Score Honour Ian M. Cheyne
Score have recognised the career-long contribution of local man Ian M Cheyne, from Stirling Hill, Boddam, by giving their new £14M facility at Wellbank, Peterhead, his name. The building, now named the “Ian M Cheyne Building”, is the new home of a unique piece of engineering history – Sir Frank Whittle’s Jet Engine Test Bed.
The test bed, which is the forerunner of all subsequent second generation engine test beds now in operation around the world, was brought to Peterhead in 2003 by Ian Cheyne from it’s original home in RAF Farnborough, which is where Sir Frank Whittle, the inventor of the jet engine, created and developed it.
Hugh Irvine (left), Ian Cheyne and Charles Ritchie open the Ian M. Cheyne Building
On it’s arrival in Peterhead, the test bed was re-furbished and re-designed for the 21st century with state of the art telemetry systems, which ensure that it is now the world’s leading facility for jet engine testing, and is soon to host a delegation of astronauts from NASA. The research and development work being carried out on this test bed will ensure potential future improvements in engines’ performance can be realised. The first test was done on 12th August 2003 on the test bed.
Score Group plc Chairman, Charles Ritchie said that it was a
testament to Ian’s hard work and dedication that the Group
now has this unique facility and that we wanted to recognise
his incredible contribution by naming the building after him.
Born on 26th November 1956, the youngest son of Frances John Jock and Peggy Cheyne (nee Keith), Ian M. Cheyne grew up at Stirling Hill, near Boddam. He served his mechanical engineering apprenticeship before joining up with Charles on the creation of Score UK, in 1982. Ian is the core of the Score team.
Never scared to throw himself into new challenges, he soon become one of the Group’s most successful valve engineers, achieving many successes to the great benefit of the company and it’s customers.
His unwavering commitment to developing young engineers has also brought rewards for those individuals and the company. Some of the engineers he has coached over his career have risen to great heights within the Score Group, up to and including Director level and these individuals still report to him to this day.
Always popular amongst his colleagues with his positive and friendly approach to life, Ian now travels around the world, passing on his lifetime’s knowledge and experience to the next generation of Score engineers, an activity which has led to him being known throughout the world and the valve industry as “Dr. Valve”.
During his time in the business, Ian was instrumental in the set-up and opening of the Group locations at Cowdenbeath (1984), Chester (1987), Stavanger Norway (1993) and Burnley and Daventry (1996).
In 1997, Ian was appointed as Operations Director of Score (Europe) Limited. In this role, he was responsible for the setting up and co-ordination of all new locations throughout the Score Group. These companies subsequently included; Score Denmark, Score Venezuela, Score Colombia, Score TransCanada, Score Eastern Canada, Score Houston, Score Trinidad and Score Middle East. He was directly responsible for recruiting and developing local labour for these new companies., whilst at the same time he retained responsibility for co-ordinating the other continuing activities throughout all companies in the group.
In 2005, Ian was promoted to the post of Managing Director of Score (Europe) Limited, a position he held for three years before being appointed a Director of Score Group plc in 2008. Whilst his focus is now on Group activities, he retains a very strong connection with the grass roots of the organisation and can still often be seen helping the young apprentices with their latest solutions.
It is perhaps no coincidence that having grown up next to the red granite quarry at Stirling Hill, Ian himself has become part of the very core and foundation of strength within the Score Group of companies.
Speaking recently, Chairman Charles Ritchie commented “Just like the red granite near his family home, they don’t come any harder or stronger than Ian Cheyne. Ian has put a tremendous amount of time and effort into growing the talent within others and himself and we are delighted that he has chosen to do that with us. He is very deserving of this recognition, which he has earned by his actions. We thought it was very fitting that the building’s name was displayed on red granite".
What little time Ian spends away from work, he likes to spend with the two loves of his life – his wife Tracy and his motorbike and he can often be seen at weekends out cruising on his Harley Davidson.