Whitchurch-based Landia wins contract that had been worked on by late boss
Tributes have been paid to the boss of a north Shropshire business after it landed a major contract that he worked towards, weeks after his death in Mauritius.
Hugh Vaughan, the boss of Landia in Whitchurch, had been on holiday in Mauritius when he was killed in a taxi crash when travelling back to his hotel with his wife Liz on May 1.
Mr Vaughan had played an instrumental role in the growth of Landia, having been head of the UK division of the chopper pump manufacturer since it was founded in 1994.
Now the company has won an important new contract in Scotland, a deal which Mr Vaughan had played a key role in winning.
The new contract will see the company supply pumping, mixing, ensiling and pasteurization equipment for fish morts that will be used as feedstock for an expanding anaerobic digestion plant.
Paul Davies, who together with Liz Robinson is in temporary charge of Landia UK, said: "The recent loss of our Hugh Vaughan has been a terrible shock, but we know for sure that he’d have wanted us to keep pushing forward with Landia UK, which he worked for so determinedly to make it in to the force it is today.
"Hugh played an important part in the winning of this excellent new order – and whilst this is a very emotional time, we’re also extremely proud and motivated to do our best for the continued success and growth of the company."
The eight metres-cubed pasteuriser, will process the fish along animal by-product regulations which are approved by vets.
A 10 cubic metre ensiling tank with an 18.5kW stainless steel long shaft chopper pump will also be designed, manufactured, installed and commissioned by Landia’s team of engineers.
This unit recirculates and blends the fish morts into a puree, before being discharged into the pasteurizer.
They are then pasteurised at 70 degrees celcius by the Landia equipment, meaning gas yields are forecast to increase significantly at the AD plant, improving its energy-creating output.
Danish company Landia’s AD and food waste/fish processing waste equipment has been developed since the company’s first agricultural slurry pump when it began trading in 1933, going on to create the world’s first chopper pump in 1950.
