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One-of-a-kind hybrid flower is officially named after the former chairman of an international oil and gas company as a tribute.

THE man who helped build one of Scotland’s most successful businesses will be remembered in a unique way.

David Craig, former chairman of Aberdeen’s Craig Group who died just before his 94th birthday last year, has had a dahlia named after him in a fitting tribute to celebrate his life and work.

The Royal Horticultural Society has officially registered the specially-grown dahlias in honour of Mr Craig.

Paying additional homage to much-respected figure Mr Craig, the Royal Horticultural Society of Aberdeen (RHSA) – of which Mr Craig was a long-standing director of the society and latterly an honorary vice president - has appointed his son, Douglas Craig, as its president elect. He will officially take office in January, 2012.

Mr Craig snr, who helped lead the family-owned shipping and energy services firm to international success in the oil and gas industry, is thought to have been the oldest chairman of any Scottish company.

However, away from the business world, Mr Craig’s great love was gardening and his dahlias were his pride and joy.

He entered flower shows every year, winning the dahlia section of the annual Banchory Flower Show 25 consecutive times.

He was also president of the Chrysanthemum and Dahlia Society for many years and in his honour, a member of the society has named his latest hybrid flower after him. Douglas Stewart grows hybrid dahlias and, along with the society’s secretary, Donald Buchan, applied to the Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) to officially name the dahlia, which is a red small decorative type, after Mr Craig.

Mr Stewart said: “David was president of our society and we have been looking for a nice dahlia for him. You have to grow thousands to find a good one, but this red decorative flower is the perfect tribute. We have called it the David Craig Dahlia.”

Mr Buchan added: “The David Craig Dahlia was raised from seed and we now have enough stock to give to everyone who would like plants to grow or to compete with.”

Mr Craig started the Craig Group with his brother George and their father, also George, in 1933. Under his chairmanship, the Group has successfully diversified from fishing to energy, while retaining its strong maritime heritage.

After he passed away peacefully at his home on April 17 last year, his son Douglas became chairman of the Group, in addition to his role as managing director.

Douglas Craig said: “The David Craig Dahlia is a great tribute to such an inspirational man and the resulting blooms are absolutely beautiful. We as a family are touched that the society, which my father loved being a part of, has chosen to remember him in this way.

“It is also a great privilege for me to be asked by the Royal Horticultural Society of Aberdeen to be its president elect in what represents another poignant mark of respect to my father who enjoyed a very active role with this society. I’m very much looking forward to my new role with the society and hope to help attract schools and local people to participate in horticulture.”

Hazel Main, a director at the Royal Horticultural Society of Aberdeen, said: “The society thought it would be nice to ask Douglas to become president because his father was a long-standing director of the society and went on to become an honorary vice president.”

Mr Craig, who was born in Torry in 1916, began his fascinating working life at the age of 15 and went on to become one of Aberdeen’s top skippers. He earned the title of ‘Turbot King’ for his huge landings in an age when fishermen could not rely on radar and navigational equipment.

When oil was discovered in the North Sea in the 1960s, Mr Craig seized the new opportunities for his company, whose activities now include the provision of offshore support vessels in the North Sea and internationally.

In 1978, he was made an OBE for services to both fishing and the oil industry.

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