Glimpse into Gilmore: Carlton Sykes, Supervisor, R&D Laboratory

Carlton Sykes has led the Gilmore Research and Development Laboratory for over 3 years as the team’s Supervisor. Prior to moving to Gilmore, he served as a Production Supervisor at our sister division, Proserv Controls with the Subsea Controls business.  His extensive experience with Subsea control systems provides a unique perspective and whole system approach to testing new products for Gilmore.  He understands the role in system reliability each Gilmore essential flow control product serves as critical components to the entire control system.

Gilmore’s R & D team in partnership with the Engineering team has been aggressively pursuing a product road map schedule over the past few years that will successfully add six new product completions by end of this year.  In years past, the R & D lab tested only one new project at a time. The department is now capable of testing multiple projects simultaneously, moving product development 50% higher than in prior years. “Gilmore’s fast pace environment provides new challenges every day that require the R & D and Engineering teams to work together to create solutions that will provide our clients with the most reliable new products in the market.  This is what I love most about my position within the company; the ability to be part of the solution in the development of a new product through proven testing, contributing to the refinement of an original design that ensures Gilmore products qualify beyond industry requirements.”  Current industry API/ISO standards necessitate testing only a single valve, Gilmore tests multiple valves a minimum of two times that of the industry standard.

For decades, Gilmore has been the premier flow control product supplier for the drilling controls industry.  This history of delivering resilient, quality products has maintained Gilmore’s hold in this position.  Customers have come to rely on Gilmore’s expertise for technical solutions when the “off the shelf” product will not meet the ever-increasing performance requirements of their equipment.

Gilmore is continuing research and development not only for the improvement of legacy products but also through selective targeting in niche severe and critical applications for a broad range of industries that also demand superior product technologies.

As operating pressures, temperatures and flow rates continue to increase and fluid cleanliness become less controlled, Gilmore will continue to innovate with adaptable and modular technologies that go beyond standard applications to become the partner of choice across industries.  “Gilmore has plans for several new products that could potentially transform the valve industry across many market’s, I look forward to playing my part leading the Research and Development team in support of Engineering to ensure these new products are successful!”

“To say that Carlton is an essential part of the Gilmore engineering group is an understatement. He is a leader in the organization for his diligence, integrity, and ability to communicate and coordinate with all departments and teams.  R&D testing is the highest risk we undertake during new product development, and I wholeheartedly trust Carlton to do things right while keeping everyone’s safety as the foremost priority.” – Gerardo Martinez, Engineering Manager