Shepherd powers up Edinburgh Instruments

ONE of the directors credited with growing temporary power supplier Aggreko into a FTSE 100 company has joined the board of a West Lothian-based scientific instrument maker to help its international expansion.

Derek Shepherd, who ran Glasgow-based Aggreko’s international power division, will become chairman of Edinburgh Instruments, which makes lasers and other equipment for universities around the world.

He succeeds Desmond Smith, who founded the Livingston-based company in 1971 and now becomes its scientific adviser.

Shepherd is already chairman of another Edinburgh University spin-out company, Ngentec, which is developing generators for wind turbines and has attracted investment from industrial tycoon Jim McColl’s David Brown gears business.

Edinburgh Instruments chief executive Alan Faichney told The Scotsman that he would draw on Shepherd’s experience to help the company expand into emerging markets, including the Middle East.

Faichney, who replaced Smith as chief executive 18 months ago, has already grown turnover from £6.2 million to £8.2m and is targeting £9.5m this year.

The firm, which also makes components for industrial gas detectors, is already operating in the Brazilian and Chinese markets, but Faichney has helped to expand its business in India and is now targeting Australasia, as well as the Middle East.

l Ngentec yesterday received an £800,000 grant from the UK government to help develop its generators for offshore wind turbines. The grant is the firm’s second from Westminster.