Historic Scottish welding specialist on M&A trail after record £28m contracts

CRC Evans, the Edinburgh-headquartered welding and coating specialist, has secured a record $37 million (£28m) in new global contracts, bolstering its 2026 growth plans.

The bumper contract wins for January come as the group confirmed it is actively exploring takeover opportunities in the new financial year, supported by its private equity backer Bluewater.

CRC Evans has been delivering welding and coatings services for more than 90 years. The company now operates a global business across North and South America, the Middle East, Africa, Asia and Europe, supporting and enabling energy and critical infrastructure projects.

Edinburgh-headquartered CRC Evans has been delivering high-integrity welding and coatings services for more than 90 years.

Bosses said the latest contract wins marked a record month for the company and highlighted the continued momentum of CRC’s growth strategy.

Chief executive Mauro Piasere said: “These latest wins bring great momentum to our growth strategy for 2026.

“We are planning to continue to explore new M&A [merger and acquisition] opportunities to expand our footprint and expertise. Our current global footprint covers every continent and every energy environment, from offshore platforms to remote deserts, from deep water to dense urban grids. We go wherever complexity demands.”

The firm said it was combining field-based engineering expertise with continued investment in proprietary technologies and innovation. This includes AI-driven welding and coating engineering.

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As part of its global growth strategy, the group is set to announce a major investment to strengthen its energy and industrial capabilities. The investment will establish a “next-generation super site” in the north-west of the UK, set to be one of the largest of its kind globally, and a “centre of excellence” for specialty welding and coating.

Piasere added: “We now have the largest fleet of specialist equipment in the industry. We don’t just show up, we adapt, innovate and deliver certainty when it matters most.

“Ultimately our strategy and purpose are enabling us to stand alongside the world’s leading energy and infrastructure providers to develop the solutions that will enable the delivery of future energy and infrastructure projects.”

The company is backed by specialist private equity firm Bluewater, which works hand in hand with the management team at CRC to help facilitate its sector and international growth plans. Piasere has a strong team behind him, led by Ben MacKay and Chris Sanne, with the board chaired by Luis Araujo.

Bosses said they would be focused over the next 12 to 18 months on delivering rapid growth, through “best-in-class delivery, leading technology development and exploring M&A opportunities”.

The firm said it was supporting and enabling major global projects, while meeting the gold standard in health and safety, and governance.

A key example of this is the successful completion of the first phase of the Ruya project in the Middle East for COOEC, which has seen CRC Evans completing 11,000 welds with what the company said was the lowest repair rate in the industry, and enabling early completion on the project, which is delivering critical infrastructure for Qatar.