REG-Hardide PLC US Order

Released: 19/02/2007

RNS Number:4444R 
Hardide PLC 
19 February 2007 
 
 
Press Release                                                   19 February 2007 
 
 
 
                                  Hardide plc 
                          ("Hardide" or the "Company") 
 
 
     Hardide wins Expro as first new customer for US manufacturing facility 
 
 
Hardide Coatings (AIM:HDD), the provider of unique surface engineering 
technology, is pleased to announce that it has secured orders from the Expro 
Group ("Expro") as its first new customer for its recently opened coatings 
facility in Houston, Texas. 
 
The order is the result of over 18 months of close co-operation between the 
companies to engineer and test a solution to increase the wear resistance of 
downhole tractor tool grippers. Hardide has made several prototypes for Expro 
that have been run in harsh environments, proving to extend the life time of 
components. 
 
Hardide completed a purpose-built 17,000 sq. ft. coatings facility in Houston in 
September 2006. The plant houses the first of a number of state-of-the-art CVD 
(chemical vapour deposition) vacuum furnaces together with pre-treatment, 
inspection, QA and finishing support equipment. 
 
Jim Murray-Smith, chief executive officer of Hardide plc said: "The response to 
our presence in Houston has been highly satisfactory and we have parts in test 
from over 30 of the region's major suppliers to the oil and gas industry. 
Winning this first order from Expro further validates the Company's expansion 
into Houston and we are confident of being able to announce additional contracts 
in the near future as they come on-line." 
 
Francis Neill of The Expro Group said:  "Our company is at the forefront of new 
technology and innovation and we are, therefore, pleased to do business with a 
company like Hardide, which has proved to offer our components optimized 
performance and extended life.  We are particularly pleased to be their first 
new customer as they establish their business in Houston." 
 
 
                                      Ends 
 
 
For further information: 
Hardide plc 
Jim Murray Smith, Chief Executive                 Tel: +44 (0) 1869 353 830 
jmurray-smith@hardide.com                                   www.hardide.com 
 
 
Daniel Stewart & Company plc 
Paul Shackleton, Chloe Ponsonby                   Tel: +44 (0) 207 776 6550 
                                                    www.danielstewart.co.uk 
 
 
Media enquiries: 
Abchurch 
Chris Lane / Laura Riascos de Castro              Tel: +44 (0) 20 7398 7700 
chris.lane@abchurch-group.com                        www.abchurch-group.com 
 
 
 
 
Note to Editors: 
 
 
The Hardide Technology 
 
UK-based Hardide Coatings has developed a unique tungsten carbide based coating 
which offers an unprecedented combination of ultra-hardness, toughness, low 
friction and chemical resistance when applied to components made from steel, 
alloy and other materials.  Together with features such as its ability to coat 
internal surfaces, Hardide is proven to outperform competing technologies across 
many measures.  The patented coating is widely used around the world in 
aggressive wear or chemical environments primarily in the oil and gas, valve, 
pump and aerospace industries. 
 
 
 
The Expro Group 
 
Expro International Group PLC is the leading upstream oil and gas technology and 
service provider, specialising in flow management, well performance and 
production optimisation.  The Expro Group employs over 4,000 people worldwide 
and is an innovative leader in oilfield technology which enables clients to 
maximise recovery of their reserves.  For more information, please refer to the 
Group's website at www.exprogroup.com. 
 
 
 
 
                      This information is provided by RNS 
            The company news service from the London Stock Exchange 
END 
 
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