People in Space: Frank Strang

2nd Sep 2021

Mr Frank Allen Strang is The Chief Executive Officer and owner of Shetland Space Centre (Saxa Vord Spaceport). What should we know about him?

Education and career in RAF

Frank Allen Strang was born in 1958, in Scotland. In his youth, he was actively engaged in Physical Education. He graduated from the Scottish School of Physical Education in 1981 and received his Bachelor of Education (BEd) at the Physical Education and Human Movement from Royal Air Force College Cranwell in 1985.

From 1984 to 1996 he served as a Physical Education Officer in RAF Physical Education Branch.

After leaving RAF Frank Strang decided to devote himself to business and was very successful at it. Since 1999 he has held executive positions in 39 companies, of which he still directs 10.

List of Mr Frank Allen Strang’s jobs

Company’s name	Position	Appointed in	Nature of Business
Shetland Space Centre	CEO	September 2017	New Space
Shetland FM	Executive Chairman	January 2015	Other accommodation
4Sight International	Non-Exec Director	April 2014	Market Research and Analytics
Horseback UK ltd	Trustee	April 2014	Personal Development Through Horsemanship
THE SHETLAND DISTILLERY COMPANY LIMITED	Director	January 2013	Reel Gin Manufacture
SaxaVord Ltd	Chairman	April 2005	Other holiday and other collective accommodation
THE SHETLAND ISLANDS COMPANY LIMITED	Director	April 2016	Other business support service activities
Spaceheaven Ltd	Director	September 2016	Combined facilities support activities
GTSFM LIMITED	Director	December 2016	Retail Office Equipment
TEMILY HOLDINGS LIMITED	Director	September 2017	Other letting and operating of own or leased real estate
Buchan Braes Limited	Director	June 2005	Apartments and hotel

Frank Strang has had a string of businesses in the Shetland Isles including Shetland Facilities Management, which provided accommodation for offshore workers for the Saxa Vord resort – also owned by Mr. Strang.

Frank Allen Strang is also director of THE SHETLAND DISTILLERY COMPANY LTD that produces Shetland Reel Gin, and trustee of British horse society «Horseback UK ltd».

Since 2018 Frank Strang and his wife Debora Strang are majority shareholders of SaxaVord Spaceport (Shetland Space Centre ).
The consolidated cash at bank value for all current Mr. Strang’s businesses where he still has appointment makes £118k, the value of all current assets makes £3m in total, £5m liabilities and a joint current net worth of £-1m. Among the roles that Mr. Frank Allen Strang is associated with within listed businesses are: Director and Llp Designated Member.

Frank Strang and controversies

Mr. Strang has found himself the subject of some controversial news articles including a number of very high profile revelations that one of the “investments” that he boasted about was nothing of the sort and was in fact an exchange of shares with an “investment entity” that had just been subject to a warning from the Financial Conduct Authority. The Shetland Space Centre recently “bought back” those shares for a nominal sum.

Strang courted further controversy when he liquidated the Shetland FM company and transferred a £600k loan from Highlands and Islands Enterprise into his other business, Saxa Vord Ltd. Which he promised to pay back when Scottish newspaper, Daily Record, approached him about the story.