Active Compost has a growing team of people working to common values through quality assured project management.  

We work to the EFQM model.  PRINCE2 accreditation at practitioner level is also in progress.  

If you know who you wish to contact you will find them listed on the A to Z below.  Otherwise please contact, Robin Szmidt or George Weir.

If you are interested in becoming an Active Person why not look at NEW in the list below.

Adnan Tamime MSc, PhD
adnan.tamime@activecompost.com

Adnan is a highly qualified food technologist and dairy scientist. He has extensive experience of dairy technology and has been involved in advising and trouble-shooting projects in the UK , Europe, South America, and the Middle East . He has key-project experience in assisting project planning, construction and reconstruction for dairy plants, both in the UK and internationally; and speaks fluent Arabic. He has managed specialist training programmes for the manufacture of dairy products and integrates with the team in terms of wet waste management from the food industry. He has substantial research & development experience from both government and commercially funded projects. He has wide experience in feasibility studies of dairy projects in many countries and has participated in 60 international dairy conferences, and published more than 100 scientific articles and texts.

Alistair Macfarlane BSc
alistair.macfarlane@activecompost.com

Alistair is a qualified electrical engineer specialising in system control. He has worked on a wide range of system requirements spanning domestic electronics to major engineering solutions, including the aerospace industry. After his degree at Glasgow University he joined the family electronics firm developing control systems and monitors. He left the production company to develop a portfolio for a UK and international design consultancy and now has a considerable range of experience in assisting companies to take ideas through design, to pilot-scale, and ultimately commercial products. He currently holds an award from the National Endowment for Science, Technology and Arts (NESTA) for development of novel dehumidifiers and is author of a number of patents in control technology.

Allan Howard
allan.howard@activecompost.com

Allan has more than 10 years working experience with international organisations, the UN, EU, USAID and other government funding agencies world wide, working with agricultural development projects, water management and community resource use. He established 2 working research centres in these fields in the West Bank and Gaza Strip of the Middle East. He has worked throughout the region and is now also involved in projects in India and Africa. His main strengths are in researching and designing community based development strategies, turning these into 3-5 year work programmes, and raising the funding/support necessary to implement projects. He is presently based in Brussels working with a research institute on international organisations.

Colin Stirling NDH, MBPRHORT
colin.stirling@activecompost.com

Colin is a practical specialist based in the north of Scotland. For a number of years he was a senior horticultural adviser within a major agricultural educational organisation. He has many years experience covering all the major crop disciplines and compost has been close to his hands for many years. Experience as a trainer/educator spans vocational, degree level & industry courses. During the last few years he has been involved with European Social Fund programmes throughout the Scottish Highlands & Islands working with industry to produce crops in a sustainable way through adopting modern techniques. The production of native berry crops on otherwise non-productive croft land is providing a means of creating sustainable development through diversification. Colin was closely involved with the Braer oil-spill disaster in Shetland and the remedial work necessary to sustain local businesses and the land on which they depend. He is therefore used to working with fragile landscapes and economies.

Fiona Szmidt
fiona.szmidt@activecompost.com

Fiona is responsible for customer care at Active Compost and will be a familiar voice for many customers. She is a trained consumer adviser having previously worked with a number of local authorities. She has specialist knowledge in hygiene and food industry matters.

George H. Campbell DPA, MSc, FRICS, CEng george.campbell@activecompost.com

George is a fully qualified and certificated civil engineer and surveyor with a tremendous track record in environmental-facility design and installation, including organic waste recycling resources. George has worked both in the public and commercial sectors and was for many years associated with a leading land-based consultancy organisation. He works throughout the UK either as an individual consultant from Active Compost or as a team-member depending on the scale of the task.

George Weir MBA, MCMI, T Eng.
george.weir@activecompost.com

George has a huge range of international experience in business development and in the commercialisation of R&D, and knowledge based sectors. As part of the Active Compost team, George can help make business opportunities a reality for clients. He was previously responsible for creating the management and environmental conditions for high growth technology companies throughout Scotland at Strathclyde University. His experience in specialist clinical waste treatment is critical in understanding the rigours of composting under new regulation. Mobile contact: 0780 135 5095.

James Lockhart BSc
james.lockhart@activecompost.com

James has extensive experience offshore in the oil and gas industry. For the past eighteen years he has been participating in underwater construction projects rising to supervisory positions in project management. He is able to talk to both technical experts and members of the workforce. With contracts world wide James has developed skills in dealing with various cultures on a day-to-day basis. Previous land survey expertise has enabled him to augment civil engineering activities. James had recently passed the PRINCE2 qualification at Foundation with Practitioner level pending. His programming and system analysis skills have given a framework for today's information technology. His degree level training in Forestry has given a background in the biological sciences.

Larry Sikora BSc, MSc, PhD
larry.sikora@activecompost.com

Larry is one of the leading experts in compost technology anywhere in the world today. Based in Maine , USA , he has a wide range of experience of the best and worst technology; not only in North America but in many other parts of the world. He has vast experience in composting and compost technology for product quality and function and is a recognised world authority. Larry has for many years worked at the premier applied research centre for compost technology in North America and has been involved in a number of areas of protected Intellectual Property; including computer control of in-vessel compost systems. In addition he has carried out consultancy work for major technical projects both in the public and private sectors. He has been involved both in consultations and practical development to create a strategy for a US ABP response to any possible foot-and-mouth or BSE-types crisis in the North American market.

Lynn Baird HNC
lynn.baird@activecompost.com

Lynn Baird has over 25 years experience in research and land-based project initiatives across Scotland, ranging from field trials for the public-sector to commercially sponsored research. Trained as a technician in a leading Microbiology Department dealing with a range or organic and farm wastes she was subsequently responsible for team management of the plant biosciences laboratories at SAC Auchincruive. She has delivered technical requirements and resources for major applied-research and development programmes, including those for SEERAD-sponsored projects. Lynn is an experienced project manager and health & safety technician and understands the needs of obtaining compliance without confrontation, both at technical and at farm level.

Margaret Lear BA, HND, Cert. Ed.
margaret.lear@activecompost.com

Margaret is a specialist horticulturist with over 15 years experience in training from core-skills to vocational and higher-education level. Her client range spans community projects to those funded by commercial companies and the public sector, both from a project management perspective and the necessary technical elements. She has been concerned for a number of years in the use of sustainable inputs such as composts and renewable energy and is very much a practical person making sure that things are implemented, not just consulted on! For instance, through the development of a nursery specialising in herbs and economic plants for the amenity sector, she has sought to ensure that sustainable production methods are integrated with quality performance.

Rob Cockburn BSc, MBA
rob.cockburn@activecompost.com

Rob has wide ranging skills in training-project delivery, drawing on substantial experience within private, public and voluntary / community-based organisations. This ranges from individual coaching to group training scenarios and includes not only management-level but also 'hard' skills and basic vocational core-skills. Clients cover the spectrum of privately held businesses to plcs, and Rob has also incorporated consultancy for high-value grant-aided programmes such as ESF and other public organisations. As previous chairperson for Solway Community Business and a current member of the Scottish Council for Development and Industry and local Business Network International, Rob looks forward to bringing his diverse experience to meet client needs and to involving people in the learning experience.

Robin Szmidt BSc, PhD, MCIWM, MIHort, MBPR (Fert.)
robin.szmidt@activecompost.com

A compost technologist with more than 20 years experience of designer composts, Robin is a recognised world authority in compost technology. He has worked on premier sites throughout the UK and has consultancy experience ranging from very large commercial and local authority projects to farm-scale operations. International experience includes project work throughout Europe, The USA and Canada, The Middle East and China. Robin has been involved in a number of key developments in technology and has patented compost control systems and specialist plant growing-media. He has held a number of committee posts, including PAS100 advisory group member, chair of The Scottish Compost Development Group, and ISHS compost group. Mobile contact: 07952 748 549.

Walker Frew BA, MBA, MCIM, MCMI
walker.frew@activecompost.com

Walker spent the earlier part of his career in livestock and food production management in the UK and overseas, culminating at general management level. He went on to be involved in international consultancy, designing and developing agri-industry projects and progressing these into new businesses for private clients. Walker also has experience of project development in the biotechnology sector, researching the industry for opportunities to commercialise intellectual property. Over the past 11 years he has supported the development and growth of SMEs from all sectors. He has specific experience of financial structuring and performance improvement.