Member Article

Opus Medigas has a new Managing Director

A BOLDON-based specialist in medical and industrial gas installations has a new boss.

David Prior has returned to the region after five years working in the United Arab Emirates to take over as Managing Director at Opus Medigas.

After launching last year, Opus Medigas has quickly established itself as a leader in the sector, supplying the equipment needed to get gas to patients in hospitals, dental surgeries, care homes and other health centres regionally and nationally.

Many of the company’s contracts are with the region’s hospitals, supplying critical gas services, but David is confident there are opportunities to expand geographically and product-wise.

“We’ll still be doing a lot of work in the region’s hospitals, but I think we can expand our geographical reach while at the same time move into providing process gas systems in the manufacturing sector – there is a natural fit with what we’re already doing,” he said.

David, who was about to head back to the UAE before getting a call from a recruitment agency about the Opus Medigas role, is originally from Lincolnshire, but moved to the region 25 years ago to study at what was Teesside Polytechinic. He has since lived in Newton Aycliffe.

He started as a mechanical apprentice before graduating with an engineering degree from Teeside Poly. He also gained an MBA from the Open University and is a chartered member of the Institute of Mechanical Engineers.

David went on to work for a number of leading engineering and manufacturing companies, including Fujitsu, Philips, The Linde Group and GlobalFoundries. Roles within these companies included specialising in the design and installation of gas systems.

“The business has huge potential and I’m excited by the prospect of helping the business to grow. I’ve thoroughly enjoyed my time so far – we have a great bunch of guys,” said David.

The company is based on the Boldon Business Park where it shares an office with Opus Building Services, whose managing director Gavin Richardson, is also a director at Opus Medigas.

“I’m delighted David has joined the team – he has huge experience in working in process gas systems for some of the world’s biggest companies and he is very ambitious for the company - our long-term strategy is national rather than regional,” said Gavin.

David thought there would be plenty of opportunities for the companies to work together: “The companies complement each other and I’m sure we will be working closely together on plenty of projects.

“With my experience and the relationship with Opus Building Services we can offer a one-stop shop through which we can deliver major projects quicker and more efficiently.

“We can also help drive costs down by using a range of suppliers rather than just one.”

Opus Building Services is a specialist electrical and mechanical contractor which provides specialist heating and plumbing services across a range of sectors including: hospitals, education, general offices and residential. Clients include Newcastle Hospital Trust, Esh Group, Sunderland Council and Interserve in Stockton.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Opus Building Services .