Dennison reigns in Spain

David Dennison, managing director of Belfast-based DM Engineering, has taken over the reins as ECA president. Dennison took the chains of office in a ceremony at the opening of the ECA Electrical Industry Conference in Marbella, Spain on 11 May. He is only the second Northern Ireland member to become president in the history of the Association.

Dennison started out in the electrical installation industry 45 years ago when he became an apprentice in 1957 with linen thread manufacturers W F Hayes in Seapatrick, County Down.

Following completion of his apprenticeship in 1962, Dennison joined B French of Kidderminster as a trainee estimator supervisor in the Belfast office.

In 1965 Dennison left B French for a position at James Kilpatrick in Belfast and then went to Rotary Electrical in County Antrim. Here he gained his HNC in Electrical Engineering.

In 1969 Dennison joined W J Furse, who later became Crown House Engineering, as contracts manager.

In 1974 he and a friend set up DM Engineering, the company which he has built up steadily to today's multi-million pound turnover.

One year after its inception DM Engineering became an ECA member and since then Dennison has become increasingly involved with the Association's activities and initiatives.

He has been chairman of the Belfast branch on two occasions and was chairman of the Regional Executive Committee from 1991 to 1993. Dennison's particular interest in training led him to represent the ECA Training Sector at the Construction Industry Training Board for ten years from 1987 to 1997 and he was the first chairman of the Electrical Training Trust.

Dennison will be supported by vice president Charles McKinnon, recently retired md of Amec M&E Services and now a consultant to Amec.