Plexus Holdings founder named Entrepreneur of the Year

1st Feb 2013 11:17

The Chief Executive Officer and founder of oil and gas engineering group Plexus Holdings was awarded Entrepreneur of the Year at the 2013 Grant Thornton Quoted Company Awards, the company announced Friday.Ben Van Bilderbeek picked up the prize this week at the Natural History Museum in London."I am delighted to accept this award on behalf of my management team and staff who have helped to build Plexus to where it is today," he said."We all look forward to focusing on delivering the many value creating opportunities that will present themselves in the future."The annual awards recognise the achievements of companies below the FTSE 350.The AIM-listed UK company was commended for its proprietary POS-GRIP technology. Van Bilderbeek invented the friction grip method of wellhead engineering which has experienced growing demand. He has more than 40 years of experience in engineering and management roles and and has previously held senior positions with Vetco Offshore Industries, Dril-Quip and Ingram Cactus. The businessman went on to form his own oil and gas consultancy in 1982 and in 1986 founded Plexus before merging with Ingram Cactus which was later acquired by Cameron. He subsequently invented, developed and commercialised POS-GRIP technology before Plexus Holdings plc was admitted to AIM in 2005.Plexus has supplied POS-GRIP wellhead systems to more than 300 wells worldwide, operated by companies including BG, BP, ConocoPhillips, Gaz de France, Maersk, Repsol, Shell, and Statoil.RD