85%
BOYD BROTHERS HAS INSTALLED INFRASTRUCTURE FOR 30 OUT OF THE 32 AUTHORITIES IN SCOTLAND, AND ESTIMATES IT HAS INSTALLED AROUND 85 PER CENT OF THE PUBLIC CHARGING INFRASTRUCTURE IN THE COUNTRY
Left to right: Stuart, John, Ian, Lorraine and Stephen Boyd of Boyd Brothers
THE BUSINESS CURRENTLY EMPLOYS 45 OPERATIVES, WITH A FURTHER 10 OFFICEBASED STAFF
‘I’m immensely proud of everything, and so would my father and brother be’
Boyd Brothers HQ in Livingston
is still at an early stage. “Our infrastructure is still years away from people taking the gamble to go electric because they know there’s a safety net of having a charging point nearby, so we still have a lot of work to do,” he says. “Any place where people go are potential customers, so business parks, leisure centres, cinemas and shopping centres.” The firm has just finished a job at the Livingston Designer Outlet shopping centre, he adds. Increasingly, the company’s reputation and client demands are taking the business out of its traditional Scottish base; to the extent that it is currently in the process of opening a second office in Hemel Hempstead. Stephen says: “I think we picked the right place at the right time to be Scottish, but our customers are pulling us south.” NEW GROUND The EV work is also pulling the business into related areas, including developing its own civil division to cover the groundwork involved with installing the charging infrastructure.
It’s also setting up a utilities division, which it hopes will be fully operational by the end of the year. This would allow it to become an independent connection provider, able to carry out its own connections to the national grid network as well as the design and installation of substations. The plan is to take on work traditionally handled by distribution network operators, on both charging points and wind turbine projects. Another growth area is charging hubs, effectively car parks where vehicles can recharge. Solar panels mounted on canopies over parking bays provide supplementary electricity, which is stored in energy storage units and then distributed through the charge points. The firm has already worked on a number of projects and is currently well underway with Dundee City Council’s Go Ultra Low city scheme. Today, the company’s activities are mainly overseen by John, Stephen and Stuart, with John handling operations, Stephen the commercial side and Stuart about to take on the role of EV surveying manager. All three are qualified electricians, having joined the business straight from school, and took on more responsibility in 2011 when Ian had a spell off work through ill-health. “When I came back, the management structure was in place, and I didn’t do anything to stop that,” says Ian. “I’m quite happy with it.”
Company Boyd Brothers Established 1967 Major projects Livingston Designer Outlet, Royal Mail, Scottish public charging infrastructure
30 out of 32
The business currently employs 45 operatives, with a further 10 office-based staff, and is currently seeking to take on project managers, electricians and experienced ground workers as it looks to expand the business across the UK. In the not-too-distant future, Ian and Lorraine are hoping to exit the business altogether, with the next generation taking over the full running of the business. “It’s the boys who will be taking on the mantle from there on in,” says Ian. “I don’t know what their intentions are but we need to keep growing with the market; it’s all been organic growth up to now and I’d like that to continue. But I’m immensely proud of everything, as would my father and brother be.” John, meanwhile, is also hoping the business continues the steady growth it has seen since the shift in strategy. “We’re viewed as one of the leading contractors in this industry, so we want to continue leading the way in building that infrastructure,” he says. “It’s still very much in its infancy and hopefully as the industry grows we will grow with it.”
The number of local authorities in Scotland with which Boyd Brothers has worked
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