Specialists in industrial and commercial pipework, heating and process systems - Established in 1920

News

mechanical engineer
Uncategorized

Mechanical project manager joins the team

We’ve newly appointed Neil Gray as a mechanical project manager due to the continued growth of our business.

A mechanical and electrical engineer with more than 25 years’ experience within the engineering industry, Neil joins from Balfour Beatty Kilpatrick where he was responsible for managing a team of HVAC engineers and various sub-contractors.

At James Ramsay, he will be responsible for overseeing and managing projects related to mechanical engineering in various industry sectors such as construction, manufacturing, and transportation, including project planning and coordination, risk management and quality control.

Neil is qualified with a BSc in Building Services, Higher National Certificate (HNC) in Mechanical Engineering, and IOSH Managing Safely.

Ian Mathieson, Operations Director, said: “We’re busier than ever and continue to go from strength to strength with a high calibre of projects in the pipeline. Neil joining is great news for the whole business, for his team here, and our customers, who will all benefit from his knowledge and experience.”

industrial boiler serving NHS Lanarkshire
Company News

James Ramsay appointed for NHS Lanarkshire

We’ve been appointed by NHS Lanarkshire to deliver the contract for servicing and maintenance of its gas and oil boilers, associated plant and pipework.

The contract awarded to James Ramsay, through a competitive tender process, involves a range of services including pre-planned servicing, 24/7 callout cover and emergency response for boiler appliances across the estate.

Jamie Shepherd, service director at James Ramsay said: “Our portfolio of NHS clients continues to grow and that is a testament to our ability to deliver a solid, reliable service to the health sector. Our team’s in-depth knowledge and experience of technology and equipment in use across these facilities means we are in a strong position to support estates managers minimise disruption and ensure systems are maintained and performing efficiently.”

NHS Lanarkshire is the third largest health board in Scotland. It serves a population of 655,000 across rural and urban communities in Lanarkshire and employs around 12,000 staff working in communities, health centres, clinics and offices and at three district general hospitals – University Hospital Hairmyres, University Hospital Monklands and University Hospital Wishaw.

Company News

World’s Biggest Coffee Morning

We’re joining people across the UK today and participating in Macmillan’s World’s Biggest Coffee Morning. The money raised will help the many people living with cancer to live life as fully as they can.

Just £71 could help run a Macmillan online community forum for more than three hours – giving nearly 198 people affected by cancer both emotional and practical support.

£1202 could pay for a Macmillan nurse for a week, helping people living with cancer and their families receive essential medical, practical and emotional support.

The team has been busy baking all week and our coffee morning is in full swing this morning! 

If you can, please help us smash our target and donate through our fundraising page:

https://coffeefundraising.macmillan.org.uk/fundraising/cm23040759

Services

Steam boiler inspection success

With more than 100 years of experience working with steam, we’re well known and respected by most of the major insurance companies to deliver full strip down inspections of steam boilers and systems – as per legal statutory requirements – as well as undertaking any recommended repairs, refurbishments and replacement of system components as identified by the inspector.

We also offer a range of statutory inspection and survey services on all commercial and industrial heating systems, such as statutory inspections under the Gas Safety Regulations 1998 – including large capacity gas systems and industrial gas plant; as well as gas tightness testing to ensure site safety and compliance with industry standards.

The team has just completed a two-week project at the sustainable global leather producer, Scottish Leather Group in Renfrewshire.

John Scholes​​​​, Engineering Projects Manager at Scottish Leather Group, said: “We have an annual summer shutdown and this year, with the aid of James Ramsay, the full range of gas servicing, boiler inspections and numerous other installation and modification works around the sites, has been meticulously planned and executed, with the same professionalism we have come to expect from Gary and this excellent team.

“Special credit must go to Marc Millar who always pulls the rabbits out of the hats. We can’t thank the whole team at James Ramsay enough for the unflinching support, advice and good humour during our extremely busy and testing shutdown period.”

heating engineer apprenticeship
Company News

Fresh faced apprentice

We’ve appointed Euan Caddell (16) from Parkhouse, Glasgow, as an apprentice while he completes an SVQ level 3 in Heating and Ventilation Installation at Kelvin College, Springburn.

The four-year apprenticeship involves two years of training to be a pipefitter and heating engineer and two years of welding. The course includes underpinning knowledge, practical skills and experience for learners, with an emphasis on progression to full-time employment.

Gary Shepherd, managing director at James Ramsay, said: “I met Euan and his family at a careers event at his school and he immediately stood out with his attitude and ambition – I knew that night I would offer him an apprenticeship and to date he has continued to impress in our workshop gaining experience despite his course not officially starting until the end of August.”

James Ramsay currently employs four apprentices and has a longstanding history of successfully training and recruiting young graduates.

Euan is reporting into Ian Mathieson, operations director at James Ramsay. He said: “Apprenticeships are an essential part of any national skills strategy and must be considered a key driver to address skills shortages, increase productivity and develop the skilled workforce of the future.

“We’re committed to helping every learner achieve their full potential here at James Ramsay and are delighted to welcome Euan to the team as this year’s new apprentice.”

Former apprentices, still with the business today include Gary Shepherd, managing director; Marc Millar, project manager; John Milligan, foreman; heating engineers Ross Mowat, Malky Aitken, Stevie McNeil, Colin Bright, Stuart McBeth; and Kyle Munro, service engineer. And right now, Ramsay also employees three progressing apprentices: Thomas Quinn, fourth-year heating and ventilation; Paul Clancy, second-year heating and ventilation; and Daniel Robertson, second-year service and maintenance.

We have a real focus on continuous, professional development, and in addition to the apprenticeships, also runs in-house development programmes to ensure all employees have a clear, progressive career path – continually improving skills and knowledge learned from other more experienced members of the team and through structured training programmes.

Combining academic study with on-the-job training, apprenticeships are a great work-based qualification route available across a wide range of industries, enabling individuals to gain industry specific skills, work experience, a nationally recognised qualification, and at the same time, a paid role.

Project Updates

Summer school for project team

Just because school’s out for summer, doesn’t mean the work stops for our project team. In fact, it’s the perfect opportunity for us to clear the decks, and we’re busier than ever supporting our FM clients to deliver essential maintenance work at school boiler houses while campuses are quiet.

For three of the large FM companies, that trust us to deliver quality projects on time, we are currently delivering a range of summer transformations at eleven schools throughout Stirlingshire, Renfrewshire and Ayrshire, including complete new plant rooms, essential maintenance on existing infrastructure, and upgrades to meet energy efficiency requirements.

It’s a huge logistical effort to ensure work is completed on time. So, we’re calling on the excellent project management skills and breadth of experience in our engineering team and pleased to be getting our sleeves rolled up to deliver!

To find out more about our maintenance service, visit http://jamesramsayltd.co.uk/services/commercial-and-industrial-burner-and-boiler-maintenance/

IOSH qualification
Company News

Team boost health and safety credentials

We’re delighted to report that our colleagues Marc Millar and Chris Rocks (project managers) have successfully secured the IOSH Managing Safely qualification

Gary Shepherd, managing director, said: “At James Ramsay, safety always comes first and we will continue to invest in the training and development of our people to ensure we’re delivering to the highest standards. We believe IOSH qualifications open up a world of professional opportunities, and we’re proud to be able to support our people achieve success.”

“These qualifications help our people to develop and apply a broad range of competencies to implement and lead effective health, safety and wellbeing practices within workplaces and in workplace cultures. As well as a range of transferable skills that support career journeys.”

IOSH (The Institute of Occupational Safety and Health) is the chartered body and largest membership organisation for health and safety professionals. Its vision is simple: a safe and healthy world of work.

IOSH professional qualifications develop and recognise the excellence and expertise of occupational safety and health (OSH) professionals and aim to improve global standards in OSH. These globally-recognised professional qualifications are based on the IOSH competency framework and the IOSH Awarding Organisation (AO) is regulated by Ofqual. The qualifications are designed to enable learners to progress within their career as an OSH professional. Find out more at https://iosh.com/

We’re proud to have pledged our support to IOSH’s Activate 2028 campaign to help create better working lives. Find out more here https://iosh.com/about-iosh/strategy/ and pledge your support here https://iosh.eaction.online/activate2028

Company News

Dumfries and Galloway Council contract award

We’ve been appointed by Dumfries and Galloway Council to deliver the contract for servicing and maintenance of boilers and all associated plant.

As a Gas Safe, OFTEC registered supplier, James Ramsay is the successful tendered across all four regions of the council estate, covering Wigtownshire, Stewartry, Nithsdale and Annandale & Eskdale. Our technical expertise, scale, resources, and focus on safety, are key assets for the delivery of this service. 

Works will include the servicing and maintenance of all gas and oil boiler flues and plant, including pressurisation units, air handling units, and gas catering equipment necessary to ensure compliance, servicing of mechanical parts and asset identification. 

Jamie Shepherd, Service Director at James Ramsay, said: “We’ve worked together with Dumfries and Galloway Council for almost a decade now, and that’s a testament to our ability to support a broad geography and a wide range of equipment and technology.

“As you’d expect from a local authority, the estate facilities provide a mixed range of critical public services, and disruption must be minimised to ensure council services are uninterrupted, or back up and running as soon as possible. We’re always focused on delivering a responsive service and practical solutions to keep operations running smoothly.”  

steam boilers
Project Updates

Steaming ahead with new projects

When our company was founded more than 100 years ago, our core business was steam. Today, we’re still heavily involved in the steam sector – carrying out new boiler installations, insurance inspections, pipework installations and boiler repairs, and you might be surprised to hear that the way steam is raised has not changed much at all. We use heat from a fuel source, such as oil, gas, biomass, waste heat or nuclear, to heat water and produce steam. The principle is exactly the same now as it was 100 years ago.

So, against the backdrop of diverse new fuel sources and innovative technology in the HVAC sector, we’re still going strong in steam.

Most recently, we’re pleased to report winning several new steam work contracts with end users, including new steam and condensate pipework to support the expansion of a large commercial laundry, the installation of pipework for a new press machine in a textiles business, on-going upgrades and compliance work to support the existing steam infrastructure at a life sciences facility, as well as the installation of metering equipment at a world-famous distillery.

We have decades of experience working with steam and our qualified steam specialist’s offer a range of services including the repair, supply, installation and re-tubing of steam boilers; steam pipework installation, repairs and modification; and steam system surveys.

The full strip down inspection of steam boilers and systems is a statutory legal requirement, and we’re well known and respected by most of the major insurance companies for this type of work. As a result, we also undertake recommended repairs, refurbishment and replacement of system components as instructed by the assessor.

To discuss your requirements, contact sales@jamesramsayltd.co.uk or call the office on 0141 774 2602, and we’d be delighted to help.

industrial boiler hire
Project Updates

Supporting Cochran boiler hire investment

We’ve been busy in the workshop supporting Cochran fit out its temporary boiler hire fleet with this range of trailer installations.

David Weild, Industrial Boiler Business Manager at Cochran, said: “As part of our hire boiler investment programme, we turned to James Ramsay knowing the high standard of workmanship, impeccable professionalism and work ethic. Ramsay’s produce a first-class job time after time, and the speedy turnaround of excellent quality work is building a solid basis for future ventures.”   

This latest project for Cochran supports the delivery of its flexible, short and long-term boiler hire service – a critical resource for clients whose existing equipment is undergoing essential repair and maintenance work, or whilst awaiting the arrival of new capital equipment. These trailer-mounted and containerised solutions offer a cost-effective remedy for many different applications.

With our expertise in boiler installation, industrial boiler and burner maintenance and pipework, and specialist fabrication team, we love a challenge like this, and it’s great to see the fleet taking shape and hitting the road.