New Facility and Strategic Acquisition Strengthens BSI's Position in Rotterdam Petroleum Market

BSI Group today announced the acquisition of National Oil Inspection Services (NOIS), a Rotterdam based inspection business, to further strengthen its inspection capability in the oil and petroleum market.

With its experienced team of inspectors, the purchase of NOIS will immediately give BSI a considerably enhanced presence in the key Rotterdam market and provide opportunity for substantial growth.

The acquisition complements BSI Inspectorate’s brand new testing facility in Rotterdam, which opens May 6th 2004. This new Rotterdam office and laboratory complex is next to the Shell refinery at Rotterdam-Vondelingenplaat, and will mean BSI Inspectorate can better serve petroleum and petro-chemical based customers through upgraded facilities and increased capacity.

The acquisition is a key element of the BSI Group’s overall petroleum strategy, which is to focus on investment in both infrastructure and people where the Group’s customers are present.

The current owner of NOIS, Dave Groen, becomes an essential part of the new BSI Inspectorate Rotterdam management team as managing director and general manager of the Netherlands. With his team, he adds a wealth of experience and client service commitment to the BSI Inspectorate offering.

Chris Fenton, managing director of BSI Inspectorate says: "Rotterdam is a major hub in the global petroleum market and robust, best in class inspections there are important for our customers. Strengthening our Rotterdam operation underscores our status as a truly global player."

Dave Groen of NOIS reinforced this message, saying: "We are very pleased to be joining the BSI Inspectorate Group. I am convinced that NOIS’s reputation for service combined with the BSI Inspectorate global network and investment in new laboratory facilities, provides a significant step forward for our customers."

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For more information please contact:

Wilma Tulloch on +44 (0)20 8996 6330 OR
Marc Edney on +44 (0)20 8996 6330