From Hereford to the north sea
When Neil Kerr bought a micro wind turbine in 2009 to sell to yacht owners, he learnt very quickly it wasn’t as lucrative as he’d hoped. A repositioning of the business saw Leading Edge Power move toward the design and manufacturing of turbines that could be used in extreme environments, targeting scientific environmental organisations. The organisation has scaled up over a 10 year period to combine wind turbines with other energy sources such as solar panels and batteries. From selling to yacht owners, the organisation now works with one of the largest wind farms in the world to provide power to the North Sea.
When David Sully took charge of the business in 2021, he saw further growth was possible in Herefordshire. With only four staff members, the business needed to hire new talent to meet demand, covering everything from marketing to engineering. Through his recruitment drive, David was able to successfully attract local and international highly skilled workers, including young graduates from London to hires from Ukraine and Tunisia – all of whom were drawn to the rural landscape and city of Hereford.
We’ve attracted a young graduate; it was the idea of moving to Herefordshire that appealed to him. Most young people want to move to the city, but he loves the rural countryside, he loves the city of Hereford
David Sully, Managing Director, Leading Edge Power
New people, new premises
With a new team, in 2024 David realised operations had outgrown the capacity of their Dutch barns and investigated moving to an industrial estate unit. They found a site and approached the Herefordshire Growth Hub to obtain funding to help make the move possible. A grant was approved to help with improving the fabric of the new building and to purchase new machinery such as forklifts and technology that could help the business produce higher quality turbines more efficiently. Staying in Herefordshire, David found that everything they needed from raw materials to servicing was available in the immediate vicinity of the new facility. With the geography of Hereford being perfect for wind turbines and everything they need being on their doorstep, Leading Edge Power continues to thrive.
