CABLEtalk

SELECT Member Oliver McCrone reveals the challenges of protecting a historic building from the risk of fire

SELECT Member business SPIE UK scored a winner when it took on the task of fitting energy efficient floodlights at Hearts’ Tynecastle stadium. The company’s UK Design Manager, Gary Meechan, describes the challenges of working on the towering structures and installing the new LED set-up, part of a £400,000 revamp of the Edinburgh ground The spotlight was on Heart of Midlothian Football Club in July when they returned to the Scottish Premier League after a season away, but that

SELECT Member David White reveals the benefits apprentices have brought to his business over the last 30 years – while his trainees give their verdicts on their journey to becoming electricians After more than 30 years running David White Electrical (DRW Ltd), David White has learnt the huge value that apprentices can bring to a business. They’ve helped his firm grow and develop, brought enthusiasm and fresh talent, and allowed David’s son to follow in his footsteps by comple

Join our pre-lockdown journey to inspect a remote Mull of Kintyre lighthouse As part of the criteria for SELECT membership, Technical Advisers are required to carry out periodic assessments of Members and their work. While scheduling such an assessment with Wullie McMaster of McMaster Electrical, he asked if I wanted to inspect a recently refurbished installation. The only catch? It was six hours from SELECT HQ. And it was a lighthouse. Always up for a challenge, we duly di

Electric vehicles (EVs) are being hailed as the future of transport – but what benefits could they bring to your business? To kick off this special 28-page report, we spoke to Willie Fairhurst, Managing Director of SELECT Member firm Essential Cloud Solutions (ECS), who have been successfully using EVs in their fleet for eight years Hello Willie. How many EVs do you have at ECS? Out of our fleet of seven vehicles, three are currently full EVs – two Nissan e-NV200 vans plus

The past three decades have seen the AKD family expand and prosper – and founder Keith Miller and managing director Keith Groom are now looking forward to an even brighter future Every anniversary is worth celebrating, but reaching your 30th is extra special. Just ask the team at Edinburgh-based Member company AKD, who hit that milestone in March. “It’s fantastic,” said Keith Miller, who founded AKD back in 1989. “There have been ups and downs along the way, but we’re reall

Former SELECT President John Noble says he’s still going strong after four decades on the tools, while one of the apprentices starting out under his watchful eye has certainly had an eventful introduction to the industry After spending 40 years looking after his own business, you’d be forgiven for thinking John Noble would be ready to put his feet up. Not a bit of it. Whenever he gets the chance, he’s ready to get on the tools and help customers solve their electrical probl

SELECT Member Joe Buchanan balances running a successful business with being a champion bodybuilder Over the past 40 years, Joe Buchanan has not only built a successful electrical business in his native Ayrshire, he has also crafted a reputation as one of Scotland’s greatest-ever bodybuilders. In fact, after winning the Scottish Masters championship in 2018 he became the first person to hold that title after previously becoming both Junior Mr Scotland and Mr Scotland. It’