ASEE Group | Our History

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Our History

1977

The origins of the ASEE Ltd business can be seen as Aidan’s initial decision to study electrical, mechanical and fabrication engineering at Craigavon technical training campus before moving on to consolidate his skills in the electrical field through employment with a Lisburn based electrical contractor.

By 1977 the drive and vision that Aidan has continued to demonstrate pushed him towards setting up his own company, Aidan Strain Electrical, initially to service the local market around county Down as the NIHE renovated and developed their public housing stock and local industrial sites opened up a need for more industrial installation work.

1987

In 1987 Aidan recognised better business opportunities were in London, so he relocated his family and for the next 5 years he successfully completed major industrial, commercial and retail installations, most notable among those was the award-winning Belfry shopping centre at Redhill. During this time, Aidan also had his first introduction to generator installation, as these shopping centres demanded a source of back-up power to safeguard their large stock of frozen foods in the event of a power outage.

1993

Aidan and his family decided to move back to Mullaghbawn in Northern Ireland and capitalise on the local housing boom that was emerging. He established an electrical wholesale outlet to serve the local community. This business flourished, undertaking domestic and industrial projects throughout the North and South of Ireland. Never one to sit still for long, Aidan often reflected on his generator experience in London. Whilst the major generator manufacturers were extremely proficient at manufacturing the actual generator sets, they did struggle in bringing together the various trades people that are required to install the necessary support systems. Aidan saw this as another opportunity for success.

1995

Having established his reputation as a reliable project director for meeting programme cost and timeline constraints through his earlier major works , Aidan had no difficulty in winning generator integration contracts through the generator manufacturers to install their systems in the telecommunication sites that were initially sited around London. That work continued at a frantic pace until the dot.com bubble burst in late 1999. By that time the Aidan Strain Electrical business had expanded considerably and had established a similar footing in Canary Wharf as the London financial districts expanded to the extent where now some 105,000 people work in Canary Wharf, home to the world or European headquarters of numerous major banks, professional services firms, and media organisations, all of which rely heavily on the immediate availability of standby power to protect their vast computer networks.

2000's

Aidan decided to formalise his company standing so he established the Limited company with headquarters in Mullaghbawn. Aidan Strain Electrical Engineering (ASEELTD) was registered. A core team of administrators, design engineers, quantity surveyors and procurement specialists were employed to ensure the smooth running of the business.

From 2000 onwards, internet-based companies started to emerge, building large computer dependent outlets which became known as data centres. The necessity for these data centres spread throughout the UK, across Europe and beyond, and it continues to grow at lightning speed. Aidan had been working within this Data Centre environment from their first appearance in UK, again as an established generator integration specialist, and it was a natural progression that he should expand that business into Europe.

2000's

Although a lot of our work centres around generator integration, the company still retains a firm foothold in the electrical installation field having completed the full electrical fit out to six data centres around Amsterdam as well as a major retail outlet in Amsterdam.

Similarly, in Germany we are heavily engaged in data centre and retail fit out and until just recently ASEE Ltd had over 100 employees on a single data centre site in Frankfurt as the German financial sector continues to expand.
From all of this it can be seen that the company is vibrant and with a strong customer base, this has enabled Aidan to step back a little and to place more and more reliance on the younger team leaders who will be responsible for taking the business forward over the coming years.

2019

Aidan decided to close the electrical wholesale part of the business, and focus on larger projects across the UK and Europe. Where the shop once was, is now a state-of-the-art office, housing the growing Accounts and Admin teams. This was also the perfect opportunity to rebrand the business.

Today, there is a core team of almost 40 staff working out of the headquarters in Mullaghbawn, with another 200+ plus staff located across the various projects. The business is growing at a steady pace, thanks to the team’s commitment to deliver high standard projects, on time and in budget. From fulfilling local community needs like wiring the football field flood lights, to delivering turnkey M&E fitouts on Hyperscale Datacentres projects in any part of the world, ASEE is your go to company every time. Thanks to new developments in technology, the world is getting smaller, but at ASEE, we see our company getting bigger! The future is bright!

DIVERSIFYING OUR BUSINESS

In 2000, Aidan formalised his company as ASEE Group, with headquarters in Mullaghbawn, employing a skilled team to ensure smooth operations.

As internet-based companies and data centres emerged, ASEE Group expanded into the data centre market across the UK and Europe. The company completed significant electrical installations, including six data centres and a major retail outlet in Amsterdam, and maintained a strong presence in Germany, with over 100 employees on a single site in Frankfurt.

Today, ASEE Group continues to thrive with a strong customer base and a new generation of leaders driving the business forward.

RED BEAR

Red Bear is a dedicated company of the ASEE Group, formed to deliver Technology expertise and high-end solutions to Data Centre Construction Projects and high spec ICT deployments throughout Europe.

Red Bear was created in 2021 through discussions with our clients, and their need to have better competition in the marketplace for the key services they need. Now in 2025 Red Bear currently has just over 100 employees working as part of the ASEE Group. Whether this be Hyperscale deployments, Mini Clusters or Upgrades on existing sites. Visit www.redbear-tech.com to find out more.

HOW WE STARTED

ASEE Group traces its roots to Aidan's studies in electrical, mechanical, and fabrication engineering at Craigavon Technical Training Campus. He honed his skills working for an electrical contractor in Lisburn.

In 1977, Aidan founded Aidan Strain Electrical to serve County Down, capitalising on the local market needs during NIHE's public housing renovations and industrial site developments.

By 1987, seeking better opportunities, Aidan moved to London. Over the next five years, he completed significant industrial, commercial, and retail installations, including the award-winning Belfry Shopping Centre at Redhill. This period also marked his introduction to generator installation, essential for providing backup power in shopping centres.

GROWING THE TEAM

In 1993, Aidan moved back to Mullaghbawn, Northern Ireland, and opened an electrical wholesale outlet during the local housing boom. The business thrived, handling projects across Ireland.

Reflecting on his generator experience in London, Aidan saw an opportunity in integrating generator systems. From 1995, he won contracts to install these systems in telecommunication sites around London, gaining a reputation for reliability.

By 1999, Aidan Strain Electrical had significantly expanded, establishing a strong presence in Canary Wharf, supporting major banks, firms, and media organisations with essential standby power systems.

CONTINUED GROWTH

In 2019, ASEE Group closed its electrical wholesale division to focus on larger projects across the UK and Europe. The former shop was transformed into a modern office for the growing Accounts and Admin teams, and the business was rebranded.

Today, ASEE Group has over 80 staff at its Mullaghbawn headquarters and over 200 staff on various projects at any one time. The company's steady growth is driven by its commitment to delivering high-quality projects on time and within budget. From local projects like wiring football field floodlights to major M&E fitouts for hyperscale data centres worldwide, ASEE Group continues to expand. The current head office is undergoing a large extension to support current growth plans within the business. With advancements in technology, ASEE Group's future is bright and promising.

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HOW WE STARTED

ASEE Ltd traces its roots to Aidan's studies in electrical, mechanical, and fabrication engineering at Craigavon Technical Training Campus. He honed his skills working for an electrical contractor in Lisburn.

In 1977, Aidan founded Aidan Strain Electrical to serve County Down, capitalising on the local market needs during NIHE's public housing renovations and industrial site developments.

GROWING THE TEAM

In 1993, Aidan moved back to Mullaghbawn, Northern Ireland, and opened an electrical wholesale outlet during the local housing boom. The business thrived, handling projects across Ireland.

DIVERSIFYING OUR BUSINESS

In 2000, Aidan formalised his company as ASEE Ltd, with headquarters in Mullaghbawn, employing a skilled team to ensure smooth operations.

As internet-based companies and data centres emerged, ASEE Ltd expanded into the data centre market across the UK and Europe. The company completed significant electrical installations, including six data centres and a major retail outlet in Amsterdam, and maintained a strong presence in Germany, with over 100 employees on a single site in Frankfurt.

Today, ASEE Ltd continues to thrive with a strong customer base and a new generation of leaders driving the business forward.

CONTINUED GROWTH

In 2019, ASEE Ltd closed its electrical wholesale division to focus on larger projects across the UK and Europe. The former shop was transformed into a modern office for the growing Accounts and Admin teams, and the business was rebranded.

Today, ASEE Ltd has over 70 staff at its Mullaghbawn headquarters and over 200 staff on various projects at any one time. The company's steady growth is driven by its commitment to delivering high-quality projects on time and within budget. From local projects like wiring football field floodlights to major M&E fitouts for hyperscale data centres worldwide, ASEE Ltd continues to expand. The current head office is undergoing a large extension to support current growth plans within the business. With advancements in technology, ASEE Ltd's future is bright and promising.

RED BEAR

Red Bear is a dedicated company of the ASEE Group, formed to deliver Technology expertise and high-end solutions to Data Centre Construction Projects and high spec ICT deployments throughout Europe. Red Bear was created in 2021 through discussions with our clients, and their need to have better competition in the marketplace for the key services they need. Whether this be Hyperscale deployments, Mini Clusters or Upgrades on existing sites. Visit www.redbear-tech.com to find out more.