Elcome was founded in Dubai in 1969 by Bill Hardman, who was an ex-Royal Navy radio officer. He worked in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia prior to setting up Elcome International in Dubai. Bill wanted to provide services to the growing shipping fleet that passed through the Arabian Gulf and Arabian Sea. Kuldip Singh Grewal who was a colleague of Bill’s in Bahrain joined the company as a partner a few months later. KS still serves as our Managing Director.
Up until 1969 Elcome operated from a flat in Bur Dubai, providing repair services to the ships in Dubai, Fujairah, Abu Dhabi, and Oman. Elcome was legally registered as a Limited Liability Company and licensed to operate from Dubai in 1969. Though only a small company, the responsivesness and technical skills of the Bill Hardman and KS Grewal team ensured the business expanded steadily. Over four decades, business operations have had to change considerably, except for the most important aspect of keeping all our customers happy!