical, oil and gas, energy, construction and other industries.
The professionals of ECOS guarantee timely and high quality service on the best mutually beneficial terms and conditions. The team of experienced managers will offer only the best service supply conditions through a thorough analysis of the order, market monitoring and skilled logistics. Individual approach to each client ensures the well-timed delivery of necessary products to customers as well as the support of the national industrial market and the development of infrastructure in Kazakhstan in general.
More detailed information is available on the company's official website: www.ecos.kz.
The Company ECOS LLP is constantly expanding the range of the equipment supplied and is working towards the development of new services, as well as new activities in accordance with the requirements of today's market and customers.
Company ECOS LLP is the official distributor of the following companies: Dräger, Artvik Inc, CAMERON MEASUREMENT SYSTEM, Tyco, MINIMAX, Roxtec, United Electric Controls, Cooper Crouse-Hinds, Kimray, Magnetrol, Sika, Sick.
The company’s professionalism is confirmed by numerous appraisals from the loyal customer, which include more than 300 major companies operating in various industrial sectors in Kazakhstan.
In an interview with Petroleum magazine, the founder and CEO of the Company, Mr.Adil Mulkibaev told us how it all began.
Adil Mulkibayev, general director, Company ECOS LLP- I left the academia for business in 1990, and got engaged in commerce i.e. imported computers, audio and video equipment into the country, like many others at that time. Twenty years ago, my father Orynbasar Mulkibaevich Mulkibaev who was engaged in occupational safety for more than a half of his employment history, told me: " It’s time to start a serious business. You should start supplying safety equipment." I have considered this idea and offered my friends to occupy a niche, which was virtually non-existent at that time. Despite the insanity of this idea my colleagues believed me, though most of the entrepreneurs at the time invested in commerce or in something that quickly paid off.
This was a difficult time. At some point, the staff had received no salary for a year. But youth, enthusiasm and faith did not allow us to loose heart. Eventually the team of associates created, perhaps, the most successful company in its sector in Kazakhstan.
The company supplies Kazakhstan enterprises with the high quality equipment from the most reliable international manufacturers and is fully responsible for its installation, after-sales maintenance, and training of engineers of the customer enterprise.
- Adil Orynbasarovich why, in your opinion, the customers should choose your company as a partner?
- There are a couple of points.
First, it is definitely the outstanding quality of the equipment. We would never supply anything of a poor quality.
Second, it is all about the company’s policy. At the core of this policy is the quality of the equipment . The same high quality standards are applied to the design and engineering solutions that we offer to our customers, or develop at their request. We like beautiful solutions. It is a creative process - to think over, design, beautifully implement, assemble, run, and facilitate interruption-free working processes.
Therefore, we do not undertake all the orders we receive. When we are asked to make it simple, and then to simplify even more, we lose interest in such order, because we do not want to provide a cheaper service at the expense of high quality. The simple solution will simply not work reliably. The same applies to supplies of cheap and not very reliable equipment. The safety of people depends on our work and the equipment used. Many of our engineers came to the company from the manufacturing enterprises, so they do understand the responsibility for people's lives as no one else. There can be no compromise.
The third point is that we are always there for the customer. For the most complete and rapid response to customer needs, and reduction of the service time, 11 branches were established. This enables us to provide fast service support of equipment and promptly address the problems at their early stage.
The fourth competitive advantage is the price. At first glance, our services do not appear to be cheap. But the best equipment, continuous service, highly qualified staff, own transport and proximity to the customer, in the end of the day, save significant amounts of money. And in fact, we offer extremely low prices for real work actually performed, because we have the appropriate infrastructure. Yes, I know that some competitors claim lower prices, but in the end, often, their work does not include many of the necessary elements of the work, service and reduces to their imitation.
Another our advantage is the employees qualification. Our engineers are regularly trained at the factories of equipment suppliers and at the institutions of the Committee for Technical Regulation and Metrology of the Ministry of Industry and New Technologies (State Standard) and the Committee on State Control for Emergencies and Industrial Safety of the Republic of Kazakhstan.
In 20 years, a sustainable image of our company has been formed - everything we do is done efficiently and professionally.
- Which companies in the oil and gas sector do you work?
- Virtually with all of them. To some of them we supply equipment and install the systems. In other projects e.g. in Kashagan, we participate in the commission stage , performing the adjustments and start-up of the project. For other projects we do both the "turn-key" works, and the intermediate stages, such as engineering consulting, pre-survey research, design, supply, installation, commissioning, warranty service and regular maintenance.
Have you ever noticed that in any presentation leaders of the western companies start with safety, fire safety, accident-free implementation of works and environment protection? Because it has the most direct impact on the price of insurance. No manufacturing enterprise and no major contract can do without insurance there. And the size of the premium depends on how safely the manufacturing process is organized. How the fire safety is ensured? What is the situation with occupational safety? How environmentally friendly the manufacture is? These are the three key factors that insurers take into account when deciding on the amount of insurance payment. Therefore, it is easier to work with western companies, they do not need to be explained the importance of what we do for their business.
- And how dangerous can be gas emissions in the fields?
At the oilfields with high hydrogen sulphide content the provision of adequate level of safety is very important. Hydrogen sulphide is dangerous because the well-known smell of rotten eggs is felt only when the gas concentration in the air is safe. When the concentration is dangerous or fatal to human life, the human nose fails to detect the smell and every second counts. Therefore, leak detection of toxic and explosive gases and fire prevention is the main task in the field of occupational safety on such deposits.
- Tell us about your testing laboratory.
- Since its establishment the Company practices a policy of service support of the products it supplies. In 1997 our company received an accreditation in the State Standard system as the first private laboratory in Kazakhstan that could perform the verification of measuring instruments. Currently, the laboratory employs 26 professionals with the qualification "Verificator of measuring instruments", and more than 200 types of measuring instruments are in the accreditation field. The laboratory is equipped with all the necessary equipment and uses the exemplary equipment recommended by the manufacturer as well as certified gas mixtures sold under the label Calgaz ECOS during the equipment-check processes.
- Are there examples of equipment that you supplied 10-15 years ago and which has successfully worked up to this day?
- Yes, there are. Andquite a lot. For example, in 1998 we installed a stationary gas detection system for combustible gases for KazTransOil. Every year we perform servicing and equipment check, the sensors work fine.
- What do you see your company in another 10 years?
- The corebusiness, of course, remains our specialization - supply and service of high quality equipment for safety systems, fire and gas alarm, fire extinguishing systems. In addition, we have established our own manufacture - in Almaty we have launched the production of disposable filtering respirators of wide range conforming to international standards. All stages of the certification shall comply with the regulations of the Customs Union. We will develop this trend. We are planning to set up other enterprises as well - a kind of business diversification.
- Do you plan to expand the geography of your business, to develop new markets?
- We already have a joint enterprise in Russia. The nature of the activity is the same. For the last two years we have invested in this company and in the near future, we are expecting it to become self-sufficient. Judging by this joint venture’s performance and the projects completed, this entity should perform well in the future, becoming a profitable entity. The company is focused on Siberia and the Far East, and is located in Tomsk - closer to the customers.
Furthermore, we have received an offer to work in Azerbaijan from some of our partners (suppliers of equipment). Now we are conducting preliminary work.
Many employees of ECOS have worked for it for many years and have become its integral part. We asked a few questions to employees with different work experience.
Dmitry SmirnovDmitry Smirnov, chief engineer, director of the service department, 19 years in the company.
- What is the secret of the company’s success?
This is not sale for the sake of sales and immediate benefits. This is the planned and consistent promotion of the equipment on the Kazakhstan market in constant contact with manufacturers. What we do, we do professionally.
Constant improvement of professional skills of the staff is maintained; they get regular training both in Kazakhstan and in the factories producing abroad.
A part of the funds earned are regularly invested in further development of the company and new directions. Diversification is one of the components of the company's stability. We are not satisfied with the achieved and are constantly evolving.
Valentin GafurovValentin Gafurov, deputy director of the Atyrau branch, 4.5 years in the company.
- Tell us about the most interesting projects of the company of your practice?
- A challenging and interesting project was a shift camp Shanirak of Tengizshevroil, where I had to start from scratch. The past experience helped me to cope with the difficulties, all problems were resolved and the objects delivered on time. It was also interesting and difficult to work in a factory Karabatan at Kashagan. But all the tasks set were performed and ECOS currently keeps on working.
Zhanara DildabekovaZhanara Dildabekova, Senior Economist, 18 years in the company.
- Tell us please how it all began?
- In 90 years, this niche was not developed. Adil proposed to occupy this niche, and we believed in it. At that time the company employed 5-6 people. We were young, there was drive and creativity. First, it was all new and interesting for us. Second, there was the right policy - Adil realized that we needed not just sell gas analysers, but also to service them. At that time, we were probably the only private company that it has received accreditation for check and service maintenance. This was our advantage, our point.
Nurlan IshchanovNurlan Ishchanov, leading manager of safety equipment department, 10 years in the company.
- Why did you choose to work in this company?
- I am a former foreign intelligence officer of the Republic of Kazakhstan NSC. I retired for health-related reasons and worked 7 years in the security system. But this work was boring , tedious, with no development opportunities. Adil Orynbasarovich invited me for the position of sales manager. It turned out that there was a lot in common between sales and foreign intelligence - for both psychology and establishing contact are important. I think that in my work communication skills play an important role. If you are honest, decent, offer quality equipment, success is assured.
Fyodor KulakovFyodor Kulakov, director of commercial management, 8 years in the company.
- Why do customers choose ECOS company?
- The company ECOS has earned the reputation of a leader and customer confidence due to initially chosen policy - not just delivery, but all kinds of equipment maintenance.
Eldos TulegenovEldos Tulegenov, chief of administrative service, 18 years in the company:
- What is the secret of the company’s success?
It is the strong leader and the team of professionals.
Vera SatarovaVera Satarova, Section Head of APiGS, 3 years in the company.
- What do you like most about your job?
- We have a very friendly, close-knit team. The colleagues are always willing to help, give prompt and advise.
Over many years of working together we are become the dearest people, experiencing the joys and challenges together. We are friends and colleagues, despite the difference in age, and often spend leisure time together.
Trusting relations in the team are very important, if there is no trust, the energy goes nowhere. And so every morning you go to work in good mood, meet the people dear to you with a smile.
Adilet EsteuovAdilet Esteuov, chief engineer Atyrau branch, 9 years in the company.
- What is the secret of the company’s success?
The key to success is that the company carries out all works to a high standard. The company employs highly qualified staff. It is constantly taking measures to improve the skills of employees.
Murat RabaevMurat Rabaev, Aktobe branch director, has worked in the company for over 10 years.
- What is the main advantage of ECOS company over its competitors?
In my opinion, this is solidarity of strong, educated people united in a command, who are not waiting for the immediate benefit of their business, but are looking to the future.
Interviewed by Amina Jalilova
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