2015, and a lot has happened since the last update. RBR is now running independently under Greg Johnson and growing rapidly, in September 2014 Stowood Scientific Instruments was restructured with Dr Gwilym Davies as the CEO and OIL retains an interest with Frank Johnson as a director; MilkMaven has come and gone, TactileVision came to Ottawa after a lot of engineering preparation to accommodate a 15Kw thermographic printer but then found bigger premises in Windsor ON and finally settled in Windsor, New Brunswick, Oxford Blue Systems continued to operate in the UK and Phil Gibbs took over Swale Oceanographic and Squamscott Engineering was started up in New Hampshire to collaborate on sensor design with SpectraSense Inc. That collaboration was closed in 2020 as new effort took place at RBR on optical sensors.
2016, and we continue to evolve. This year we have added a new skill – LEGO® SERIOUS® PLAY®. Find out more about LEGO® SERIOUS® PLAY®.
2023, and seven years to catch up on. Irene’s Building was bought to ensure continuity for Irene’s Pub; in 2018 we went back on the RBR R&D team to bridge a skills gap and help develop a new range of optical sensors; in 2020 everything was in turmoil as the pandemic disrupted the business, the city, the world while the universe looked on. Richard and Frank watch 27 Monk Street demolished to make way for a 7 unit apartment block; it had already been dwarfed by the surrounding Succession – Amica development. LostTrees.ca was launched to comment on the mindset of urban development in Ottawa, then the workshop was moved to the new RBR premises at 359 Terry Fox Drive. The pandemic stressed one long-time friend Edwin Morton to the state of taking his own life and we invested the proceeds of the Monk Street building into rescuing the accommodation for his partner.
In 2021 we joined with Igor Shkvorets and Iryna Troshyna in their Sail for Science venture. Launch of the global tour is expected in 2023.