About Us
Octopus is a division of CMP and has been designing, manufacturing and marketing Autopilot Drives for over 20 years. We hold patents on several unique devices that enhance drive performance, and supply drives to most of the marine industry’s leading autopilot manufactures for resale within their autopilot packages.
Autopilot Drives are a major component of all autopilot systems and can be considered as “dumb muscles”. They are either hydraulic or mechanical devices and are powered by 12 or 24 volt DC motors; there is a range of sizes to fit most applications. They attach to the vessels steering system and are controlled by the Autopilot or “brain”. In all cases, they are subject to wear over time and need to be either serviced or replaced. The frequency of the service or replacement of autopilot drives depends on how much use, what kind of use and the environment to which the unit is exposed.
In 2000, CMP was looking to expand their product offerings in the marine industry, and acquired Comprehensive Manufacturing Technologies Inc. (CMT), the designers and manufacturers of Octopus Autopilot Drives. The synergies of the product lines as well as the expertise of CMP’s Engineering and Machining Divisions ensured that this acquisition would further strengthen our company’s ability to service the ever expanding needs of our customers.
In November 2006, CMP relocated Canadian operations to a new, modern engineering and production facility. The 40,000 sq.ft. building contains extensive engineering resources, metallurgical testing laboratories and production capabilities for Octopus Drives as well as Martyr Anodes. The new Vancouver facility complements another 45,000 sq.ft. manufacturing plant in Ningbo, China, which is owned by CMP Global, the company’s international trading arm. The Chinese facility opened in 2005. CMP’s new engineering-focused plant in Vancouver and CMP Global’s facility in China allow it to act as both importer and domestic manufacturer.
We want our customers to know of the breadth and the diversity of our products and operations. All of us at CMP are dedicated to customer service and committed to product quality. We look forward to providing you, our valued customer, with proof of our dedication and commitment.