ABB’s automation engineering offering is further enhanced with the appointment of Firstco as an ABB Value Provider, becoming the program’s first dedicated PLC and SCADA specialist for the UK.
Infrastructure engineering specialists Firstco have become the latest addition to ABB’s Value Provider program in the UK. As an accredited ABB channel partner, Firstco will benefit from access to ABB’s extensive product and support offering for PLCs and SCADA and are certified to carry out service and integration to a factory-level standard, allowing Firstco to provide engineering solutions of the highest quality.
Since its founding in 1998, Firstco has established itself as one of the foremost suppliers of engineered control and communication systems in the UK and has been a key partner in delivering several notable projects including Heathrow Terminal 5 and Crossrail. Specialising in the critical infrastructure, power management and data centre sectors, Firstco has a long track record of delivering successful projects across airport, rail, road, maritime and built environment applications, as well as in industrial automation.
Firstco’s certification as an ABB Value Provider will allow the company enhanced access to ABB’s PLC and SCADA offering, including its ABB AbilityTM Zenon platform, together with a wide range of services, technical advice, training and bespoke contracts. All members of ABB’s channel partner network are carefully selected based on their technical expertise and quality of service. As the first PLC and SCADA supplier to join ABB’s UK network, Firstco will be uniquely positioned to leverage the most advanced ABB automation products and solutions for its customers.
The agreement is the culmination of several years of successful collaboration, as Firstco’s Michael Gray, Managing Director, explains: “The journey towards becoming an approved Value Provider has been in the works for some time, and we are delighted to now see it come to fruition. Rather than using lots of products from lots of different manufacturers, we have always felt that we can serve our customers best by establishing meaningful partnerships with a small number of suppliers who understand us and can provide the support and products we need to deliver outstanding results.”
“ABB’s product availability and lead times have always been first class, even in recent years when the rest of the market has been affected by delays and logistics issues, and their engineering solutions are second to none” adds Martin Keay, Technical Sales Manager, Firstco, “We specialise in the most difficult and challenging projects, and so the solutions are often vastly complex. ABB’s outstanding pre-sales support has opened doors for us and already helped us to win bids, as customers know that we are backed by the very best in automation technology, delivered by a globally respected brand.”
“Transport infrastructure projects in particular took a big hit during Covid, but we’ve got a full order book right now, and are poised to achieve rapid growth in the coming years” continues Gray, “It’s great to finally formalise what was already a very productive partnership, and we can’t wait to get the ABB Value Provider plaque up on the wall.”
The addition of Firstco as the first specialist PLC and SCADA Value Provider for the UK market is expected to open new opportunities for ABB to demonstrate the quality and value of its automation offering, as ABB’s Rory Hamilton, UK Channel Manager, explains: “We’re very excited to have our first PLC and SCADA partner in the UK. Firstco have impressed us with their level of service and quality, and we share a commitment to the same core values, particularly on sustainability and decarbonisation. I envisage a lot of exciting opportunities for us to work together in the coming years.”
