Valve companies in the oil and gas sector have had a rocky ride since the 2014 oil price crash but a leading county engineering firm is now "cautiously optimistic" about the future.

Quedgeley-based Severn Glocon Group reports that it is making strong progress as stability returns to the market.

Severn Glocon Group employs 250 people in the county and has specialised in serving the oil and gas industries with its engineering expertise for more than 50 years.

The company said: "Over the past four years, many operators sought to boost the efficiency of existing upstream facilities as they scaled back on new projects. Severn's advanced valve engineering services are a critical enabler in this scenario.

"Optimising valve population performance and applying bespoke, intelligence-led solutions to individual problem valves can drive significant improvements in reliability and productivity.

"Severn invested heavily in its established plant capabilities from 2009-2014, opening purpose-built facilities in Brighouse, extending its global footprint and building on its world-class engineering team.

"This enabled the business to respond quickly to the shifting priorities of operators post-2014, maximising opportunities and driving exponential growth."

The North Sea and the Aberdeen market continues to play a major role in Severn's business. Alongside the uptake in offshore control and choke valve management and upgrade programmes, its isolation valve supply business Severn Ball Valves has also performed well.

In fact, 2017 was this division's best ever year, something divisional MD Brian Wood attributes to industry knowledge and high levels of customer service.

From September Severn Ball Valves will begin trading as Severn Glocon Aberdeen, to better reflect the scope and scale of the engineering services it offers across mechanical valves as well as isolation valves.

Severn Glocon Group executive director Colin Findlay said: "Developing innovative valve technologies for challenging scenarios is what we do best. And that goes down well with all our customers across new projects and established plant alike."