Edinburgh Boiler Company on hiring spree in Borders as part of broader growth push

The Edinburgh Boiler Company (EBC) has launched a recruitment drive in the Borders as part of broader plans to heat up further expansion.

EBC's operations director Dougie Bell, who is heading up the firm's Borders expansion. Picture: contributed.

The new division, with a focus on the installation of hybrid boilers, heat pumps, solar panels and battery systems, will be headed by operations director Dougie Bell and recently appointed technical sales manager (renewables) Rick Bull, both of whom are based in Galashiels.

The business, which says it is the biggest installer in the Scottish capital after setting up in 2015, is looking to fill a number of vacancies in the Borders, including apprentices, engineers and administrators, while also using local independent merchants and suppliers.

The latest expansion comes nearly three years after a similar move west into Glasgow, with the group’s total workforce now around 25, and set to rise by nearly half in the next few months. EBC said in January that it was aiming to significantly increase its workforce over the following 12 months thanks to a £2 million expansion of its renewables division.

Bell has now said: “Being from the area, I’m delighted to lead the expansion and do what we can to help not only EBC expand, but also aid the Borders economy and community. We’re looking for high-calibre candidates who are in the gas industry to come on the journey with us – we can upskill them into green technologies, air source heat pumps, solar [panels] and battery storage at no cost to themselves through our partnership with the Energy Training Academy.

“Fuel poverty is an issue for many people, and coming from the area, we hear lots of locals talking about the challenges they’re facing in the Borders. Many of the people living there are still using fossil fuels, [liquefied petroleum gas] or even oil boilers, and we are confident we can save a lot of people a lot of money by helping them transition into renewables.”

The firm was the first member of STV’s Green Fund, saying it plants a tree for every boiler installed. Also commenting was Bull, who has now said: “It’s an important phase of growth for us. We’re helping create jobs in the Borders, and by using independent merchants, we will help the local economy as well.”