China beckons for East Kilbride-based software firm Gael

THE software firm chaired by former enterprise minister Jim Mather is preparing to open an office in China as it targets 40 per cent turnover growth this year to push sales through the £10 million mark.

East Kilbride-based Gael, which hired the former energy minister last year, already has a base in Dubai, which has helped the company to grow its revenues by 50 per cent during the first three months of the year.

Six-figure contracts with the National Health Service in Wales and Kent have also helped swell the order book, with staff numbers expected to rise from the present 106 to around 120 workers.

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Donald Maciver, who founded Gael in 1992, said: “Our strategy in the Middle East has been based around our specialism in the aviation sector.

“We’ve been working with the Emirates airline for 12 years and that’s opened a lot of doors for us. Now we’ve been able to move into the oil and gas sector too.

“It’s early days, but I could see a similar situation in China, where we’ll be starting with the aviation industry.”

While the contracts with the NHS have helped to swell the company’s bottom line, Maciver said they also brought added prestige to the company.

“We’ve been working with the NHS for a long time, with our systems used in many pathology and radiology laboratories and in pharmacies.

“Now the NHS in Kent is using our systems for corporate governance, which moves us up the food chain to board and decision-making level.”

Gael chief executive Ashley Marron added that the contract covering pharmacies in Wales could open further doors for the company as the Welsh Assembly government looks to harmonise other systems.