Founders

Chris Helson - Project Manager and Product Design

Chris is a designer and engineer, and a founding director of Helson and Jackets who were awarded Inventor of The Year 2019 at the Business Insider AFRC Made in Scotland Awards in May. Chris trained and worked in Engineering for 7 years building industrial jet engines and turbochargers with GEC until 1988. He graduated from Manchester Metropolitan University with a degree in 3d design in 1991. He has run his own business since 1994 and been a partner at Helson and Jackets since 1999. He has considerable experience producing, managing and delivering projects for a range of clients. Helson and Jackets invented obi 360 www.io360.co which was released in July 2018. This system has won awards from Scottish EDGE, SMART Scotland, New Media Scotland and The Scottish Universities Physics Alliance.

David Ralston - Prototype Production and Product Design

David is a time served professional toolmaker (EITB certified) graduating in 1988. David established prototype type model making business in Berlin and “Ralston’s Chronometry” in East Berlin between 1992-1998 and is Prototype Director at Tiny Air Limited. He has many years experience working for clients from different sectors to design and create bespoke products. He currently runs a studio and workshop in Dumfries and Galloway.

Wider Team

Richard Hay – Control System design and PLC programming

A multidisciplined Engineer with 30 years’ experience in the design, manufacture and control of equipment. Educated at Heriot Watt University and graduated in 1990 with a BEng Hons in Mechanical Engineering. Richard spent 25 years working in the oil and gas industry in a variety of roles progressing to Senior Management before in 2000 starting and running his own Engineering Company for 13 years. Richard has specialised in Energy System Controls and has been involved in system design, manufacture and programming of Micro Hydro, Solar, Biomass, Wind and Energy Storage systems.

Ute Weber - Procurement Manager

Ute graduated from the Technical University in Berlin as Dipl Ing for Architecture in 1992 and has work experience in architectural design and construction management. Since 2004 has located in Dumfries and Galloway.

Sarah Jackets – Brand Design and Marketing

Sarah is a partner at Helson and Jackets. Sarah graduated in Painting and Printmaking from Sheffield Hallam University in 1995 and completed Postgraduate Diploma in Community Dance studies at The Laban Centre London 1999.