Dumfries and Galloway plastic road firm wins business award
- Published
Macrebur was formed by friends Gordon Reid, Nick Burnett and Toby McCartney
A south of Scotland company making road asphalt out of plastic waste has collected a major business boost.
MacRebur saw off thousands of entries to pick up £50,000 in cash and a £250,000 ad campaign in the Virgin Media Business VOOM 2016 awards.
The company won the start-up section of the competition.
It makes road asphalt out of waste, which it claims creates a longer lasting product that is 60% stronger than standard asphalt.
London-based clean technology firm Bio-bean - who recycle waste coffee grounds into sustainable biofuels - won the award for an established business.
Macrebur was formed by three friends from the Lockerbie area - Gordon Reid, Nick Burnett and Toby McCartney.
'Daring to dream'
"We were just sitting around trying to solve a number of problems - one of them being the massive pothole problem that we've got in Dumfriesshire," explained Mr McCartney.
"That was where the idea originated.
"We spent a year testing to make sure that what we have got actually works and it is easy for people to lay and make it work.
"There are these ideas out there and it is just really daring to dream."
Virgin founder Sir Richard Branson said it had been a "difficult and inspiring task" to choose the winners.
"All the finalists of the Virgin Media Business VOOM competition showed they have the dedication and intense desire to take their business to incredible heights and I believe they will all do so," he added.