AN INNOVATIVE solutions business has recruited an experienced business leader to its senior management team.

Gary Robertson has joined Eco Group in a newly created role of Group Opportunity Strategist.

He will work across Eco’s group of companies to build on the firm’s success and identify opportunities for growth.

Gary joins Eco, which is based in Annan, Dumfries and Galloway and Cumbria, from the Scottish Council for Development and Industry (SCDI) where he was South of Scotland manager.

He will use his experience working with the public and private sectors to build and develop relationships and explore partnership and funding opportunities, as well as supporting Eco’s Managing Director Eddie Black and the rest of the senior management team.

Gary said: “Eco is one of the most dynamic, agile and diverse businesses in the region, and I’m looking forward to helping develop its ambition to make a significant contribution to the local economy, its communities and beyond.

“Eco has demonstrated its capacity for change and innovation over the past 18 months by investing in new businesses and expanding into new sectors during the pandemic, while still delivering on its established businesses.

“That ethos of looking forward, creating opportunities and building aspirations for people is shared by the whole Eco team.”

Eco operates in a range of sectors across the UK delivering multiple products and services for commercial, industrial, public sector and residential customers.

Over the past 18 months, the company has built a new state-of-the-art HQ in Annan (due to open later this summer), launched a new industrial solutions business, acquired an IT business, launched a range of innovative new solutions and products, and recruited several new members to its 80-strong team.

Eco founder and MD, Eddie Black, said: “We’re delighted to welcome Gary to the Eco team and are thrilled to have a strategist of his calibre and experience on board to help shape Eco’s ongoing success.

“Gary’s appointment is another pragmatic way Eco is looking to drive growth and do things differently to ensure our ambitions are realised.”

During his two years with SCDI, Gary engaged with a range of organisations across public, private, education and the third sector to support economic growth in the South of Scotland region.

Before joining SCDI, Gary spent much of his career in business development and leadership roles within the Comms/IT sector.

Gary said he got to know Eddie through their involvement with SCDI – Eddie is a member of the SCDI committee which oversees the work of the independent, not-for-profit organisation in the South of Scotland.

“It’s obvious that Eddie is passionate about the business and about creating opportunities for communities and the wider region,” said Gary. “I’m looking forward to being part of that and developing those opportunities.”

Gary lives in Dumfries with his wife Jackie and their two sons aged 18 and 13. He is a keen golfer and a member of Crichton Golf Club in Dumfries. Gary also volunteered as a coach in youth football with Heston Rovers in Dumfries for six years until March 2020.

Eco’s services include emergency response solutions; dry ice blasting, manufacture and supply; bespoke training systems; design and build solutions; communications and IT; process solutions; and creative design and marketing.

Eco also operates an interiors business, Ghyll House Upholstery, based at Mealsgate, near Cockermouth, Cumbria, and Carlisle-based Integrity IT Solutions, which it acquired late last year.