In three decades, UK-based Rolec Services has reached monumental milestones. The company’s prolific projects are a testament to the world-leading position it enjoys, and have motivated the Rolec team to constantly hone its experience in the marina sector.

Since 1990, Rolec Services has positioned itself as an innovator of exemplary products for both marina operators and marina users. Starting out with just the Classic marina pedestal, Rolec has continued to expand and improve its offering to the marina industry and now has various popular pedestals and berth management systems on the market.

Classic Beginnings

The Classic, with its simplistic and long-lasting design, has never fallen out of favour. It can be seen in hundreds of marinas around the world and withstands the test of time, with the bulk of the original installations still reliable and still in place.

Launching the Classic pedestal gave Rolec access to multiple marina destinations and four years after its launch, it won the company its first £1 million marina project - for Elizabeth Harbour on the island of Jersey. Securing this 1994 project was a huge determining factor for Rolec as the directors could see vast potential in offering the industry greater choice of products and services, and a future prospect as a world leader in the industry.

With innovation at the core of its business philosophy and the new opportunities afforded by the internet, Rolec introduced a world first electricity/water computer controlled management system called BerthMaster. BerthMaster was designed to provide marina operators with a simple and straightforward marina management system, enabling them to easily and cost-effectively manage the control and billing of marina electrical and water services. Its introduction was a revolutionary move for Rolec. The ability of the software to allow the marina office to remotely control and monitor every individual electric socket and water tap on the marina enabled marina operators to save both time and labour.

Rolec has always believed in providing solutions for its customers that make their day-to-day lives simpler, and BerthMaster achieves exactly that. Developing the new system facilitated greater opportunities for Rolec’s marina team, positioning them at the forefront of pioneering work.

A Decade Passes

Following ten years of great success, in 2000 Rolec added to its huge product range by unveiling LED lighting for both marina and caravan industries. Many pontoons, access bridges and quaysides have benefited from stunning, low-cost, energy-efficient illumination as a result. The products have become a ‘go-to’ for new infrastructure and refurbishment projects, enhancing the ambience at many marinas and waterfronts.

But, for Rolec, the millennium was just the start of something greater. Within six years, it diversified to use its specialist knowledge for industrial power supplies and had formed a third division named Power Solutions. A year later it patented and launched WallPod. Originally released as the ultimate interchangeable utility pod system, it now enjoys a strong foothold in the electric vehicle industry.

The launch of the WallPod in 2007 also coincided with Rolec’s first major Middle East contract - for The Pearl Qatar, a 1,200 berth marina project. The £2.5 million order added another impressive reference to Rolec’s substantial portfolio but was swiftly followed in 2008 by a £2 million order for marina services for the iconic Palm Marinas in Dubai. In under two years, Rolec had made serious market inroads into a new and exciting business region.

Business was clearly solid, but Rolec continued to look to the future and push boundaries, announcing EV charging in 2008 as its fourth division. At a time when many were dubious about the future of electric vehicles, this was an adventurous and courageous move that has since paid serious dividends.

2010 Onwards

After two decades of extraordinary growth, Rolec relocated its headquarters and manufacturing facility to new purpose-built premises, widening its capacity to deliver even greater service to its customers.

A multi-million pound Rolec Training Academy was built on-site to showcase the breadth of products the company designs and manufactures. The state-of-the-art Training Academy welcomes hundreds of electrical contractors every month into the business, educating keen professionals on the wide range of products that Rolec offers. The Academy has piqued interest from all around the world, with visitors coming from far and wide to discover more about Rolec’s product range.