A company with links back to the early days of the plastics industry in Scotland has recently had a name change to reflect more clearly its main focus in the healthcare sector. LiceComb Engineering is the new trading name for the leading lice comb supplier, The Health and Beauty Company. LiceComb Engineering, based in Aberdeen, develops, designs and supplies precision head lice combs to pharmaceutical companies round the world.
Donald Smith, Managing Director, has over 25 years experience and expertise in this field, derived from his time with Albyn, a company originally based in Stonehaven and later in Aberdeen, which specialised in design, manufacture and marketing of hair care products as well as other components for the healthcare sector.
Donald’s father, Hugh Smith, had setup Albyn in 1973, following pioneering work in establishing plastics moulding manufacture at Daniel Montgomery in Glasgow and later with ACW in Aberdeen. Consequently LiceComb Engineering can trace its credentials and expertise back to the early days of the plastics industry in Scotland.
Industrial scale comb manufacture in Aberdeen was established in the early 19th century as the
Aberdeen Combworks, later known as
ACW Ltd. By 1850 the company was importing over 1 million ox and cow horns from all over the world for processing into something in the region of 2000 different designs of combs, ranging from pocket combs to horse mane combs. ACW gradually converted from natural materials such as horn and tortoiseshell to synthetic materials, starting in 1850 with vulcanite (derived from natural rubber) and later cellulose nitrate (celluloid) and the less flammable cellulose acetate. Production of fabricated horn combs ceased in 1956, by which time modern thermoplastics were being used. After Hugh Smith joined ACW in 1964, it became one of the largest injection moulding units in Scotland. In the early 1970s the ownership changed and comb manufacture at ACW ceased. However Hugh was able to continue the tradition with his new company, Albyn which he formed in 1973.
(Reference: Plastiquarian, July 2011, pages 8-12)
Early in the 21st century, under pressure from low cost economies, the moulding operation in Stonehaven gave way to sourcing on a global scale but the considerable design and marketing expertise developed at Albyn has been translated into Donald’s company, now trading as LiceComb Engineering.
The current range of combs for detection and treatment of head lice has been carefully designed by LiceComb Enginering, with an optimum gap, controlled to 0.001 mm, between the steel pins and the combs meet the toughest performance benchmarks.
Recognising the lack of information for professionals in the head lice sector, Albyn set up a specialist website in 2001, http://www.pediculosis.com . LiceComb Engineering now edit and sponsor this site which remains the only specialist website of its kind. Pediculosis is the term for infestation of lice, an affliction that affects millions of people, mostly schoolchildren, worldwide.
Hugh Smith is a Past President of SPRA (2000-2003) and gave inspiring service on the SPRA Council for 8 years before retiring to the Isle of Lewis in 2007, from where he is still available for advice and encouragement. Hugh was awarded the MBE in 1991 for his contribution to industry and commerce and became the first to receive an SPRA Fellowship in 2003. More recently in 2010 he became a Freeman of the
Worshipful Company of Horners, thereby closing a loop related to comb manufacture.
Report by Charlie Geddes, SPRA Hon Secretary, January 2012
