Member Article

Dr Stan Higgins joins Teesside company ITS as non-executive director

A North East technology business is celebrating a major coup after securing the services of Dr Stan Higgins, who joins ITS Ltd as a non-executive director.

Dr Higgins, who recently stood down from his role as CEO of NEPIC (North East Process Industry Cluster) is a hugely respected name in the processing sector, who has forged an outstanding track record with a host of international businesses over a career spanning almost five decades.

Early in his career, Dr Higgins became managing director of Fine Chemical Company, Peboc, gaining two Queen’s Awards to Industry along the way. On divesting the company from Solvay he moved to the USA as Eastman Fine Chemical’s manufacturing director.

In 1999, he joined Laporte Fine Chemicals and following its sale to Degussa, moved to James Robinson Ltd, helping to establish new facilities in India. In 2013 Dr Higgins set up the Pharma & and Speciality cluster in the North East which in 2014 became NEPIC.

In 2017 Dr Higgins received a Lifetime Achievement Award from the UK Chemical Industries Association and was also honoured by the Indian chemical industry for his contribution to the work of the Indian Chemical Council.

Dr Higgins’ move to ITS Ltd is an obvious fit, with he and ITS managing director Malcolm Knott having previously worked together for many years on the NEPIC leadership council.

Welcoming Dr Higgins on board, Malcolm Knott said: “Stan brings with him a wealth of experience and knowledge that surpasses most people in the chemical and pharmaceutical industries in the UK, let alone the North East or the Tees Valley.

“I am delighted to think that we at ITS have his experience to call on. Stan’s business and technical experience is respected across the sector. Furthermore I personally look forward to being challenged to think outside the box, to consider other possibilities and to look for new growth opportunities for ITS in the coming years.”

Dr Higgins added: “ITS is hugely respected across the process and manufacturing sector for its instrumentation development and automation skills that assist its customers to drive up quality, efficiency, output and safety standards.

“I am proud to be involved with the ITS team and hope to contribute to the growth of this ambitious organisation.”

ITS Ltd, which has operated from its Middlesbrough headquarters on Riverside Park since 1991, provides automation and instrumentation services to highly regulated industries including pharmaceuticals, healthcare, medical devices, nuclear and chemicals.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Mark Lane .