Blom UK
Innovation, Technology and Competence
The Blom Group is one of Europe's largest providers of geospatial products, applications and services to government and commercial organisations. Located in offices and production units in 13 countries throughout Europe and employing more than 1,100 experienced staff, Blom Group provides a wide range of mapping, navigation and location products and services, meeting local, regional and international standards and specifications. The Group Head Office is in Oslo, Norway and the company is listed on the Oslo Stock Exchange.
The Group website can be found at www.blomasa.com.
Blom in the UK has an 80 year history of providing innovative geospatial services to Government and Commercial organisations. From the company's outset in 1919 under the name Aerofilms, we have strived to provide cutting edge technology and the highest quality service to our customers. As the UK's first commercial aerial photography company we pioneered the use of Photogrammetry in mapping, securing the Ordnance Survey as our first major client, which it remains to this day. Time has not diminished our passion for technology or innovation and today Blom utilise some of the world's most sophisticated data capture techniques including digital aerial photography, topographic and bathymetric laser scanning, thermal and hyperspectral survey. Many of our sensors can be operated simultaneously from one aircraft, providing the opportunity to "capture once and use many times". This holistic approach to data capture and investment in technology facilitate the delivery of a comprehensive range of geospatial solutions to a varied client base that includes national mapping agencies, engineering companies and global data providers. Our considerable archive of historic imagery and our unique library of oblique imagery are delivered to the market through licensing agreements, which allow us to focus on our core business of data capture.
National mapping projects traditionally account for the major part of Blom's work in the UK. We have several framework agreements in place with clients that include the Ordnance Survey, The Highways Agency and the Environment Agency. Our partnerships with these organisations has provided a platform for the continuous refinement of our production and quality control processes, resulting in our achievement of BSI ISO9001 (2008).
Blom believe that investment in technology is vital and have committed significant resource in the development of the highly complex airborne bathymetric laser scanning where the company is one of the global leaders of this new and exciting technology. The business recognises that such investment is only effective if matched by investment in our people ensuring business-wide competency across existing and new market sectors. Blom is committed to providing staff with ongoing personal and professional development to enable them to complete their work to a consistently high standard and to continue to provide our customers with added-value products and innovative solutions. We pride ourselves on recognising an individual's strengths and allowing them to move within the organisation to continuously develop skills and broaden their experience. Blom's commitment to its staff has been recognised with the award of Investors in People status.
Despite a period of turbulent global economic conditions, 2010 has seen the introduction of a number of new Blom services including thermal heat loss surveys for Local Authorities, bird surveys for offshore energy developers and vegetation surveys using IR photography. Through investment in our technology and people Blom will continue to introduce additional services, solutions and thought leadership to meet the demands of a constantly changing market, ensuring we remain the choice for geospatial data services in the UK and Europe.
