This week, we’re delighted to shine the spotlight on Ri Cruden, one of the Highlands and Islands’ leading names in construction, civil engineering, joinery, and renewable energy. Celebrating 20 years in operation, Ri Cruden has grown from a small family business into a trusted partner on projects of all scales, combining craftsmanship, innovation, and sustainability.
For this special feature, we’re handing the blog over to the team themselves – written by Rachel Johnstone, Business and Marketing Coordinator – to share more about their journey, values, and impact across the region.
Celebrating our 20th anniversary in 2025, Ri Cruden now proudly stands as one of the Highlands and Islands’ leading mechanical, electrical and renewable services companies, with a story rooted in family, growth, and community commitment.
Established in 2005 as Ian Cruden Heating Services, with Ian’s son Rory, joining soon after as an apprentice, the Ri Cruden (Rory and Ian) name was born. Fast forward to today, Rory and his brother Callum Cruden lead the 75-strong team as directors. Continuing the family legacy with passion and constant innovation, Ri Cruden has grown into a trusted partner across Scotland, with a reputation for the deliverance high-quality installations for ranging from civic buildings and national infrastructure projects to commercial and domestic installations.
You might know us from our work on impressive sites like Royal Dornoch Golf Club or Inverness Castle, or perhaps you’ve simply seen our vans in and around the Highlands. But at Ri Cruden, we’re proud to be more than just a renewable, mechanical and electrical contractor, we’re a vital part of the community, and that’s exactly why we wanted to be Member of the Week. This is a fantastic opportunity for us to share a fuller picture of who we are, highlighting our commitment to supporting local talent through our award-winning apprenticeship program, providing essential skills and career paths for the next generation, and actively supporting numerous local charities and community initiatives through widespread sponsorship. We believe in building a stronger Highlands, not just literally, but through every investment we make in our people and our community.
Meet the team
“Hi, my name is Callum Cruden, and I am a director at Ri Cruden. Since joining the family business in 2013, after completing my electrical engineering apprenticeship, I’ve helped lead the company through sustained growth.
Both myself and Rory started our careers within the industry as apprentices, so developing future talent is something very close to our hearts. We’ve seen firsthand the value early careers and training can bring, not just to individuals, but to the business as a whole. As we continue to grow, I’m passionate about giving that same opportunities to as many young people as possible, providing those within the local area not only a career path, but a sense of purpose. I’m incredibly proud of our award-winning program, which was named Supporting Net Zero Employer of the Year at the 2023 Scottish Apprenticeship Awards and SME Employer of the Year in 2024.”
One of my favourite parts of my job is seeing young people join our team, with little knowledge of the industry, watching their journey, seeing them develop, and eventually being able to trust them to take on jobs independently, it’s what it’s all about. It’s incredibly satisfying to look back and see how far they’ve come, and with an excellent retention rate, many of our apprentices stay with us, becoming a real asset to our company.”
One such recent entrant to the team is Rachel.
“My name is Rachel Johnstone, and I am the Business and Marketing Coordinator within the business. Overseeing all our social media and communications output, as well as looking after our regulatory compliance amongst lots of other things, I am fortunate to have a very varied role, with the opportunity to get involved with all the diverse activities Ri Cruden gets up to! Graduating earlier this year with a degree in Fashion Management from Robert Gordon University, the construction sector presents a very different challenge for me, but the ongoing innovation and advancements within both our business and the wider sector make it an incredibly exciting organisation to begin my career within.”
Culture and Values
As a core part of our DNA since our inception, Ri Cruden’s focus has remained not only within the attraction of unique talent, but nurturing it, with our Highland-leading apprenticeship programme reflecting our deep belief in developing talent from the ground up. With a current cohort of 20 apprentices, accounting for one quarter of our workforce, alongside a 90% retention rate, many apprentices have become long-term members of our team, helping to shape our business.
However, our impact doesn’t stop at the job site, with the business proudly embedded in the communities we serve. From sponsoring Inverness Kart Raceway and mentoring initiatives like DAY1, to supporting local school sports teams and most recently the U17 Scotland Shinty Team, we believe in giving back. With an impressive £43,230 donated this year alone, we are delighted to provide vital support to numerous local causes, helping to champion healthy lifestyles, teamwork, and the values that our team, and the wider community together.
With our exciting 20th anniversary earlier last month, we were delighted to celebrate with a refreshed version of our vision and values – the heart of everything we do moving forward. As our Director, Callum Cruden, put it, “this isn’t about branding – it’s about direction. We took time to listen to our team and understand what matters to them, as well as to our clients and the communities we serve. It’s something we want to keep living and breathing together as we continue to evolve, helping us to lay the foundation for the next 20 years”. Focused on five key pillars, shaped by the people and businesses we work with, the new framework gives us a clearer focus for how we lead, how we work, and how we will grow. As we continue to welcome new apprentices and trainees into the business, the values offer guidance to our culture, one built on action, accountability and always going the extra mile!
A feeling all Inverness Chamber of Commerce members will share, the changing economic and regulatory landscape has understandably tested resilience within Ri Cruden, as we navigate the volatility of supply chains across the nation. However, it’s an exciting time within the business, as we all eagerly await the opening of our brand-new off-site workshop and prefabrication facility. Equipped with a robot welder and large working space, it will help to enhance our efficiency, supporting the streamlining of project timelines and importantly, reduction of costs and carbon impact.
As we juggle the tough balance between commercial success, with our important sustainability commitments, the new facility offers just one insight into the development of net-zero solutions we are all striving towards, that prioritise return on investment, without compromising on environmental impact.
This approach has not only strengthened client trust but also positioned us as a leader within the construction industry’s transition to low-carbon energy.
Exemplifying our ongoing commitment to net-zero earlier this year, we were delighted to be named Best Renewable Energy Contractor at the SME News 2025 Business Elite Awards. A fantastic milestone for our team, the award, which exists to shine a spotlight on the achievements of business across the UK, only goes to highlight our ongoing commitment to renewable energy across the region, and offer a reflection of the hard work, passion and incredible progress currently underway within the business!
This year has also been one of continuing success within our apprentice program, and we were delighted to have two individual apprentices of the year awards in 2025. Struan Coli, became the regions first ever back-to-back Electrical Apprentice of the year at UHI Inverness whilst Dylan Burke was awarded third year Service and Maintenance Apprentice of the year at Glasgow Kelvin College. Taking the RI Cruden individual apprentice awards total to 12, we are increasingly proud of the high calibre of apprentices that our team have produced.
Part 2 of Ri Cruden’s member of the week campaign will be available on Wednesday 27th August – come back to read about their Service and Maintenance Contracts, how they are utilising their Chamber membership, and their plans for the future!