Late great engineers: David McMurtry - engineer with values

Shortly after David McMurtry died in late 2024 Money Week published a feature reflecting on the legacy of the billionaire engineer. It detailed how the Renishaw founder had created one of the great ‘success stories’ in twentieth century UK manufacturing as well as noting his vast personal wealth. But it also paid tribute to a man who distrusted investors, who preferred to be a voice for his stakeholders rather than shareholders. For McMurtry was a man who believed in manufacturing excellence, who cared less for lining the pockets of faceless City organisations and more for his employees and customers. ‘There will never be another David McMurtry’ concludes the feature writer. He was not alone in thinking so.

McMurtry’s obituary in the Guardian spoke of how he ‘did much to advance the scientific study of measurement – metrology – and so facilitated hi-tech mass production in many fields’, as well as drawing attention to how the one-time CEO of Renishaw and latterly chairman had been ‘a brilliant engineer... He was responsible for 47 patents at Rolls-Royce and went on to be named on over 200 patents for Renishaw innovations.’ A statement from his side-project McMurtry Automotive paid tribute to a six-decade career that embraced ‘creating future technologies, innovating across sectors and mentoring future generations’. Writing in Business West, his acquaintance Ian Mean suggested that the publicity-shy McMurtry was ‘the most prolific living inventor in Britain. He would never admit to that, of course.’ The company most associated with his name stated: ‘The manufacturing industry has lost a great innovator and many at Renishaw have lost a father figure and a friend.’