About us

Richard Cherry
Director of Engineering

Having gained his Honours Degree in Civil Engineering, Richard started his professional path as a Highways and Bridges designer before changing direction and following a distinguished career in environmental engineering.

After working for a number of years for various consultants designing and supervising major UK infrastructure projects, Richard eventually found himself in 1970s Iraq, appointed as Deputy Resident Engineer on a 110km road scheme linking the region north of Baghdad to the border with Iran. It was here that he developed an understanding of Arab culture, learning a little spoken and written Arabic along the way and gaining an appreciation both for Iraq itself and for the Iraqi people. Later, Richard worked on a major hospital re-construction in Libya, and then, despite considering an offer to move back to the UK, ended up as Resident Engineer on the reconstruction of Benghazi’s urban road system. Those five years of immersion in the Middle East also transformed Richard’s view of British culture, and that to him was almost as important as his understanding and appreciation of the Arabic way of life.

Eventually back in Britain, Richard and three colleagues set up a company specialising in the design and construction of anaerobic digestion schemes, thus beginning his long relationship with the water and waste management industries. After years of successful growth that business was eventually bought by the construction company M J Gleeson. For the last twenty years he has specialised in the discipline of biogas handling, eventually setting up Vergas Ltd to project manage the design and installation of membrane biogas holders for the renewable energies market. Richard eventually found his true home here at A J Tensile after being impressed with our innovative manufacturing techniques when producing the biogas domes and covers for Vergas.

When not immersed in matters of business Richard likes to wander the uplands of Britain, keeping reasonably fit while thinking about geology, sourdough bread, and in fact about anything except biogas. He is also a latter-day ‘petrol-head’ and finds some pleasure in trying to rebuild an E-Type ‘Challenger’ car. After five years of intermittent progress, this is a project likely to run and run…