FST Technologies

FST Technologies started up in business in West Lothian in March 2000 after its founder and chairman Ian MacRitchie identified an opportunity to develop a technology and service business in support of the financial services sector in the UK.

Three years on and the company has quadrupled its workforce, achieved an impressive turnover of £4.6million and moved to larger premises to accommodate continued expansion.

Formed initially to service the customer communications needs of Livingston-based Intelligent Finance, FST developed an innovative business model to combine software development with a range of managed services to meet the detailed fulfilment and data management requirements of internet and call centre banking operations.

Choosing a location in which to quickly start-up and grow the company was a fundamentally important task for FST. Livingston stood clear as the obvious choice not only because of its close proximity to Intelligent Finance and the strength of its position between Scotland's two largest financial centres - Edinburgh and Glasgow, but because of the wide range of services and affordable office space on offer.

FST's fast growth and future business development plans prompted the move from its original office base at Deans Industrial Estate, to larger premises at Starlaw Business Park, also in Livingston.

The relocation was facilitated by £100,000 in funding from the Scottish Executive's Investment for Growth fund and support from Scottish Enterprise. The move was completed in July 2003 and with plenty of room for expansion, the business has continued to thrive.

FST now has an impressive financial sector client list including Bright Grey, St James Place Bank, a major Scottish bank, and most recently, a Scottish life and pensions organisation.

FST is matching new business demand with the right mix of skills, knowledge and experience by continuing to recruit experienced staff from a range of industry sectors from within West Lothian, Glasgow and Edinburgh. Employees are benefiting from the convenience of the excellent transport network and parking facilities available to them. They also form part of a vibrant business community that delivers real working advantages for the individual as well as the organisation.

As a high growth knowledge-based company, FST has found its niche in the West Lothian business environment. From the beginning, the company's growth and development has been encouraged and supported by local investment initiatives and in turn, FST's escalating success is delivering significant contributions to the local economy.