To establish clear competitive advantages, and to progressively differentiate ourselves from competitors, we have accumulated a pool of intellectual property. As an integral part of our operating philosophy, we apply our intellectual property in a wide range of services. We encourage our staff to seek out new opportunities to develop and crystallize intellectual property and associated value. It is a core component of our business and competitive advantage, and it takes many forms.

1. We have a procedural knowledge base in engineering forensics that allows us to perform our work, with a level of precision and dispatch that few can match. To have recognized value, intellectual property must be transferable, and our know-how through highly specialized training and expertise, is disseminated and embedded within each of our operating departments. This has facilitated the ability of ARN to expand from our original base in oil & gas drilling, to the mining sector, and from mining to manufacturing, processing and other industries.

2. We have meticulously assembled a unique knowledge base specific to machinery, rig mast and substructure design for operation in cold and hostile climates. When combined with our forensic skills, this has provided us with an unusual set of competitive advantages, ones that give our client companies the practical ability to reduce capital outlays, extend operating life cycles, and reduce maintenance costs affiliated with their production infrastructure.

3. We have an inventory of machinery designs that are field proven.  When engaged to provide design services, we start from foundations built up from this now large design inventory and history.  This gives us an opportunity to offer cost savings that other engineering firms do not have. As these designs reflect many years of active field service we know what will work, and what needs to be modified, for specific client operating conditions.

4. We also maintain an active program to develop and patent new technologies that spin out from client projects.  These patents in turn, are typically licensed to third party manufacturers.  Usually, these enterprises are in a better position to crystallize monetary value from our technologies, by giving them a clear competitive advantage, and give us a stream of license and royalty income.