Hilco is seeking offers to acquire the intellectual property assets of Specialised Management Services Limited (In Administration) (“SMS” or the “Company”) on behalf of the Joint Administrators of the Company, Alistair Wardell, Robin Parker and Richard Lewis of Grant Thornton UK LLP.
SMS, a key subsidiary within the Alderley Group (“Alderley” or the “Group”), was a globally recognised leader in hydraulic, pneumatic, and electrical control systems for the oil and gas industry. Operating from strategic hubs in Great Yarmouth and Aberdeen, SMS extended its reach through Alderley’s international network, delivering end-to-end solutions to the global energy sector. SMS provided comprehensive turnkey services, encompassing every stage of a project’s lifecycle, from initial design and build to installation, maintenance, servicing, and end-of-life decommissioning. The Company’s extensive expertise allowed it to deliver tailored solutions that ensured exceptional reliability and performance, even in the most challenging environments.
Operating alongside Alderley’s renowned metering and produced water treatment systems, SMS developed and supplied advanced technologies such as hydraulic power units, chemical injection systems, sub-sea controls, and wellhead control panels. SMS’ systems were seamlessly integrated into broader energy infrastructure, enabling operators to achieve operational excellence while adhering to stringent environmental and regulatory standards.
Prior to Administration, SMS worked closely with global energy leaders, including Shell, Schlumberger, and BP, to design and implement solutions tailored to the unique requirements of each project. The Company’s ability to deliver robust and innovative systems solidified its reputation as a trusted partner in the energy industry, aligning with Alderley’s overarching commitment to technical excellence and reliability.
As part of Alderley, SMS benefited from decades of industry experience and the Group’s established relationships with international energy giants. As part of the Group, all shared a mission to drive innovation and efficiency in energy production, making them invaluable partners for upstream, midstream, and downstream operations.
This acquisition offers a unique opportunity to harness and leverage SMS’ intellectual property assets to commercialise the Company’s proven technologies, building on the Group’s legacy and addressing the growing global demand for advanced and sustainable energy solutions.
As a key member of the Group, the SMS brand became synonymous with delivering specialised hydraulic, pneumatic, and electrical control solutions to the global energy sector. Known for its precision engineering and deep industry expertise, SMS built a strong reputation for addressing complex challenges with tailored systems that enhanced operational efficiency and ensured compliance with stringent environmental and safety standards.
The SMS brand’s credibility was strengthened through long-standing collaborations with leading energy companies, such as Shell, Schlumberger, and BP, demonstrating SMS’ ability to execute critical projects, from hydraulic power units and chemical injection systems to wellhead control panels and sub-sea control solutions, across diverse and challenging environments, positioning SMS as a trusted partner in both upstream and downstream operations.
Integral to the SMS brand was its dedication to providing end-to-end solutions, from design and manufacturing to maintenance and decommissioning. SMS offered a full lifecycle service that prioritised client needs and operational reliability. With a customer-first approach, the brand established itself as a dependable provider of innovative systems capable of withstanding the harshest production conditions.
The SMS name represents a legacy of technical excellence, industry trust, and the ability to deliver in high-stakes environments.
The Company likely holds rights in unregistered trade marks protecting the “SMS” brand name and logo.
Full details on the Company’s trade marks are available via a virtual data room.
SMS holds a meticulously organised repository of project files, technical documentation, and proprietary know-how, including detailed design schematics, engineering drawings, operational data, and methodologies developed over decades of industry-leading projects. The Company’s archive includes materials relating to the various core areas in which SMS operated, including hydraulic and pneumatic systems, electrical control solutions, chemical injection units, and wellhead control panels. The project files provide a comprehensive view of SMS’ systems, from initial concept and design through to implementation, maintenance, and decommissioning.
Categorised by client and project codes, SMS’s digital repository is intuitively structured, allowing potential acquirers to easily navigate its contents. Beyond final deliverables, the collection includes the underlying methodologies, operational insights, and trial data that supported SMS’s systems, with this deep well of technical knowledge offering potential acquirers the tools to replicate, refine, or commercialise SMS’ proven solutions. The project files also shed light on SMS’s collaboration with global energy leaders, such as Shell and BP, providing insights into the systems and solutions deployed in some of the most demanding environments.
The primary sms-alderley.com domain name is available to acquire.
The Company owns the copyright in the website content historically hosted at https://web.archive.org/web/20240319211757/https://sms-alderley.com/.
Rights in social media accounts are also available to acquire across LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook and YouTube.
Full details on the Company’s social media accounts are available via a virtual data room.
The Company maintains detailed records of the customers they served, complete with names and contact information of key individuals within relevant departments.
Click here to explore the related opportunity to acquire the intellectual property assets of Alderley Plc (In Administration) and Alderley Systems Limited (In Administration): LINK
Offers Invited
All expressions of interest and bids are to be directed to Hilco in writing. A Bid Submission Form is available on request. Please contact Hilco to gain access to a virtual data room of further information on signing a confidentiality agreement.
The Joint Administrators act as agents of the Companies and without personal liability.
The bidder acknowledges that Hilco acts as an agent for the Joint Administrators who offer for sale only what right, title and interest (if any) the Companies possess in the assets. Such sale will be without any warranties, expressed or implied. The information provided has not been verified by Hilco or the Joint Administrators, and bidders are deemed to have carried out their own due diligence. The bidder acknowledges that the sale of project information, designs, and customer data may be subject to confidentiality obligations or other third party restrictions preventing disclosure or use of these assets. The bidder will be required to provide comprehensive indemnites to the Joint Administrators to mitigate litigation risks, confidentiality issues, and other potential unknown liabilities associated with the transfer of the assets and subsequent use. The indemnity requirement is non-negotiable and must be considered by the bidder before submitting an offer, as it is required to address the risks associated with the sale of intellectual property and related assets.
VAT, if applicable, at 20% will be added to the price. A non-refundable deposit of 20% will be payable by the buyer within 48 hours of bid acceptance. A buyer’s premium of 10% of the sale price is payable by the winning bidder. Legal completion to occur within 5 business days of bid acceptance. Hilco’s full Terms and Conditions apply.
Associate Director
Manchester Office
