Guy Phillips – CEO & Founder
After a successful 25 year career as a geologist at BP, Guy setup Highland Heritage Woodworks with his long-time friend and founder Armands Balams. Knowing that a successful company needs the best people, Guy has gathered together a team with exceptional talents.
After helping his father build the family home when he was young, Guy has remained connected to building beautiful. things from wood. He is a firm believer in ‘Forest to Front Door’, making the best use of the raw materials on our doorstep to craft products and structures of exceptional quality with genuine sustainability.
Guy says ‘It’s important to be passionate about everything you do. Getting the right balance between family, adventure and work is a constant challenge, but when you hit that sweet spot, well…you know all about it.
Guy’s passion for adventuring has seen him winter in the Arctic, complete the Haute Route on skis and as the autumn years draw in, turn his attention to long distance mountain running, packrafting and gravel riding, all of which are a welcome distraction from work.
Armands Balams – Operations Director & Founder
Since moving to the UK from Latvia in 2008, Armands career has covered all the way from small artisanal workshops to large scale manufacturing facilities, but always working with timber. Since graduating from the world-famous carpentry college in Riga, RTU, Armands has designed and built pretty much anything you could imagine in wood.
From multi-tiered spiral staircases, to post and beam oak barns, and from high-end kitchens to National Trust property renovations. Each with it’s own design challenges, but always with an eye for detail.
Since starting HHW Armands has focused his efforts on building the sawmilling and timber products side of the business to help drive quality, but from a manufacturing perspective.
His focus on perfection means that large scale post and beam structures for timber frame houses are given the same level of focus as if he were making a piece of fine cabinetry.
When not running the sawmill, Armands is a devoted father to three young boys and spends most of his time exploring the outdoors with them.
Will Inglis – CFO & head bean counter
Will is a qualified chartered accountant who had a 15 year career in London advising private equity firms and corporates on complex cross border mergers and acquisitions. He then had a 7 year stint working overseas for an airline as Head of Strategy before the lure of his homeland brought him back to Scotland.
Will has a passion for working with young start-up businesses and initially supported Highland Heritage Woodworks as a Board Advisor before joining as CFO in 2024.
When he is not looking after the pennies and helping drive the growth strategy he can be found messing about on the water, riding his bike, snowboarding and walking his hound in the woods.