Serial entrepreneur Mark Patterson has recruited sons Harry and Philip into a fledgling family firm focused on low carbon and support for distressed businesses.
The north-east energy industry veteran has also appointed David Rennie – former managing partner of law firm Stronachs – as legal counsel for his latest venture, Mansefield Investments.
Harry, 33, and Philip, 27, owned Aberdeen business Cars Recovery & Garage Services for more than 12 years, growing it into one of the largest vehicle recovery fleets in Scotland.
The brothers have joined Mansefield to focus on renewable and electrification projects, leaving others in the cars management team to run that business.
Mr Patterson snr has a track record for building and selling businesses in the oil and gas industry.
The 62-year-old played a key role in creating Aberdeen-based Balmoral Group before joining Nautronix in 1996, initially as managing director of the then Australian company’s European operation.
In 2002 he teamed up with fellow north-east businessman Ian Suttie to acquire Nautronix for about £18 million.
It was sold to private-equity firm SCF Partners for tens of millions eight years later.
Mr Patterson reinvested some of the sale proceeds and stayed on for a spell as chief executive.
In 2017 he joined forces with two other industry stalwarts, Alasdair Locke and Paul Warwick, to launch Aberdeen-headquartered plug and abandonment firm Well-Safe Solutions.
Mr Patterson left Well-Safe late last year following a £66m investment in the business by MW&L Capital Partners.
He is now focused on Granite City-based Mansefield so he can work more closely with his family.
The firm was launched earlier this year to explore opportunities in the energy sector which have the potential to reduce carbon emissions and accelerate the use of electrification.
It will also provide consultancy, support and other services to help distressed businesses in the north-east out of a recently established office in Rubislaw Terrace.
Mr Patterson said: “We set up Mansefield Investments as a family firm to provide a vehicle to enable myself and my family to work together, branch out and explore new opportunities.
“I have thoroughly enjoyed the experience in the last nine months and we are now working on a very exciting project.
“Central to our vision is the desire to bolster and diversify the north-east economy by supporting local businesses and creating new ones which have scalable, sustainable growth potential, particularly in green energy.”
He added: “With David’s commercial experience and legal background and my long and varied career in oil and gas, we want to work with companies who are struggling in the current climate, helping them to survive and then thrive and, as a result, helping to safeguard and create jobs.”
A corporate and commercial lawyer with more than 35 years’ experience in mergers, acquisitions and disposals, equity investment and banking, Mr Rennie joins Mansefield after nearly 24 years with Stronachs.
He stepped down from the managing partner’s role at Stronachs a few years ago to become the Aberdeen-based practice’s first chairman and continues to work for the firm as a consultant.
Mr Rennie said: “Having worked with the Patterson family for a number of years, I’m delighted to be joining them and excited about the opportunities we are currently exploring, particularly in relation to solutions for tackling climate change and achieving net-zero.”