Cranes and Equipment Asia (CEA) was formed in 2000 by Kevin Fisher, Founder and Managing Director. Starting from humble beginnings in a small shop house in Chonburi, Thailand, Kevin drew on his vast experience and knowledge in the Heavy Transport and Heavy Lift sectors to form CEA to provide logistical services and support for the Oil and Gas sector.
By 2006 the company had established itself in Southeast Asia placing a focus on the core business of heavy or abnormal load transportation, heavy lift and engineering solutions. In 2007 Kevin made several key appointments to the senior management team to help the company expand into the project logistics market. These appointments were essential for the strategic growth of the company over the coming years.
In 2008 CEA was awarded several major Oil and Gas projects for one of the world’s leading energy providers. By the end of the year, CEA’s workforce had grown to over 100 full-time staff with operational competencies that offered a complete logistics solution.
"Growth is never by mere chance; it is the result of forces working together"
In 2009 the company invested in over 80,000m2 of yard and warehouse space in Laem Chabang, Chonburi. This would now serve as their head office and logistics base. Building on this success, CEA procured trucks, cranes, container handling equipment, and forklifts together with a range of rigging and lifting equipment to complement their range of services.
As the company’s exponential growth in Thailand continued, Kevin and his management team spotted a gap in the logistics market in the neighbouring country of Myanmar. Kevin had worked in Myanmar as early as 1997, however, due to the political unrest at that time, Myanmar was not yet a viable option. Upon returning from a successful business trip in 2012, the management team agreed the time was right to invest in Myanmar. CEA Projects Myanmar was officially opened in January 2013 with head offices in downtown Yangon and 10,000m2 of warehousing in the Port of Thilawar.
After the success of Thailand and Myanmar CEA looked to expand East and in June 2016, CEA Projects Vietnam was launched with head offices located in the heart of Ho Chi Minh City. The country’s geographical location made it the perfect choice for CEA as Vietnam’s coastline stretches for 3,200 km allowing access to some of the world’s major seaborne trade routes.
"Opportunity does not knock; it presents itself when you beat down the door"
Kevin and his team had noticed a considerable increase in demand for cross-border transportation and general logistics services in Cambodia. This demand presented a great opportunity for CEA to expand into another market and further strengthen its position in the region; and, in 2018 CEA Projects Cambodia was established in the country’s capital of Phnom Penh with facilities and yard space in the coastal city of Sihanoukville.
With a strong presence already solidified in Southeast Asia, Kevin and the team looked further afield for the next challenge, and in 2021, CEA signed a joint venture agreement with UK-based Oblin Energy to provide engineering, procurement and construction services for the Oblin Green Project in Laayoune, Morocco. A new company, OblinCEA was formed and officially launched on August 1st, 2022. Headquartered in central Laayoune, OblinCEA will play a key role in the Oblin Green Project with phase one of the project expected to start in Q4 2023.
"Without logistics, the world stops."
