Bain & Irvine honours 80 years of heritage with modernisation drive and expansion ambitions

Under a new management team led by managing director Jamie Anderson, the business has undergone one of the most significant transformations in its history - expanding its workforce, modernising its systems, tightening safety standards and setting its sights on UK‑wide growth.

The company, founded in 1946 by George Irvine and Jimmy Bain, has long been recognised as one of Scotland’s leading heritage roofing specialists. But the past two years have marked a decisive shift from a respected local contractor to a rapidly scaling, digitally enabled, safety‑driven business preparing for its next era.

Anderson, who previously ran Newtown Roofing and worked with Bain & Irvine’s former owner Graeme Millar, took over as managing director in late 2022. He and production director Brian McIntyre inherited a small, traditional operation. “Bain & Irvine only had a small production squad when I took over,” Anderson recalled, and he immediately set about rebuilding the business for modern demands.

“Me and Brian only had five guys before. Now we’ve got 18 guys on the tools, with six office staff… we’ve tripled the size of the company in less than a year.”

The acquisition by the US‑based Durable Slate Company has also brought new governance, investment and a safety culture shaped by large‑scale American heritage projects.

One of the most visible changes has been the introduction of stringent health and safety protocols, a shift that has required patience, persuasion and persistence.

“Every time we go off a ladder, we need to be clipped on… we try and separate ourselves from being one of the best and most unique roofing contractors.”

Older tradesmen, Anderson admits, were initially resistant to change, but the culture is shifting.

“Everyone doesn’t like change… but we want the men to come to work and go home to their families at the end of the day.”

Charlie Boyd, the digital operations & brand manager, said younger apprentices have embraced the new standards quickly, especially when senior trades lead by example.

The company has also secured accreditations it previously lacked, including Constructionline Gold and SafeContractor, opening the door to larger public and private contracts.

“The business never had Constructionline Gold, never had health and safety, never had SafeContractor accreditation, I went through and done all the accreditations.”

While the craft of roofing remains rooted in traditional skills, “a lot of the same practices were getting done the same for 80 years,” Anderson noted, the business behind the craft is changing rapidly.

Boyd has been leading a digital overhaul. “We’re trying to centralise everything in the backend… to make the process easier for everybody within the workforce. We don’t see ourselves as the finished product — we want to keep up with modern standards and technologies.”

Paper processes are being replaced with digital systems, and the company now operates from two offices (Peebles and Edinburgh) reflecting its growing footprint.

Investing in skills, apprenticeships and quality control

Workforce development has become a core priority. Bain & Irvine now employs five apprentices, with plans to expand further. Anderson, recently approved as a RoofMaster and active within the NFRC, is pushing for higher industry standards across Scotland.

“We’re always trying to make the industry the best it can be… our younger guys are attending college, our older guys are doing in‑house training regularly.”

Presented in recognition of Anderson’s outstanding expertise in carrying out traditional roof covering work, the highly prestigious NFRC Heritage Craft Master accreditation isn’t handed out lightly; it is reserved for a very exclusive group of tradespeople who have proven their dedication to traditional craftsmanship.

Quality control has also been formalised. McIntyre personally inspects completed jobs, ensuring work meets the company’s standards - and is redone if it doesn’t.

Product‑specific training, including recent sessions in England, is helping the team secure new specialist contracts.

The company acknowledges that its enhanced safety procedures and scaffolding‑first approach make it more expensive than some competitors.

“We’re a slightly more expensive roofing contractor… but it’s making sure we are safe and efficient.”

Brain McIntyre added that the cost difference reflects real risk reduction: “A cheaper company might access on a ladder… a slate could drop and injure people below. If you’ve erected scaffolding, you’re protecting everybody - the workers, the property owners and the public.”

As Bain & Irvine prepares for its ninth decade, Anderson’s ambitions are clear. “My dream is to expand the business as much as we can, men‑wise, office staff‑wise, premises‑wise, and take it further afield.”

The company already has teams working in Carlisle, Lismore and across the central belt, with long‑term plans to establish a presence in London and the south of England.

But growth, Anderson insists, is not about becoming the biggest, it’s about becoming the best.

“I would like to be an award‑winning contractor… it’s not about being the biggest, it’s about being the best and delivering for our clients.”

Bain & Irvine’s modernisation is built on a deep foundation. Since 1946, the company has evolved from a two‑man operation to a respected heritage roofing specialist, restoring landmarks such as Fettes College and Donaldson’s School and earning multiple NFRC awards.

The 2024 merger with Newtown Roofing & Building Ltd and the acquisition by The Durable Slate Company have now positioned it for a new phase of expansion, one that blends traditional craftsmanship with modern systems, safety and ambition.

As the company approaches its 80th anniversary, Anderson and McIntyre see themselves as custodians of a legacy, and architects of its future.