Your Business Autumn 2019

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the magazine of Ayrshire Chamber of Commerce and Industry

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Dear Members, Inside the latest issu e of 'Your Business' mag azine you will find lots of local business news plus special features on some of our wonderful local Ayr shire Brands and all the information for Busi ness Week 2019.

Enjoy!

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INSIDE: Ayrshire Business Wee

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From Ayrshire with Lo ve Chamber Events Diary

New Members

page 5 pages 3 & 7 page 11 page 39

PLATINUM PARTNERS Ayrshire Chamber wishes to acknowledge the support of the following companies as sponsors of our Platinum Partners programme.

CONTACTS

The Chamber in Ayrshire represents businesses of all sizes and all sectors and is particularly effective in representing the voice of businesses at local, national and international level.

Ayrshire Chamber of Commerce & Industry, The Mezzanine, Glasgow Prestwick Airport, Prestwick, KA9 2PL Mail enquiries@ayrshire-chamber.org Call 01292 678666 Visit www.ayrshire-chamber.org President...............................................Lorna Gibson Chief Executive....................................Valerie Russell Development Manager.......................Helen McBride

The Partnership aims to cement the relationship that companies have with Ayrshire Chamber, making sure they get the most out of membership and in turn contributing to the work of the Chamber

so supporting other business in Ayrshire.

Partnership members have access to a comprehensive package of benefits, while at the same time assist with the development of the Chamber movement.

Please join us in welcoming our newest Platinum Partners AVQ Management Ltd. We look forward to working with you.

If you would like to discuss the mutual benefits of becoming a Partner for Business please contact Helen McBride our Business Development Manager.

MAGAZINE Editorial.................. aclayton@ayrshire-chamber.org Ad Sales.................. lstewart@ayrshire-chamber.org Design/Typesetting............... advertisingworks.co.uk Print/Distribution............................ brown-bros.com An Ayrshire Chamber of Commerce & Industry publication. No part of this magazine may be copied, scanned or reproduced without the express permission of the Ayrshire Chamber of Commerce. The views expressed in editorial and/or advertising in "Your Business" are not necessarily those of the Editorial Committee of Ayrshire Chamber of Commerce & Industry. Articles submitted for publication will be considered at the Committee's discretion and may be subject to editing. Publication is not guaranteed.

Fully Funded SVQS in Construction Supervision, Management and Senior Management Through the Modern Apprenticeship scheme AVQ MANAGEMENT are able to offer FULLY FUNDED SVQs in: • Occupational Work Supervision (Level 6) • Construction Site Supervision (Level 7) • Construction Site Management (Level 9)

Leads to Gold CSCS Card Leads to Gold CSCS Card Leads to Black CSCS Card and can lead to Full Chartered Membership of the CIOB (MCIOB) and CMI (CMgr MCMI).

This award is Degree standard.

• Construction Senior Management (Level 11) Leads to Black CSCS Card and can lead to Full Chartered Membership of the CIOB (MCIOB) and CMI (CMgr MCMI).

This award is Master’s Degree standard.

YOUR BUSINESS | AUTUMN 2019

We also offer the following: • Management (Level 9)

Leads to Chartered Membership of the CMI (CMgr MCMI).

This award is Degree standard. ￡1,900 plus VAT

• Health & Safety In a Construction Environment (1 day course)

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paulinemacrae@avqmanagement.co.uk

PLA

PARTTINNUM ER

PRESIDENT’S WELCOME

WELCOME TO THE AUTUMN EDITION OF YOUR BUSINESS

I hope all of you made the most of what summer we did get in Ayrshire or enjoyed a break in sunnier climates. I haven’t quite managed to get away however I did enjoy a fantastic day of networking with the Ayrshire Chamber on the beautiful Island of Arran. It was great to be back on Arran with the Chamber and we packed a lot in to our day with visits to the Isle of Arran Distillery, Arran Gin, the Auchrannie Resort, Arran Cheese Company and Arran Aromatics. This edition of Your Business focuses on brands ‘Made in Ayrshire’ and all these companies are testament to the wonderful offerings that Ayrshire has.

However, now that the summer holidays are already becoming a distant memory, and Autumn is on its way, we are looking forward to some more Chamber events,

from

AYRSHIRE WITH LOVE

particularly Ayrshire Business Week which is running from 7th to 11th October 2019.

The opening event will be at UWS, Ayr and will focus on the Ayrshire Growth Deal, giving each of you the opportunity to share your views on how we can be involved with ensuring Ayrshire’s economic success.

This action-packed week will culminate with one of the highlights of our business calendar, the Ayrshire Business Awards Gala Dinner at Ayr Racecourse on Friday 11th October. Award submissions have been flooding in and we are looking forward to a fantastic evening celebrating Ayrshire’s business successes!

We are moving in to some interesting times for Ayrshire business with the progression of such positive initiatives as the Ayrshire Growth Deal, the Coig and the launch of Barclay’s Building Thriving Local Economies in Kilmarnock. We do

LORNA GIBSON ACCI PRESIDENT

of course have to add Brexit in to the mix and the uncertainty that comes with that, please remember that the Chamber is here to support, advise and assist our businesses in whatever way we can. So, please get in touch and let us know how we can help your business.

ROBERT MACKIE OF SCOTLAND: MADE IN AYRSHIRE, LOVED WORLDWIDE

Ayrshire based Robert Mackie of Scotland are one of the leading Scottish Manufacturers of knitted accessories, specialising in hats, gloves and scarves, exporting its MACKIE range to over 500 retail customers worldwide.

Established in 1845 to create traditional Highland Headwear, Robert Mackie is still making knitted accessories in Stewarton, Scotland’s famous ‘Bonnet Toun’, having passed down its knowledge through generations of makers. The company’s time-honoured techniques are borne out in its products - famous for their quality and use of colour. With a reputation for exacting standards, Robert Mackie is the only Scottish manufacturer of handcrafted Glengarries and Balmorals in the world. Today the company produces for Scottish Regiments, leading Pipe Bands and Clan Associations all around the world. being made in the factory gives them the confidence “The company is very proud of its ‘Made in of knowing exactly where the manufacturing is.”

Scotland’ heritage, says Gavin. “We have pleasure “Made in Scotland stands for quality and as we export in showing our many foreign buyers round the at least 60% of our products, we want to retain that Stewarton factory each year and seeing products authenticity.”

The main markets for Robert Mackie are Japan, Germany, France, Italy, Belgium, Holland, Canada and the US. Robert Mackie draws on the rich textile heritage of Ayrshire to craft indulgent modern wardrobe classics.

Luxurious to the touch, the 2019 MACKIE range of soft, warm hats, gloves and scarves are made only with the finest wools. The company has an extensive range of machinery, some of it unique to Robert Mackie of Scotland, and everything is manufactured and hand-finished in-house. The company source its yarns sustainably, using only the best fibres available.

“Wool is a fabulous fibre, it keeps you cosy and warm in the coldest of weather and the fibres breathe when it’s warmer allowing you to cool down. There is no more ecologically friendly fibre to work with, says Design Manager, Gavin Walker.

The company currently employs 75 staff, many of whom have been there for over 25 years.

For more information, please contact Gary Craig: gary@robertmackie.com Tel. +44 (0)1560 482124

YOUR BUSINESS | AUTUMN 2019

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CHAMBER NEWS

IT'S BEEN A BUSY FEW MONTHS AT THE CHAMBER!

You’ll see on the next page we’ve been preparing a full schedule of events for Ayrshire Business Week and we’re really looking forward to seeing as many of you as we can.

On 9th October we will be spending the morning at The Park Hotel, Kilmarnock for FREE Connect networking, a fantastic B2B exhibition with a fantastic prize for the best dressed stand (see below) and this year the stand fee includes lunch for two! Check out our website and book early to avoid missing out.

Prize for best display stand 2019 – This year the winning business will be presented with 2 tickets to the Ayrshire Business Awards Gala Dinner on Friday 11th October sponsored

by Ayrshire Chamber along with a 1m wide pull up banner with full graphic design included or £200.00 worth of graphic design / print, sponsored by Wades - Print that Works.

We are pleased to announce we have had an amazing number of applications for the Ayrshire Business Awards and we can’t wait to announce the winners at our Gala Dinner at Ayr Racecourse on 11th October where your hosts for the evening will be Jennifer Reoch and Edward Reid. Don’t forget a ticket for the awards dinner could be yours via our Referral Scheme. Visit our website to find out more!

YOUR BUSINESS | AUTUMN 2019

This year the beneficiary of the Charity Prize Draw is The Little Art School Trust who do amazing work with dementia patients and young people in the region. If you are in a position to be able to donate a prize, please contact the Chamber office and let us know.

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Have you met our new Membership Development Officer yet?

Joan McMurdo has been out at various location across Ayrshire and is available to answer any of your membership questions, so if you need a reminder JOAN of the many benefits MCMURDO your membership

ACCI TEAM B2B EXHIBITION

provides, please just drop in. Look out for our social media posts for when she is in your area.

CEO Val Russell has also been out and about but a little further afield to Iceland on an Erasmus+ project promoting Ayrshire Food and Drink. You can read about her trip on page 13.

If you would like Val to visit your business please get in touch.

VAL RUSSELL

We are delighted to introduce AVQ Management as our newest Platinum Partner. AVQ specialise in training for the construction industry – everything for CSCS, MAs through to graduate level. Check out their advert on page 2.

COMING SOON – We are making some improvements to the members directory on our website and will be introducing a Members Marketplace soon. Visit us at the B2B Exhibition during Business Week for a preview.

BUSINESS IN THE COMMUNITY

Ayrshire Chamber and DYW Ayrshire were delighted to support Chamber Member, Pam and Co. with a visit from a group of children from Chernobyl.

Visiting Ayrshire with support from Chernobyl Children’s Life Line, Pam treated the girls to a pamper session at her salon in Irvine. Goody bags were provided for all the visitors giving them a small gift from the business community.

Monday 7th - Friday 11th October

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*All events can be booked through the Ayrshire Chamber of Commerce website unless otherwise stated.

For more information or to book online, visit www.ayrshire-chamber.org The Mezzanine, Glasgow Prestwick Airport Prestwick, Ayrshire, KA9 2PL events@ayrshire-chamber.org 01292 678 666 AyrshireChamberofCommerce AyrshireChamber

CHAMBER NEWS

HOW CAN RURAL BUSINESSES GET THE IMPROVED INTERNET CONNECTIVITY THEY NEED?

By Mike Ianiri, Equinox

YOUR BUSINESS | AUTUMN 2019

Unfortunately, businesses in rural areas are still held back by poor telecoms coverage, particularly high-speed internet connectivity and 4G coverage.

Ofcom’s latest report shows that only 41% of rural areas have complete 4G coverage, less than half the coverage levels in urban areas. The figures are similar for broadband coverage (a common problem across EU member states).

How can these issues be tackled?

1) RURAL ROAMING Introducing roaming in the UK could make a massive difference to rural areas.

So far, Ofcom has failed to ask operators in the UK to allow roaming.

Sometimes known as wholesale access, rural roaming means you can move between mobile operators’ networks based on signal strength. As your provider’s signal drops, you can move to another provider. With 91% of the UK landmass getting signal from at least one provider, this would significantly improve connectivity availability.

How the operators decide to share out the costs is up to them!

2) 700MHZ TO RURAL AREAS FIRST 5G is set to, supposedly, transform how we use data. The high frequency wavelengths used by 5G only travel in straight lines and over much shorter distances than 3/4G. However, Ofcom’s release of the 700Mhz frequency band would allow 5G rollout to much more of the country. It would be a little slower, but that’s better than nothing. It’s encouraging that Ofcom has set rural coverage requirements within the contracts the mobile operators are bidding for.

3) MAKE USE OF EU FUNDING AVAILABLE National and EU governments have made £billions available to support the rollout of telecoms connectivity. The UK government has spent over £6 billion, through BDUK, to take coverage up to 95%.

European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development (EAFRD) grant funding is available with 921 million Euros allocated between 2014 & 2020 to help rural economies.

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The key is how this money is spent, and if it will be enough to bring rural connectivity to 100%. This seems unlikely. Even if they do manage it, they may find that the connectivity they have funded is already out of date.

4) USE 4G INSTEAD OF FIBRE High-speed broadband and fibre are usually words used in the same sentence.

However, the cost of rolling out fibre to the cabinet (FTTC) is as high as £100,000 per cabinet. This cost cannot be passed to the user and the operators aren’t prepared to pay these figures, so it isn’t being implemented. Government support (BDUK) has taken coverage up to 95.1% of UK premises.

Although satellite used to be an alternative go-to option, it is becoming less popular, more expensive (in particular the installation), and 4G now, generally, offers better speeds.

So, in the areas where high speed broadband isn’t available, 4G can be an acceptable substitute. With data costs reducing on an, almost, daily basis, 4G doesn’t have to be an expensive option unless your business is an exceptionally high data user.

5) MAKE USE OF CO-WORKING SPACES Micro-businesses (1-4 staff) and remote workers can benefit from making use of the growing number of rural co-working spaces. Suitably positioned so they have high-speed connectivity, they bring a range of benefits to their members: 1. Providing high-speed connectivity 2. Enabling business networking 3. Sharing of best practice 4. Face to face contact 5. Getting out of the house!

It’s likely we’ll see more of these in rural areas and even if the government does take proper action to improve rural connectivity, it’s likely many people will still opt to use these hubs.

Telecoms is an important element in boosting the rural economy. Let’s hope that action is taken soon to achieve what rural businesses need.

Web: www.equinoxcomms.co.uk Twitter: @CommsEquinox

Christmas WITH SIMPSINNS

CELEBRATE WITH COLLEAGUES THIS FESTIVE SEASON FES T BOOK ONLINE or call 01294 204040

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FULL BROCHURE ONLINE

simpsinns.com

16.95

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from AYRSHIRE

WITH LOVE

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Scottish Keepsakes is the new destination for beautifully handcrafted keepsake gifts, whether for a Wedding, for sending overseas or a personalised ‘minding’ for a friend.

Brought to you from the heart of Ayrshire, this delightful and unique collection has been inspired

by Scotland’s rich cultural heritage tradition and folklore.

Their Scottish collection includes attractive souvenirs, gifts and mementos using tartans, tweeds, replica thistles & heathers and with a smidgen of imagination & rhyming humour, brings you a caring, thoughtful and quality range of keepsake gifts.

Very popular with tourists and locals alike, the products are visually appealing, robust, compact, portable and ideal for posting.

Choose from the quirky - yet traditional - designs of Lucky Silver Sixpences : Wedding & Christening gifts : Keepsake Gift Sets : bespoke Lapel Pins and other personalised gifts….all lovingly created by Carol & her team from her busy workroom in Kilmarnock.

Founder and owner of Scottish Keepsakes, Carol continues to build upon her existing retail & wholesale customer portfolio around Scotland/UK whilst also expanding her overseas markets.

She is currently developing a range of bespoke table gifts suitable for Corporate events, awards ceremonies, Burns Suppers etc.

All product ranges will be showcased at Scotland’s Trade Fair in SEC, Glasgow, on 22-23rd September 2019 (stand K50). For a free entry badge, visit: www.scotlandstradefairs.co.uk Be sure to stop by for a browse and a wee blether! If you can’t make the show, their website can be found at www.scottishkeepsakes.com or their Etsy store at https://www.etsy.com/shop/ScottishKeepsakes

YOUR BUSINESS | AUTUMN 2019

SCOTTISH KEEPSAKES FROM THE HEART OF AYRSHIRE IT’S NEVER TOO EARLY TO START TALKING ABOUT CHRISTMAS! Owner and independent retailer, Toni Dawson, and her team in Geraldo’s of Largs always need to think ahead, particularly leading up to their busiest time of year. As producers of their own artisan ice cream and specialists in handmade chocolates, premium spirits and Scottish food and drink it’s no wonder their luxury gift hampers and in store tastings are such a big hit with visitors to the town.

Geraldo’s works closely with many Scottish food and drink producers and Ayrshire & Arran is a world class source. James McLehry of the Arran Chocolate Factory is one of Toni’s main suppliers of their mouth-watering handmade chocolates particularly their best-selling Parisian Creams created especially for Geraldo’s.

For the whisky lover, there’s a carefully selected range of single malts and cask strength whiskies with Toni choosing to work with as many independent distilleries as possible,

none more so than the Isle of Arran Distillery in Lochranza. There’s a weekly focus on Scotch whisky and during Scottish Food & Drink Fortnight, Arran’s cask finished malts will feature in the shop each ‘Whisky Wednesday.’

If gin is your tipple there are over 70 Scottish gins to choose from and it’s not surprising visitors to Largs choose Arran Gin, being the most locally produced gin in the area.

In short, there is a huge range of award-winning Scottish food and drink produce available from the shop to include in a gift hamper or to take home as an indulgent treat for yourself.

A small selection of gift hampers will be available to buy through their website this year at www.geraldos.co.uk or if you have a special occasion coming up or simply wish to send a thank you gift to someone why not email Geraldo’s now with your requirements to info@geraldos.co.uk or call direct on 01475 675200.

WHISKY WITH A PERSONAL TOUCH...

A

yrshire based independent whisky company, A. D. Rattray, have been selecting and maturing Scotland’s best casks of single malt whisky for over 150 years. Best known within Ayrshire for their Whisky Experience visitor attraction located in the village of Kirkoswald, people are often unaware that this renovated school building is also home to their award-winning whisky brands and export business. You can now find A. D. Rattray whiskies in over 20 countries worldwide.

As well as their own branded whisky products, A. D. Rattray bottle exclusive whiskies for private labelling. They work with companies from a variety of industries to create their own corporate branded whisky or to personalise individual bottles as gifts, promotions or incentives.

Their Private Label range offers an everchanging selection of single cask whiskies with a choice of flavours and styles, each with their own unique characteristics and from distilleries across Scotland. As is the nature of single cask whiskies, the bottles produced from one cask are limited, adding exclusivity to these whiskies. Labelling includes your chosen text and logo in their label style or you can provide your own label design.

The team at A. D. Rattray also host private whisky tastings for corporate hospitality and events. Tastings can be hosted at their own Whisky Experience venue or at events venues across Ayrshire. The whiskies available to taste include many limited editions, giving you a distinctive experience and allowing you to create the event that suits your guests. Enjoy the unique atmosphere of their private tasting room, sit around the antique table and discover more about the heritage of Scotch as you learn to nose and taste some beautiful drams.

Or let their hosts bring the experience to you.

A. D. Rattray collaborates with Ayrshire venues to set up larger group tastings in dramatic settings such as Culzean Castle, Burns Cottage, Glenapp Castle and Turnberry. Imagine enjoying a dram in the cottage where Robert Burns was born, or on the terrace at Turnberry overlooking Ailsa Craig.

Enhance your event with personalised miniatures – perfect for table settings.

The beautiful handwritten labels on their Personalised Whisky range offers another option to impress. Available in 3 bottle sizes, these whiskies are hand-filled straight from the casks in their Whisky Experience in Kirkoswald, with the bottle then sealed in wax and completed with a handwritten label. Plan a visit and you can witness the bottling of your very own whisky and write the label yourself.

Or their whisky tasting gift sets – a warm welcome for your guests as they arrive.

MAKE OUR WHISKY YOU R OW N

Corporate branded whisky and personalised whisky gifts.

A D R AT T R AY.CO M A LW AY S D R I N K R E S P O N S I B LY

MEMBER NEWS

LET'S BUILD TOGETHER! Building Together CIC were delighted to join this years Future Chamber cohort, and are enjoying the benefits of the services and opportunities available to them. They are a Community Interest Company, operating as a Limited Company, but with an asset lock on their profits and their values and objectives written in to their legal constitution.

They facilitate the design and build of projects for communities, using volunteers and interns to teach skills in working with sustainable building materials and methods of construction, resulting in a building that gives back to its environment; empowering, enriching, and inspiring the lives of the local community.

As a Design and Build company Building Together work with their clients to produce a building or physical structure from start to finish, taking the hassle out of sourcing architects, builders and consultants. Each

By involving members of the community in their builds, they can produce something that is well considered and responds to the needs of the community and their local environment. project is different, and they offer a variety of services best suited to the client and the project.

Working with natural building materials and sustainable methods of construction where possible, to produce buildings that are healthy for occupants and beneficial to the environment, they like to share their passion for simple construction with as many people as possible.

They use volunteers from the local community or run courses for members of the public.

There are health and wellbeing benefits from working with your hands, being outdoors, and learning new skills. From problem solving, to power tools, there is something to be learned on even the smallest of projects. If you have the enthusiasm to learn, then Building Together have the skills to teach you!

If you are interested in finding out more about Building Together, you can visit their website at www.letsbuildtogether.co.uk

Supporting businesses in Ayrshire

YOUR BUSINESS | AUTUMN 2019

Call Iain Duff on 07469 038 199* or David Morrison on 07881 318 278* to find out how we can support your business.

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PLATI PART NUM

NER

*Please note: this is a mobile phone number and calls will be charged in accordance with your mobile tariff.

Barclays Bank PLC is registered in England (Company No. 1026167) with its registered office at 1 Churchill Place, London E14 5HP. Barclays Bank PLC is authorised by the Prudential Regulation Authority, and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (Financial Services Register No. 122702) and the Prudential Regulation Authority. Barclays is a trading name and trade mark of Barclays PLC and its subsidiaries. Item-Ref: BM414655. June 2019.

CHAMBER NEWS

BUSINESS BOOSTS

2019

August 2019 – June 2020 2.5 hours training sessions delivered by our training partners. Short, sharp, interactive sessions, all aimed at developing your business and your people, to encourage business growth and success.

DATE

TITLE

TRAINING PARTNER

28th Aug

Presenting with Confidence

Indigo Black Consulting

5th Sept

Business Optimisation - Time is Money

17th Sep

Take and Edit Business Videos on a Smart Phone

3rd Oct

Learn How to do Your HR right for Growth

31st Oct

Business Optimisation - Manage your Growing Business

12th Nov

Essential Cyber Security for Business

28th Nov

Stress and Anxiety Management in the Workplace

10th Dec

Mental Health Awareness at Work

Amas Accounting Tosh Lubek Arena HR Amas Accounting CyberAggress Enlighten Training Greencross Training

2020

VENUE : Ayrshire Chamber Board Room, 8.30am -11am. Light refreshments provided.

8th Jan

Maintaining Health and Safety Documents

28th Jan

Top 10 Financial Secrets for Business

COST : £40 (inc. VAT) for Chamber members or £75 (inc. VAT) non-members

5th Feb

Successful Facebook and Instagram Advertising

25th Feb

Bidding for Business

SCAPA

5th Mar

Poor Procurement Kills Profit

Auditel

24th Mar

Understanding Leadership & Team Behaviours

23rd April

Business Automation with 365

6th May

Managing Time Effectively

27th May

Get found on Google & Measure Website Success

10th June

Leadership For Growth

26th June

Manage Health and Safety Effectively for SME

MEMBERSHIP OFFER : Premier & Enhanced Members - 20% discount per session : Corporate Members - 2 FREE sessions per year For further details & to book www.ayrshire-chamber.org or call 01292 678666 Funding support may be available from www.skillsdevelopmentscotland.co.uk

CHAMBER EVENTS DIARY BUSINESS BOOSTS - BUSINESS OPTIMISATION THROUGH XERO & QUICKBOOKS –TIME IS MONEY 5th September 8.30am -11.00am Venue: Ayrshire Chamber Board Room £40 Facilitated by AMAS Management Accountants AN AUDIENCE WITH LOCAL ENTREPRENEUR ALAN MCLEISH 5th September 1.00pm - 3.00pm £28 Venue: Fenwick Hotel ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING 2019 5th September 3.30pm - 5.30pm Venue: Fenwick Hotel Sponsored by The Fitzsimmons Group

FREE

BUSINESS BOOSTS - TAKE AND EDIT VIDEOS ON A SMARTPHONE 17th September 8.30am - 11.00am Venue: Ayrshire Chamber Board Room £40 Facilitated by Tosh Lubek Productions BEHIND THE SCENES TOUR AND LUNCH @ CALEDONIAN BOTTLERS 18th September 11.00am - 1.30pm £18 Venue: Caledonian Bottlers, Cumnock CONNECT @ 1906 THE ROYAL HOTEL, CUMNOCK 27th September 10.00am - 11.30am Venue: The 1906, Royal Hotel, Cumnock BUSINESS BOOSTS - LEARN HOW TO DO YOUR HR RIGHT 3rd October 8.30am -11.00am Venue: Ayrshire Chamber Board Room Facilitated by Arena HR

AYRSHIRE BUSINESS WEEK 2019 7th -11th October Full Programme see page 5

ARE YOU READY FOR SMART TV? 29th October 5.00pm - 7.30pm Venue: Carlton Hotel, Prestwick Facilitated by Sky Media

Bread & Butter Marketing

Balance HR AHB Training Indigo Black Consulting Bread & Butter Marketing Action Coach CR Business Compliance Services

If you wish to host an event email Yvonne Munro at events@ayrshire-chamber.org TICK TALK NETWORKING 14th November 5.30pm - 7.30pm Venue: William Kennedy Plumbers Celebrating 30 year anniversary

Monday 7th - Friday 11th October CONNECT @ AYRSHIRE HOSPICE, AYR 25th October 10.00am - 11.30am Venue: The Drop in Café, Ayrshire Hospice Supporting the Go Purple Campaign

IM Training Action Coach

FREE

FREE

FREE

BUSINESS BOOSTS - BUSINESS OPTIMISATION - MANAGE YOUR GROWING BUSINESS 31st October 8.30am - 11.00am Venue: Ayrshire Chamber Board Room £40 Facilitated by AMAS Accounting

£40

BUSINESS BOOSTS - ESSENTIAL CYBER SECURITY FOR BUSINESS 12th November 8.30am - 11.00am Venue: Ayrshire Chamber Board Room £40 Facilitated by Cyberaggress

£18

BUSINESS BOOSTS - STRESS AND ANXIETY MANAGEMENT IN THE WORKPLACE 28th November 8.30am - 11.00am Venue: Ayrshire Chamber Board Room £40 Facilitated by Enlighten Training CONNECT @ GG’S GAILES, IRVINE 29th November 10.00am - 11.30am Venue: GG’s Sports and Entertainment Bar

FREE

CHAMBERS’ FESTIVE FAYRE ON TOUR 3rd December 11.00am - 4.00pm Venue: Lochgreen House Hotel, Brig O’ Doon Hotel and Souter's Inn, Costley & Costley Hoteliers

£42

BUSINESS BOOSTS - MENTAL HEALTH AWARENESS AT WORK 10th December 8.30am - 11.00am Venue: Ayrshire Chamber Board Room £40 Facilitated by Greencross Training CHAMBER FESTIVE QUIZ NIGHT 11th December 6.00pm - 8.00pm Venue: Riverside Lodge, Irvine Quiz Master Robert Honeyman, The McKinstry Co

TBC

CONNECT @ THE HEADS OF AYR FARM PARK, AYR 13th December 10.00am - 11.30am Venue: The Heads of Ayr Farm Park, Ayr

FREE

YOUR BUSINESS | AUTUMN 2019

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MEMBER NEWS

ICELAND ROCKS A tourism lecturer from Scotland’s Rural College (SRUC) has been learning about what makes Iceland a ‘hot’ travel destination on a study tour to the Nordic island.

Claire Donaldson, who teaches tourism-related modules to Rural Business and Countryside Management students at SRUC’s Ayr campus, visited Iceland as part of an Erasmus+ funded ‘learning journey’.

The trip took in three different lagoons – including the iconic Blue Lagoon, and several of the country’s spectacular geomorphological features such as the Geysir and Gullfoss, as well as providing the opportunity to visit some of the most successful diversified farms on the Golden Circle – a tourist route in southern Iceland.

Image: Gullfoss (Golden Falls) in the South West of Iceland

“They were willing to talk about everything from financial issues to horticultural science, as well as giving us hands-on experiences and recipes to take away.”

At the end of the week, the group of tourism professionals was given a presentation from Visit Iceland which highlighted how the country has managed to overcome the financial crash in 2008 and the volcano eruption in 2010, to grow its tourist industry.

One of the more unusual highlights of the trip was the experience of eating in a restaurant next to cows on the other side of a glass wall.

Claire said: “It was an incredible experience. I feel very lucky to have been selected for such a fantastic and unique opportunity.

She now plans to integrate what she has learnt about Iceland’s niche rural and food tourism into her courses at SRUC, which cover everything from eco and natural heritage tourism to countryside and recreation.

“It gave us the chance to compare businesses and how they manage to appeal to both residents and visitors alike. Storytelling and authenticity played a significant role in all of the businesses we visited.

“It gives you a real sense of respecting and appreciating your food – as well as highlighting zero food miles,” said Claire.

For more information about studying at SRUC, visit the https://www.sruc.ac.uk/info/120539/our_courses.

CHAMBER MEMBER PLEDGES TO SUPPORT MACMILLAN An Ayrshire firm has pledged to raise a massive £15,000 for Macmillan Cancer Support.

YOUR BUSINESS | AUTUMN 2019

Hyspec Engineering, based in Kilmarnock, has chosen Macmillan as its charity partner for 2019/20. They hope to raise thousands of pounds from employee fundraising, with the staff’s efforts being generously matched by the company.

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Julie Johnston, HR Manager said; “Hyspec raise funds for local charities every year and this year we wanted to continue our fundraising but get involved in something a bit different.

We want to support a charity that would mean something to everyone, and hopefully encourage the workforce to have some fun along the way.

Given the support this charity offers to people with cancer and their loved ones, we can all appreciate just how worthy this cause is

and just how important their work is.

Michelle Jeffcott from Macmillan spent lots of time with our charity committee providing information on the amazing work they do.

She was also full of some great ideas, and so passionate about her job so from then we were sold.”

We have set ourselves a record challenge in raising £15,000 for Macmillan. We are delighted to be partnering with them and we are looking forward to what is to come.”

Macmillan Fundraising Manager, Michelle Jeffcott said; “We are delighted to have been chosen as Hyspec’s charity partner for 2019 and 2020.

We’re here to help everyone with cancer live life as fully as they can, providing physical, financial and emotional support. So whatever cancer throws your way, we’re right there with you.

We are almost entirely funded by donations, so we couldn’t provide our services without people fundraising for us or donating to us.

The money raised will go towards helping Macmillan support people affected by cancer at the time they need us most.

We are looking forward to working with the staff to help them come up with some great fundraising ideas and hope they are just as excited as we are.”

The money raised from the partnership will be used to fund Macmillan’s vital cancer services including specialist nurses working throughout the NHS, a nurse-run support line and grants for cancer patients with money problems.

For information on fundraising for Macmillan as a business, group or individual, call 0300 1000 200 or visit www.macmillan.org.uk

By Ayrshire Chamber CEO, Val Russell

I was fortunate to travel to Iceland as part of a group of UK wide Food, Drink and Tourism Businesses on a learning journey visit funded by Erasmus+.

My case study group was looking specifically at how Iceland is so good at telling the story of the country, their products and the passion of the people telling the stories.

Why is storytelling so powerful?

A good story can truly influence a visit to a tourist attraction in a significant way – it’s what you will always remember and repeat Employee engagement research shows that one of the most important sources of personal engagement and motivation is the need to do work that is ‘meaningful’ or ‘counts’ If a business can help employees to understand their connection to their work, and the employee feels they are part of the story, then they will be a natural advocate.

They will take on the stories of the business and make them their own. This is particularly important for visitor economy businesses who are selling experiences

Benefits of storytelling for businesses & destinations • Brand-building/development • Differentiation in a global market • Building customer loyalty • Word of mouth marketing • Repeat visits and recommendations • Employee engagement & satisfaction • Increased sales

NEW BUSINESS OWNER? DON’T FORGET THE ‘DULL’ STUFF!

What is your story?

A story provides the context for a business strategy, making it meaningful and allowing it to connect with other stories, feelings and emotions about the company that people already have.

TOP TIPS: • Use your own words and real, relevant examples • Use everyday language and not ‘business jargon’ • It needs to cover the ‘bad bits’ not just the good bits—no ‘Pollyanna’ stories ever succeed • Keep it simple - own it – express your own feelings, emotions and anecdotes Iceland may have lagoons, geysers and thermals but Ayrshire has many natural assets, locations, products and wonderful people so let’s share OUR story with the rest of the world.

One of the key objectives of the Ayrshire Chamber is to cultivate a PL ATINU strong business ecosystem. This M should not only help Ayrshire’s existing businesses thrive, but encourage new entities to enter the space. And for those new entities entering the space, embarking on a new, and perhaps their first, business venture will undoubtedly be a busy and exciting time. Understandably, the first thought of many new business owners is to simply roll up their sleeves and get to work on bringing your ideas to life. However, as commendable as this get up and go attitude is, it often leads to some of the less exciting, but still very important, administrative elements of running a business being forgotten about entirely.

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What can often be overlooked are questions such as, how sole traders pay Income Tax and National Insurance; how to legally formalise business operations via Articles of Association; how to meet the legal requirements of providing a workplace pension; and how company directors can protect the continuity of their businesses in the event of death or critical illness. The list really could go on and on. However if business owners, both old and new, can be proactive in answering these questions, then they will only add to the robustness of their overall business.

Within the Ayrshire business community there is an array of excellent financial services and legal firms who have the expertise that could help you navigate these challenges. If you are a business owner and feel like you can relate to these issues, then 1825 would be more than happy to share their knowledge, so please do not hesitate to get in touch. www.1825.com Ryan.Watt@1825.com

YOUR BUSINESS | AUTUMN 2019

A SENSE OF PLACE - ICELAND

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MEMBER NEWS

SPONSORSHIP GIVES NIKKI A LIFT

that that talent and dedication continues beyond the workplace.

When Nikki approached us and shared her story we were somewhat surprised and also very impressed. Her commitment and passion for her sport is admirable and given her successes to date with a goal of qualifying for the 2020 Olympics, we were left in no doubt that we should contribute to supporting and encouraging Nikki on her journey.”

Local facilities management firm, Confida FM, strives to develop its talented staff when they are at work and when they are out of it. That is why the company has agreed to sponsor Cleaning Operative, and Scotland’s top ranked female weightlifter, Nikki Hamilton.

Nikki, from Kilwinning, joined the company in 2016. Since then, she has successfully balanced her work commitments with the everincreasing demands of her sport.

She recently won the Scottish Championships in Pitlochry, which followed her outstanding performance at last year’s Celtic Championships where she helped Team Scotland earn an impressive second place.

Nikki’s next target is to qualify for Tokyo 2020. With the company’s support, she is confident of achieving her Olympic goal.

Lorraine Murray MBE, Managing Director, said: “We know that we have a very dedicated and talented workforce at Confida FM and it comes as no surprise to us when we discover

Nikki Hamilton said: “Weightlifting is a very expensive sport to excel in. Not only do you have to pay to compete, you have to pay for everything else like travel and accommodation to tournaments and training camps. This year’s going to be the biggest of my career so far. The support from Confida FM will have a massive impact on my weightlifting and will help me enormously to make my Olympic dream a reality. I’m completely focused on doing the company and the country proud.”

AMAS SECURES FIRST £2 MILLION IN R&D TAX CREDIT FUNDING FOR THEIR CLIENTS AMAS are an Ayrshire company and their R & D funding expertise has unlocked over £2 million for local companies to date.

YOUR BUSINESS | AUTUMN 2019

To claim R&D tax credit funding you need to demonstrate that you are developing or improving your products, processes, systems or materials. Many businesses do this kind of work every day – though they don’t usually call it R and D. After all, this is just what businesses do!

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Studies show that only around 10% of eligible companies claim R&D Tax Credits – so 90% of them are missing out The expertise that AMAS has developed has allowed them to help businesses as diverse as opticians, engineers, construction companies, financial intermediaries, motor vehicle repairers and food manufacturers make successful R&D Tax credit claims. Eligible costs have included staff, consultancy, out-sourcing, materials, premises, and management time.

With the help of AMAS, making a claim is quick and easy. They combine their experience with cutting-edge, HMRC compliant software to reduce the client’s input to 3.5 hours consisting of: 1) A 30 minute initial meeting to check eligibility The benefits to the company receiving the funds are: • A cash injection • Creation of a positive cycle of investment • Reduced risk in undertaking R&D • Increased investment in development • Can be used to offset tax liability The average R&D Tax Credit for an SME is worth £61.5K - and will only take half a day of your time

2) A 2 hour meeting utilising the software to pull the claim together 3) A 1 hour meeting to ensure that the project is properly specified If you are a limited company, an SME with a turnover in excess of £500K and at least 12 months trading contact AMAS today on 01292 388031 or RandD@amas.biz.

For sample case studies see https:// amasaccounting.co.uk/category/ randdtaxcredits/ They’ll arrange a quick chat to look at the claim potential, explain how it all works and guide you through every stage of the process.

AYRSHIRE HOSPITALS VISITED BY ARMED FORCES RESERVE UNITS Armed Forces Reserves dropped in to Ayrshire hospitals last month to demonstrate the skills and experience they have gained which benefits their civilian careers in healthcare.

Hundreds of NHS nurses and doctors already volunteer with the Armed Forces Reserves across Scotland and hailed the clinical expertise, techniques and management skills which have benefited civilian careers in the NHS.

NHS Ayrshire & Arran held a Military Insight Week where reservists and cadets spoke of the vast opportunities available to them outside the workplace whilst also being fully backed by their employer.

NHS staff at hospitals in Ayr, Irvine and Kilmarnock met with reservists who provided information on the business benefits reserves and cadets can bring to the NHS, put staff through their paces in military physical fitness exercises and displayed the equipment they carry in their volunteer work.

Three Ayrshire-based Army Reserve units were joined by representatives

Colin Vooght, Head of Engagement at Lowland RFCA said: “Military Insight Week provided a great insight into what the reserves and cadets do and what the units across Ayrshire are involved in.

from the Royal Navy and Royal Air Force Reserves, and Adult Instructors from the local Army Cadet unit for the pilot week, a joint initiative by Lowland Reserve Forces’ and Cadet’s Association and NHS Ayrshire & Arran which took place in the week of 8-12 July.

“There was lots of interest around the physical training stands where Army physical training instructors helped staff take part in some of the new training exercises which keep our reservists in top physical condition.

“Military chefs were also on hand to give staff an idea of what they feed soldiers on operations which went down a treat.”

MEMBER NEWS

BANKING ON SUCCESS FOR FUTURE GROWTH

Making Your Business

Our Business AYRSHIRE COLLEGE OFFERING CONSTRUCTION APPRENTICESHIPS

Are you interested in taking on an apprentice? Did PLATI you know you could train them directly through NUM Ayrshire College?

We offer construction apprenticeships in a range of disciplines, including Brickwork, Carpentry and Joinery, and Painting and Decorating. Through our apprenticeship programme, we can help you bring new talent into your organisation, as well as upskilling and retraining existing staff.

We will work closely with you to ensure training is fit-for-purpose and meets your needs. Our learning facilities are state-of-the-art and our highly skilled staff have a wealth of industrial experience to support you and your apprentice.

At the end of the apprenticeship, your apprentice will: • Have an in-depth knowledge of your business, helping to improve productivity and efficiency

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The Victorian Listed building at Lamlash House in Newmilns has undergone an almost constant programme of restoration since being purchased by Chamber members Gordon McDonald and Johnathan Muirhead in 2006. More recently, when the adjoining former Royal Bank of Scotland premises closed in 2014 after 124 years, the pair were quick to secure the purchase of the remainder of the building thereby returning the property to private ownership for the first time in 105 years.

YOUR BUSINESS | AUTUMN 2019

A further programme of internal restoration was then researched, planned and successfully completed by the owners over the following 4 years to sympathetically reinstate the character of the former Bank which had been removed over the past century. Part of the work included the ingenious conversion of the former Bank vault into the Art Deco styled Strongroom Bar which is believed to be the smallest licensed premises in Ayrshire which despite its size, boasts a selection of over 50 gin varieties.

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The formal launch of the Lamlash House Events business took place earlier in the year and was conducted by William Stafford, Deputy Lieutenant of Ayrshire and Arran who unveiled a specially commissioned wall plaque to commemorate the contribution made by the Bank Agent in 1890 when the property was initially built.

Amongst the wealth of areas of architectural interest at the property, the Lamlash House staircase has one the finest preserved examples of literary and floral themed stained glass windows in Ayrshire.

The premises have now been returned to their former opulent Victorian glory and are available for a range of fine dining, Afternoon Tea, Corporate and other private events including bespoke weddings on an exclusive use basis.

Further information can be found at www.lamlashhouse.co.uk and at Facebook.com/lamlashhouse

• Have the practical skills and experience to do their job well and ensure the quality of your products or services • Be invested in your business and be more likely to stay with you long-term • Bring new ideas and enthusiasm to your business • Be equipped with the skills and knowledge of new technologies used in industry Most organisations will be able to access Levy Grant Funding and as a Managing Agent, we can assist you with the application process.

96% of employers who have taken on an apprentice in the past have been positive about the experience. So get in touch now, by emailing stuart.millar@ayrshire.ac.uk or phoning 01292 293454, to find out how your organisation could benefit from high quality, cost effective training in 2019/20.

Commercial and Industrial Boiler

Maintenance and Repair

Commercial Services

Ayrshire’s best kept secret…

We have a long track record of installing & upgrading heating and hot water systems in large commercial building such as hotels, golf clubs, churches, leisure facilities, care homes & factories. We can provide complete packages from design to full installation and commissioning.

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FO BE

BOILER AND PLANT INSTALLATION

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We are known for providing domestic gas and plumbing services to thousands of private house holders throughout Ayrshire but did you know we also provide specialist engineers to install, repair and service large commercial gas, oil and LPG appliances throughout Ayrshire.

We have expertise in: • Industrial & commercial atmospheric and forced draft gas boilers • Electrical control panel faults or upgrades • Gas fired process plant • Plate heat exchangers/calorifiers

ANNUAL SERVICE & MAINTENANCE 24 CONTRACTS

hour

We offer specialist engineers callou to carry out one off annual t services & repairs to large commercial gas or oil boilers as well as yearly maintenance contracts so your business is covered 24/7 365 days a year.

01292 619799

• Overhead Radiant heaters in industrial buildings • Air heaters in factories or warehouses • Water heaters supplying businesses • Oil or LPG fired systems

We can provide: • Commercial annual boiler services to your Gas or Oil appliances • Repairs to all large commercial appliance or plant rooms • Service Contracts

oneilgas.com

• Repairs to Electrical Control Panels • Maintenance to commercial catering kitchen equipment • 24/7 365 call out service

info@oneilgas.co.uk

MEMBER NEWS

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Ashleigh (Scotland) Limited is a Private Limited construction company, formed in 2001 and registered in Scotland. The company has predicted a turnover for 2019/2020 of £58m and intends to have sustainable growth in the forthcoming years. They have delivered projects predominantly in Central and South West Scotland, from Commercial, Industrial, Social and Private Housing, Healthcare, Community Centres, Leisure Facilities, Flatted Developments, Education, Student Accommodation, Refurbishments and Extensions.

Recently they achieved a gold in the internationally recognised Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (RoSPA) health and safety awards - an accolade they were delighted to achieve following a strong focus on developing their Health and Safety Culture over the last 2 years.

YOUR BUSINESS | AUTUMN 2019

ASHLEIGH BUILDING’S HEALTH AND SAFETY JOURNEY Construction is a dynamic and fast-paced industry to be a part of and it is important that policies, procedures and practices remain current to ensure Health and Safety is a paramount consideration at all times. Workforce engagement is a key element within their H&S management system.

Engaging with the workforce brings a whole spectrum of benefits to the business and the workforce alike and only helps to further develop their positive H&S culture. Not only focusing on physical health and safety of the workforce, but also promoting the importance of positive mental health. Over the last year, a number of new initiatives have been implemented to ensure they remain an innovative market leader in health and safety, these include: • Becoming supporters of Mates in Mind • Implementing ASL SUPPORT: a confidential support health and safety support line employees and supply chain partners can utilise

SUSAN CHAN CAN MAKE A POSITIVE DIFFERENCE TO YOUR WELLBEING For over 14 years, Susan Chan and her team at New Horizons have been trusted advisors and trainers to some key organisations on de-stress, relaxation and resilience.

Based in Ayrshire their programmes have provided training with results across the UK

to discuss their concerns. This line also offers 24/7 mental health support provided by Construction Helpline and Mates in Mind • Creating Operative Health and Safety Champions: a selected member of each discipline represents the specific trade groups at bi-monthly H&S meetings to discuss concerns and suggestions.

• Rewarding good health and safety practice onsite.

“Ensuring the Health and Safety of all Ashleigh’s employees and supply chain partners is a core business priority. We are extremely proud to have achieved a Gold in the Internationally recognised Health and Safety Awards, and would like to thank all members of staff and supply chain partners for their hard work and ongoing commitment in ensuring that our company remains a safe and healthy place to work. We are looking forward to attending the award ceremony at the Hilton in September” Managing Director, David Smith. wellbeing in the workplace. Bespoke kits and boxes are developed by using stress audits.

and beyond. Having worked with world class Olympic champions to ‘trainers of astronauts’ on space programmes, they offer change coaching to both professionals and individuals.

Susan and her team take your wellbeing and health seriously. Busy modern workplaces require to offer ‘a duty of care’. They know only too well that a positive mindset leads to a positive change throughout an organisation, enabling the conditions for creativity and innovation. They work closely with clients to manage stress workshops and audits to work through blockages for leadership and culture change.

At present, they are into a new phase developing digital platforms for advanced positive health, tool kits and first aid boxes for

Susan and her team believe “together we can make a positive difference… life is for living with no regrets.”

MEMBER NEWS

WILLIAM DUNCAN APPOINTS NEW SENIOR MANAGER IN BUSINESS RECOVERY DIVISION Dynamic Scottish accountancy firm, William Duncan + Co, are delighted to announce the appointment of Steven Wright, a licensed insolvency practitioner, as a new Senior Manager within its growing Business Recovery division. Steven, who was previously with Armstrong Watson, has a long track record working in insolvency and business restructuring since 2003 working for top 10 accountancy firms and national banks. Steven joins Director, Annette Menzies and Kim Wilson, Senior Manager in heading up the Glasgow team.

Robert Fergusson, Managing Director commented, “I am delighted to report that our highly experienced Business Recovery team continues to grow, and we are very pleased to welcome Steven into the William Duncan + Co fold. Steven is well known in the industry and has an excellent track record in insolvency and restructuring issues. We’ve developed a huge amount of trust and respect in this sector and continue to support directors, businesses and individuals manage difficult financial situations and assist in times of need.” PLA STEVEN WRIGHT WILLIAM DUNCAN + CO

For more information please visit: www.williamduncan.co.uk/ businessrecovery

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FUNDING BOOST FOR AYRSHIRE EVENT One of Scotland’s largest illumination events has received a share of £147, 576 funding from EventScotland, part of VisitScotland’s Events Directorate.

Illuminight with Lidl, held at Dean Castle Country Park in Kilmarnock, has received the funding from EventScotland’s National Programme Fund to enhance the event’s delivery and to further develop Scotland’s diverse events portfolio.

YOUR BUSINESS | AUTUMN 2019

The event will be returning for a third year in 2019 to transform Dean Castle Country Park with another spectacular fire and light show. It has received a £20,000 award from EventScotland which will be used for artistic and digital development, national advertising and securing promotion from social media influencers.

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Last year over 42,000 visitors attended Illuminight to enjoy a 1.5km walk through picturesque woodland, featuring state of the art lighting installations, specially commissioned visual and music effects, exhilarating funfair rides and delicious food and drink.

Gordon Smith, VisitScotland Regional Director, said: “I am delighted we are supporting Illuminight as it enters its third year. This exciting and innovative event brings visitors from across the Scotland to the unique location of Dean Castle Country Park in Kilmarnock.

“Scotland is the perfect stage and our national funded events play a fundamental role, not only in contributing to our diverse portfolio, but in increasing domestic tourism, and delivering real social and economic

benefits to local communities across the country.”

Penny Dougherty, Director of Unique Events, said: “We would like to thank EventScotland for their continued support of Illuminight with Lidl and are delighted that through this funding we can further develop this spectacular event, which in only two years has welcomed over 80,000 visitors to Dean Castle. Through support from the National Events Fund, Illuminight has quickly become a firm fixture in Scotland’s events calendar, attracting not only a strong local following, but now welcoming over 52% of our audience from out-with East Ayrshire.” www.illuminight.co.uk The National Events Programme is a strategic development programme with eligible events, which take place outside the cities of Edinburgh and Glasgow, able to bid for a maximum of three rounds of funding. The deadline for the next round of the National Programme is 4 October 2019 with events taking place from May 2020 onwards eligible to apply. Guidelines for entry are available on www.eventscotland.org

MEMBER NEWS

MALACHY RYAN APPOINTED DIRECTOR OF UK TEMPORARY WORKS FORUM Malachy Ryan, Managing Director of the Kilmarnock based civil engineering firm Alan White Design, has been appointed a Director of the Temporary Works Forum UK. The Temporary Works Forum (Twf) provides industry guidance and professional leadership to the civil engineering industry and, as a Director, Malachy will play a key role in shaping the future direction of temporary works within the UK. Malachy is also a member of the BSI Committee for Aluminium, acting as a standard setter for our industry.

Voted onto the board of directors by industry peers, Malachy will work to address the current skills shortage in the civil engineering industry by promoting STEM education across the UK. Alan White Design already works closely with Developing

well as providing project placements and summer internships for engineering students of Ayrshire College and the University of Strathclyde.

As the organiser of the Twf Middle East, Malachy will also work to build cohesion and cooperation among international editions of the forum, driving forward innovation and providing learning and development opportunities for all members.

MALACHY RYAN MD OF ALAN WHITE DESIGN

the Young Workforce Ayrshire and the Institution of Civil Engineers to lead STEM education initiatives in primary and secondary schools across Ayrshire, as

Alan White Design is an award-winning civil engineering consultancy, which specialises in temporary works, access engineering and structural design. The Ayrshire company have worked on many iconic projects throughout the world including V&A Dundee, the West Gate Bridge in Melbourne, and the new Jumeirah Gate Resort in Dubai.

THE FITZSIMMONS GROUP OFFERS THE VERY BEST OF AYRSHIRE HOSPITALITY A long established, family run business with Ayrshire at its heart, The Fitzsimmons Group brings together world-renowned west coast hospitality. From thoughtfully decorated rooms, restaurants, and function spaces catering for everything from romantic getaways to corporate events.

From weddings to conferences and offering four key locations across Ayrshire for its four star hotels, The Brisbane House Hotel in Largs, The Riverside Lodge in Irvine, and The Fenwick Hotel in Fenwick, Kilmarnock, as well as it’s leisure complex Premier Leisure and Oscars bar and grill in Saltcoats, including a two screen cinema with Dolby surround, a soft play, café and cinema themed bar diner.

With strong roots in Ayrshire, owner Henry Fitzsimmons has over five decades operating in Ayrshire, employing hundreds of locals and reinvesting into the part of Scotland he grew up in and built his business through a focus on customer

service, loyal staff and a dedication to reinvest in the business.

“Our hotels are based entirely on the customer experience, as a small, family owned group, we have the benefits of knowing our suppliers, and working with local businesses to support one another.

We source the finest ingredients to deliver some wonderful menus, and our staff are more than just employees, they’re part of the Fitzsimmons family.

We listen to our guests, work with the local community and fly the flag for one of the most beautiful places in the world, Ayrshire.

Each of our locations showcases the beauty of Ayrshire, whether it be the world class sunsets enjoyed at The Brisbane House in Largs, the dramatic and rugged coast in Saltcoats, the stretching beaches of Irvine, or the serene rural setting of The Fenwick, we want you to know that Ayrshire hospitality is a brand standard at The Fitzsimmons Group.”

YOUR BUSINESS | AUTUMN 2019

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MEMBER NEWS

WILLIAM KENNEDY CELEBRATES A SIGNIFICANT MILESTONE OF 30 YEARS IN BUSINESS Looking back at the early days of the company, William Kennedy could never have imagined that his sole trader plumbing business would grow to one that now employs 30 members of staff and provides a vast range of products and services to customers across Ayrshire and beyond.

As a Plumber to trade and with a drive for success, William Kennedy Plumbers was formed on the 2nd October 1989 by Director Willie Kennedy, at the young age of 23.

YOUR BUSINESS | AUTUMN 2019

As a new company starting out, Willie knew he had a lot to prove but was determined to make the business a success.

Undertaking all plumbing and heating jobs single-handedly, Willie thrived on meeting new people and providing excellent customer service, and as a result, quickly noticed his customer list increasing through word of mouth.

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In order to meet with the increasing customer demand, Willie recruited additional tradesmen not only for plumbing works but over the years in other areas including roofing, joinery and general building works that would help increase the company’s product offering and due to this, William Kennedy Plumbers grew from strength to strength.

More recently a major turning point for the company came in June 2016 when Willie decided

I’m delighted with everything we have achieved so far. As a plumber to trade, I am proud of the various services we now offer and the fantastic team we have on board.”

Speaking of the company’s trademark red vans and how the brand has grown over the years, he added:

“

We are continuing to introduce new products and services to our portfolio to ensure we stay ahead of the times and meet customer demand.

”

to expand the business further and open a brand-new bathroom, kitchen and heating showroom on New Road, Ayr. After this, the William Kennedy Plumbers brand truly became an all trades company offering a range of services including plumbing, heating, roofing, boiler servicing, joinery and bathroom and kitchen installation and design to name a few.

Celebrating the last 30 years in business, Willie Kennedy said: “The William Kennedy brand has come such a long way from our modest beginnings, and

“When I first started the business, I initially ordered a new white van but just before delivery and the start date for my new business, I was told I would have to wait several weeks before it would be delivered. With time then being of the essence, I decided to go for a red van that the supplier had in stock, so it still amazes me to this day how many people recognise or comment on our brand with its red vans which came about purely by chance!”

Discussing his future plans for the business, Willie said: “We are continuing to introduce new products and services to our portfolio to ensure we stay ahead of the times and meet customer demand.

We recently introduced 3D virtual reality software into our showroom allowing customers to step inside their newly designed bathroom or kitchen before the installation has even taken place which has been a great success.

The William Kennedy brand is in great shape and I am really excited to see what’s in store for the company going forward.”

67 New Road, Ayr KA8 8DA 01292 298522 info@william-kennedy.co.uk

MEMBER NEWS

THREE QUARTERS OF SMES KEEP QUIET OVER LATE PAYMENTS IN FEAR OF LOSING CUSTOMERS Growth Street recently worked with the Small Business Commissioner, Paul Uppal, to launch a collaborative whitepaper ‘Taking Notice of UK Business’. The whitepaper, which was published on 11th July follows a survey on UK SMEs, exploring their experiences of unfair payment practices – in particular from larger businesses.

JEN MCGUFFIE BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT MANAGER GROWTH STREET

The survey shows that 43% of SMEs we surveyed have experienced late payments from larger businesses. Furthermore, when looking at how this breaks down, it appears medium-sized businesses get the worst of it. Nearly half said they’d been subject to late or otherwise unfair payment practices, while this drops to 38% when looking at small businesses.

Asked about why SME decision-makers have been reluctant to act against unpaid invoices, 77% cited a fear of harming the relationship with their client.

The second biggest concern was around damaging chances of getting paid at all, with 76% saying that the risk of not getting paid at all for their work may influence their taking action in relation to unpaid invoices.

The Small Business Commissioner’s Office was launched by the Westminster Government in December 2017 to help promote fair payment practices for Britain's small businesses, support them in resolving payment disputes with larger businesses and bring about a wider culture change. Paul Uppal has recently released reports on G4S, Holland & Barrett and Jordans & Ryvita, criticising their payment practices following complaints made by small businesses.

Have you been affected by late payments? If so let Jen know: jennifer.mcguffie@growthstreet.co.uk

EUREKA SOLUTIONS SUSTAINS MOMENTUM WITH YEAR ON YEAR DOUBLE-DIGIT GROWTH Chamber member Eureka Solutions, undisputedly now one of the UK’s leading cloud business systems providers, has announced that its trend for double-digit growth continued into the most recent financial year.

Thanks to major contract wins and renewals, customer retention and product innovation, the family-owned software company has further increased turnover by 19%.

Quite unique in its product and service offering, Eureka Solutions is not only an award-winning partner and developer of both NetSuite and Sage, but is also one of the largest developers of additional functionality for Sage 200, with an impressive range of proprietary products, branded as Eureka Addons.

The most recent addition to the Eureka Solutions product portfolio – the gamechanging integration tool Cloud Data Exchange – opens up the company’s proven integration technology to a whole new audience, offering businesses of all sizes simple, affordable, off-the-shelf solutions to their integration issues across disparate systems.

It would appear that the combination of products and services in the portfolio is a winning one.

“We cannot praise our team enough for their commitment to our founding principles of technical expertise and customer service,” comments Aileen Primrose, Sales Director at Eureka Solutions. “Adhering to these simple values has fuelled continued acquisition of exciting new clients and, perhaps more importantly, retention of existing clients as they grow and develop.”

Employing nearly 60 staff, and servicing clients UK-wide for fifteen years, the business is committed to investing in its people and the local economy, operating successful apprenticeship and graduate recruitment schemes as well as nurturing links with higher education. www.eurekasolutions.co.uk

MEMBER NEWS

THE BEST ADVENTURE YET! Craufurdland Estate, on the outskirts of Fenwick, Kilmarnock is making a further investment of over £100k for its next project. The high wire obstacle course, “Craufurdland Treetop Trials” has created an additional 4 FTE jobs following the opening of the successful restaurant, “The Laird’s Table” in June last year, which created 14 FTE jobs on the estate.

Craufurdland Estate has been offering amazing outdoor activity experiences and challenges since 2012 which all started with the Muddy Trials. They offer a range of activities to suit all ages and abilities from Bushcraft, led adventure mud runs to their latest adventure, Treetop Trials.

Simon Houison Craufurd MD for Craufurdland Estate says “part of our ethos on the estate is for people and families to make their own adventure and surely this is the best adventure yet.”

Treetop Trails opened in August 2019 and has an area designed specifically for children ages 5 -8 years with the main course aimed at age 9 and above. It is ideal for families, individuals, hen and stag parties, corporate team building, school & youth group and adventure parties of all age groups.

Tree Climb, leap of faith, and obstacle courses set in the trees.

Have fun in the trees come rain or shine. This is the ideal outdoor activity experience for those looking for a pure adrenaline rush, an adventure, lots of fresh air, and a workout while you soak in the awesome scenery.

The Complete Course consists of the practice zone and 6 exciting zones each with their own unique features, getting progressively challenging and higher. The Experience finishes with the ultimate free fall, The Laird’s Leap.

The course comprises of sections of Zip wires,

Safety is paramount and therefore they use a continuous belay system which is easy and simple for all users. You simply slide the safety line from one obstacle to the next along the safety wire, no need to click on and click off between activities.

www.treetoptrials.co.uk

AMBITIOUS BUSINESS GROWTH METHOD BORN IN AYRSHIRE YOUR BUSINESS | AUTUMN 2019

Described by one company as “Mixed Martial Arts for Business” - “Sort & Scale” has now been officially rolled-out across the UK by Ayrshire-based business consultancy firm ARG.

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The programme takes companies with serious ambition through a process that implements areas to systematise their core business (Sort), turning existing revenue into a reliable machine to free up resources for step-change growth opportunities (Scale).

It is the brainchild of ARG’s Founder, Jamie McCallum, a business strategy and innovation expert who has been coaching leaders of all types and size of businesses to develop growth strategies and deliver new products and services for over 10 years.

He's also designed and delivered national innovation programmes on behalf of domestic and overseas

governments.

He said: "I've realised what frustrates business leaders the most is how existing support only helps them to "know what they don't know" without actually doing anything to help them execute.

Typically an adviser looks smart for a day then disappears with their money and leaves them to it.

In response we've designed one complete programme which identifies all the key ingredients present in highly successful growth companies (or indeed which are lacking when they fail) then puts all of those ingredients into place, utilising the best solutions we've found around the world for each component.

We work with the business right through the execution phase because we're not interested

in looking smart for a day on some band-aid intervention. It takes at least a year to do this so it'll only work for us if it works for the company.

In short, most programmes give you an action plan. This gives you a result."

Later in 2019 ARG have ambitious plans to scaleup themselves by launching a training academy to certify other consultancies in different territories to deliver the methodology wherever they are.

Visit www.sortandscale.com

MEMBER NEWS

GRABBING THE BULL BY THE HORNS

Following an announcement on August 9th, The Ayrshire Bulls will represent Ayrshire in the new Super6 Tournament, within Scottish Rugby’s competition structure. It will be played by part time professional players and will become the top tier of domestic Rugby in Scotland.

The team have signed Scottish International star Gordon Reid, who re-joins Ayr after nine years, which saw him become a Glasgow Warriors centurion and latterly enjoy two seasons at London Irish. He is currently in the Scotland warm-up squad for the up and coming World Cup in Japan.

The Ayrshire Bulls will play in the Super6 league, with Ayr Rugby Club competing in the National Leagues. Ayr Rugby has always represented players from all over the South West of Scotland and a name change to Ayrshire reflects this. The name also gives a nod to the rich history of Bull farming in the area.

This is a great development for Ayr allowing playing standards to increase. Ayr Rugby Club is

and values of the club whilst promoting the sport and new Super6 team within the local area.

Launch Scotland are a Digital Marketing agency based in Ayrshire and Glasgow, providing a variety of marketing services including branding, web design, graphic design, social media, search marketing and many more. The team at Launch were keen to get involved in helping to market the club and their new exciting development for Ayr.

Scotland’s leading rugby club, established in 1897. The club wanted marketing support to increase match day sales conversions and to encourage more players to give rugby a try, as well as digitally promote the new team.

Check out the new websites: www.ayrshirebulls.co.uk www.ayrrugbyclub.co.uk

Launch have designed and built two new attractive, responsive, e-commerce websites for both the Ayrshire Bulls and Ayr Rugby Club which incorporates a content managed system for the client to manage the fluid content including results, tables and player profiles. The new websites reflect the aims

AYRSHIRE COLLABORATION SUCCESS

What happens when you combine an award-winning luxury brand with a creative agency brimming with innovative ideas and luxury print company? That was the question when Gosh Creative, Wades Print and Kitchens by J S Geddes Kitchens came together in a fusion of three pioneering Ayrshire companies from very different disciplines.

The challenge was simple: create something befitting of a highly acclaimed brand such as Kitchens by J S Geddes. This was achieved by providing a comprehensive design and print service, the result of which was a brand-new company brochure that perfectly embodies the Kitchens by J S Geddes’ brand. Wades Print complemented the gorgeous visuals with a luxury print finish that included embossed lettering, hot foiling and luxury paper to create an immersive and tactile experience for the reader.

collaborating as sponsors for the upcoming Ayrshire Business Awards, providing all the design and print materials for the prestigious event.

Mary Cahill, of Gosh Creative, said: “We were thrilled that Kitchens by J S Geddes chose us for this project, we loved working with them and were delighted with the finished product. It was great to collaborate with Wades Print and we are looking forward to working with them again for the Ayrshire Business Awards.”

Jim Geddes MD of Kitchens by J S Geddes said of the recent work: “Our close working relationship with Mary and Brian ensured that our latest brochure reflects the branding image of our business.”

Gosh Creative and Wades Print are

Brian Wade, of Wades Print, added: “We are delighted to be sponsoring the Ayrshire Business Awards again this year, and working with the team at Gosh.”

Elevate the brand of your business - with creative design and luxury print! Get in touch with Brian Wade (brian@wadesprint.co.uk) or Mary Cahill (mary@goshcreative.co.uk) #gotogosh #luxuryprint

YOUR BUSINESS | AUTUMN 2019

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MEMBER NEWS

CLIMBING HIGH WITH FIRST IN-HOUSE PANTOMIME The Gaiety’s brand-new family Pantomime ‘Jack and The Beanstalk’ is beginning to take root and flourish with a star-studded cast and headline sponsor The Coo Shed.

As their first in-house Pantomime since opening in 2012, The Gaiety have been growing their opportunities for local businesses to be involved through sponsorship, advertising and goodie bag donations.

In a fun day at The Coo Shed, staff from The Gaiety and The Coo Shed were joined by co-writer Fraser Boyle in celebrating their new association, showcasing the official Pantomime posters and The Coo Shed’s fantastic baking and unique fresh milk vending machines. Dairy Godmother Alison Kerr [The Coo Shed] said: “We are udderly thrilled and excited to be supporting The Gaiety Theatre’s production of Jack and the Beanstalk this year! We’ve ‘herd’ it’s going to be a moo-velous show!”

Taking the traditional Christmas magic to new heights, writing duo Ken Alexander and Fraser Boyle

have created a uniquely Ayrshire Pantomime, with plenty of local references and modern twists. The all-star cast includes; Gavin John Wright [River City], Chris Forbes [Scot Squad], Karen Bartke [Scot Squad], Kirsty Malone [Sunshine On Leith], David McGowan [Trust Me], and Jillian Cunningham [The Bee Eaters].

The continuation of The Gaiety and its legacy could not be possible without the support of local people and organisations. As a registered Scottish charity, The Gaiety

have been able to continue providing entertainment, education opportunities and community outreach projects throughout Ayrshire through kind donations, sponsors and ‘Gaiety Champions’.

If you or someone you know is interested in becoming a Gaiety Champion or corporate sponsor, please contact Suzanne McLellan, Marketing and Audience Development Manager at Suzanne.mclellan@ayrgaiety.co.uk for more information.

YOUR BUSINESS | AUTUMN 2019

RBS ENCOURAGING FEMALE ENTREPRENEURSHIP Royal Bank of Scotland is launching Scotland’s first women-only crowdfunding programme, as part of its efforts aims to encourage female entrepreneurship.

time couldn’t be more apt for us to really mobilise this energy and make some meaningful changes.”

It seeks to reduce the gender gap when it comes to start-ups by giving women across the UK the opportunity to test and validate their business ideas.

“We were told that they felt there was a lack of appropriate finance, mentoring, role models, local support and tailored advice and with Back Her Business, we want to tackle this head on.

"As our Women in Business Ambassador for Business Banking here, I work closely with many women who are thinking about starting or scaling a business. As a bank we work closely with many local support agencies including, Women’s Enterprise Scotland, Business Gateway and Elevator, to name a few, helping support women not only to get started but also continue their business journey. Providing support to all businesses throughout Scotland is a key priority for us."

“I see women with drive, passion and courage to go it alone and start their own business. The

For more information, please visit rbsbackherbusiness.co.uk

“Back Her Business” will offer financial support as well as bespoke training, coaching, networking and local events through the bank’s Entrepreneur Accelerator and its Women in Business proposition.

Royal Bank of Scotland will provide a top-up fund of £1 million per annum and offer up to 50 per cent of an individual’s fundraising target – capped at £5,000 – for certain projects.

Malcolm Buchanan, chair of Royal Bank of

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Samantha Swift, Business Growth Enabler at Royal Bank of Scotland, said:

Scotland’s Scotland Board, said: “The Rose Review, and the bank’s Global Entrepreneurship Monitor and Enterprise Tracker all reveal a worrying trend amongst would-be female entrepreneurs.

SIX AYRSHIRE BUSINESSES SUCCESSFULLY SECURE FUNDING TOTALLING £425K Six Ayrshire based businesses have successfully secured loan funding from Business Loans Scotland (BLS) which will help support their growth and expansion into new markets.

Providing business loans from £25,000 to £100,000, BLS help Scottish SMEs bridge the funding gap by giving businesses access to an invaluable new source of funding. Fully funded through the Scottish Growth Scheme and the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF), BLS has currently invested in 21 Scottish SMEs with loan funding totalling over £1.3 million.

Amongst the 21 Scottish SMEs to secure loan funding are 6 Ayrshire companies, 3 of which received the maximum loan amount of £100,000. Access Plus (Scotland), Birthsparks and CessCon Decom, all plan to utilise their £100,000 loan respectively to aid with working capital and recruitment of new employees.

Other Ayrshire businesses to secure funding through BLS include East Ayrshire manufacturers SD Wind Energy and S&C Engineering who both individually received a £50,000 loan

with South Ayrshire dessert manufacturer, The Dessert Depot, securing a loan for £25,000 which will help Director, Frances Barron introduce new product lines.

Speaking of the loan secured, Frances said: “The BLS loan is vital to our business as we move forward into a period of growth and will support us in enabling us to make key hires plus assist us across our business.”

Fund Manager for Business Loans Scotland, Andrew Dickson added: “We are delighted to be managing a £7 million loan fund which aims to ensure that good, commercially viable proposals do not fail from a lack of access to finance. Our investments will help to encourage the creation, development and growth of Scottish businesses allowing them to flourish in the current economic climate. We’re thrilled to have supported 6 Ayrshire SMEs to date and would encourage any other Ayrshire businesses who may be looking for access to finance to speak with us today to see how BLS can help.”

MEMBER NEWS

FAMILY PLUMBING AND HEATING FIRM WITH OVER 80 YEARS EXPERIENCE Chamber Member Darwin Johnstone Plumbing and Heating are a local company based in Ayr with over 80 years combined experience in the trade. As a family business, everything they do is based around quality at a competitive price.

Working with reputable manufacturers to ensure customers have great aftercare they can offer up to 10 years warranty. But why replace your boiler now?

In winter, a reputable gas company will be busy with breakdowns and burst pipes! A new boiler can take 1-3 days to install depending on how big the job is to do the job well. Do it ahead of winter and you won’t be left in the cold.

What are the long-term benefits of replacing your boiler?

In addition to the benefits of arranging a summer boiler replacement, the long-term benefits of a new, modern boiler lasts many years; • Reduced energy bills • Manufacturer warranty • Increased control over heating • Warmer homes and offices are a much more comfortable place to live and work • Modern boilers are much quieter in operation than older models

YOUR BUSINESS | AUTUMN 2019

• Reduced impact on the environment

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If you are considering moving and think you won’t be able to experience these benefits it is worth remembering that a new boiler could add up to £8,000 to your premises value making it more appealing to potential buyers.

The life expectancy of a new condensing boiler is between 10-15 years and a Combi boiler lifespan is about the same. It’s also important to arrange an annual service from a Gas Safe engineer to ensure the safe and efficient running of the boiler for the longest possible time.

Contact Jen at Darwin Johnstone to book a no obligation quote www.djohnstonegas.com

MARINE & COASTAL TOURISM GRADUATE JOINS MARINA TEAM IN TROON One of the first graduates from the Marine and Coastal Tourism degree programme at West Highland College UHI in Fort William has landed a job at Troon Yacht Haven.

Susie Mowatt, originally from Arran, was part of the first cohort of graduates on the course which was specifically designed to meet the requirements of the marine and tourism industry. It was developed

by West Highland College’s School of Adventure Studies, which is part of the University of the Highlands and Islands.

In her new role as Assistant Haven Master at Troon Yacht Haven in Ayrshire, Susie will work alongside Haven Master Sarah Jeffrey who joined the marina in early 2018 having been a Senior Instructor at Helensburgh Sailing Club as well as a competitive sailor on the west coast’s racing scheme.

Commenting on Susie’s arrival, Sarah has been delighted at how quickly she has picked up the role: “We operate a 24/7 marina, welcoming 1000s of visiting boats every year as well as supporting 400 resident boats. Susie’s boating experience through her course and personal sailing life

made her the perfect candidate to join our marina team here in Troon.”

Based on the Ayrshire coast, Troon Yacht Haven is one of Scotland’s busiest marinas and won the Best UK Marina/Harbour 2018 in the Sailing Today Awards. Susie joins a team of ten employees at the marina which includes bosuns, boat hoist operatives and marina haven masters.

Annabel Lawrence is a lecturer on the Marine and Coastal Tourism degree programme at the University of the Highlands and Islands from which Susie graduated in 2017. Annabel commented “We are delighted that one of our graduates is proving to be such a positive addition to the team at Troon Yacht Haven.

Our aim with this unique and groundbreaking degree was to prepare students for a rapidly expanding range of careers in the marine and coastal tourism industry and it’s heartening to know Susie has clearly utilised her qualification well to achieve some of her ambitions and to help boost her career in this exciting and vitally important industry.”

See www.yachthavens.com for more details.

MEMBER NEWS

31 YOUR BUSINESS | AUTUMN 2019

FLAMINGO YACHT CHARTERS WELCOME NEW YACHT TO FLEET Scottish sailing holiday specialists Flamingo Yacht Charters took delivery of a brand-new luxury Beneteau Oceanis 45 yacht this month. This fabulous yacht is a great addition to the current fleet and will be based at Largs Yacht Haven. Capable of carrying up to 10 crew on board and with 4 cabins she is one of the biggest yachts available for charter in Scotland.

HOW DO YOU KNOW IF YOU NEED A FINANCIAL ADVISOR?

Often, our understanding of what a financial advisor is or does is unclear so here are a few headlines:-

Business Development and Operations Manager, Hazel Pearson, said “With ‘The Year of Coasts & Waters 2020’ fast approaching, we at Flamingo Yacht Charters, decided what better time to add yet another fantastic new boat to our fleet.

Flamingo is the ideal yacht for exploring the waters of the Clyde and beyond. She is perfect for a corporate day out with colleagues or a longer trip with friends and family. She’s sails like a dream and motors well should the wind drop. She is very spacious both above and below deck and makes you feel very special whilst you are aboard.”

When asked what clients think of the new boat, Hazel said “The response from our clients so far has been really positive, we already have a lot of bookings on her for the summer from clients from the UK, Europe and as far afield as Russia. If you would like to get out on her this year, we’ve got a couple of weeks in September and October available that you can snap up if you are quick. To welcome her to the fleet, we are also running a special offer of £350 off remaining 2020 bookings of 7 days or more for Chamber members!”

Flamingo Yacht Charters purchased their new yacht from Sunbird International at Clyde Marina, who are highly skilled in yacht brokerage, sales and aftersales.

Chris Dodgshon of Sunbird International at Clyde Marina said “The Oceanis 45 is a great cruising yacht to sail away on and is ideal for charter due to her 4-cabin layout and spacious interior. We are very excited to be working with Flamingo Yacht Charters to provide them with the high-quality yachts that they require for their growing charter fleet. We are looking forward to seeing ‘Flamingo of Clyde’ out earning her keep alongside her sistership ‘Skylark’ the first in the fleet bought last year. Sunbird and Flamingo look forward to developing their close working relationship with the joint aim of improving Scottish Marine Tourism.

Visit www.flamingoyachts.com call 01475 686088 email info@flamingoyachts.com

1. Pensions – a financial advisor can assist people to plan for their retirement and cut through a lot of the myths about pensions. Understanding your pension is the first step to a more certain retirement.

2. Investments – a financial advisor can assist clients in making their money work for them. As an example, many people have money in Cash ISA’s returning very little. Making the right investments can provide what is often described as a “decent return” on ISA monies.

3. Protection – a financial advisor can help protect finances upon death or serious illness.

Finally, a very emotional subject. If you have worked most of your life to build up savings, investments and own your home (or maybe you stand to inherit), how would you feel if long term care was required, and most of this was lost to pay for that care? If this is a concern, then Chamber Member Resolute Finance may be able to help.

With a free, initial consultation held in the comfort of your own home, contact Andy on 07881 221 788 or andy@resolutefa.co.uk

This year saw the introduction of the ‘Curveball’ where businesses could announce a twist to their challenge. This would be similar to a real life problem that could arise and

is unique to each of the different businesses which meant that pupils would have to overcome the problem and make changes or re-plan their strategy to reach the desired outcome.

The main aim of the challenge is to expose our young people to real life work situations to allow them to work together as a team and gain vital skills including communication, problem solving, decision making & leadership. 24 employers supported the project this year ranging from local entrepreneurs and small businesses to large multinational corporations.

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Learn 4 Work has now been running in East Ayrshire for four years, Doon, Grange, Loudoun & Stewarton Academies participated. Pupils are taken off timetable and set a challenge which is presented to each group by the employer. The groups then work on and present their recommendations at the end of the final day to the business.

“Thanks DYW Ayrshire for this partnership.

I was amazed by the young people and so proud of what was achieved.

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YOUR BUSINESS | AUTUMN 2019

John Giddings Shire Housing Association

Fantastic experience and truly inspired by the commitment and dedication shown by both the pupils and teachers.

James McKee East Ayrshire Council

01292 678666

INFO@DYWAYRSHIRE.COM

A number of businesses have taken forward the ideas and recommendations from the pupils and have worked on these within their business which is great for the schools and the employers and also shows the value of the work the pupils are able to produce during the project.

Last year, Yipworld, a charitable enterprise in East Ayrshire, took park in the Learn 4 Work project at Loudoun Academy and have recently turned the group’s idea into a reality with the development of ‘The Living Room’ which is an exciting facility transformed using the colours, textures, patterns and furniture suggested by the group during the project.

This year, Shire Housing Association took part in all four Learn 4 Work projects and set a challenge which asked pupils to create a ‘How to’ video and think of ideas the organisation could use to get young people involved in the community. The final videos from each school will be featured on Shire Housing’s website and will be shown at their AGM. Dawson Butchers in Muirkirk also took part in the project at Loudoun Academy and set the challenge to rebrand & redesign the shop front window graphics. The ideas and designs suggested by the pupils will be used in the final design for the shop front window.

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I’d just like to say what a great experience it was. Working with the pupils and seeing how they manage the project and overcome the obstacles. It’s always interesting what ideas the pupils come up with and to include them in our business development.

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Diane Dawson John Dawson Butchers

DYW Ayrshire would like to thank our 2019 Learn 4 Work partners: Doon Academy: Costley & Costley, East Ayrshire Council Planning & Economic Development, East Ayrshire Council Transmissions and Shire Housing Association.

Loudoun Academy: Alzheimer Scotland, Billy Bowie Tankers, Craighead Country Nursery School, Crossroads Community Hub, John Dawson Butchers, Loudoun Osteopaths, Shire Housing Association and The Chartered Institute of Management Accountants.

Grange Academy: Arena HR, Bar Luca, Billy Bowie Tankers, Braehead Foods, Clinic 22, KanDo Support, Minuteman Press, Royal Bank of Scotland, Shire Housing Association and Stagecoach West Scotland.

Stewarton Academy: Billy Bowie Tankers, Booth Welsh, Circa78, East Ayrshire Council Planning & Economic Development, QTS Group, Shire Housing and THAT Co.

BLOG.DYWAYRSHIRE.COM

YOUR BUSINESS | AUTUMN 2019

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ASHLEIGH CONSTRUCTION PARTNERSHIP PROJECT 2019 This year marks the 4th year of the Ashleigh Construction Partnership Project with Belmont Academy and Ayrshire College.

3rd year pupils apply and interview for the project with 12 pupils selected to participate.

This year’s project was based on an Affordable Housing Development at Dickson Drive in Irvine. The project runs over the course of 6 weeks with 12 lessons where pupils have to design, cost plan and programme an affordable housing development. Pupils also attend college where they learn auto cad, joinery, bricklaying and painting & decorating.

YOUR BUSINESS | AUTUMN 2019

CREATE YOUR CAREER

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At the end of June, for the second year running DYW Ayrshire in partnership with Ayrshire College held a 'Create Your Career Event’ in Ayr College Campus. The event was designed for S2 and S3 pupils whom are considering studying creative subjects within their senior phase of Secondary School. The aim was to give the young people a clear idea of what studying a creative course is like in a further education environment.

01292 678666

At the end of the 6 weeks the three separate teams then present their final development to a panel of judges, with the winning team, The Shard, receiving

Ayrshire College offered to host the 195 pupils attending from 9 different Schools from within the three local authorities.

Pupils pre-selected a workshop to attend from a choice of 8, ranging from fashion and photography to sound production and technical theatre. The workshops were delivered by Ayrshire College Lecturers in their fantastic Ayr Campus facilities.

Running alongside these workshops was a business “Marketplace” organised

by DYW Ayrshire. The young people in attendance had the opportunity to network

the Ashleigh Trophy and vouchers for flip out in Glasgow, each participant will also receive their dynamic youth award. with 10 representatives from local businesses, further and higher education. Film-makers, jewellers and digital marketers amongst others helped to inspire the young people to take up creative subjects. This engagement demonstrated to the pupils that there is an opportunity to work locally in a creative industry at the end of their studies.

INFO@DYWAYRSHIRE.COM

GARNOCK COMMUNITY CAMPUS BEEHAVIN PROJECT We recently funded our 75th Innovative Project in partnership with The Prince’s Trust. This was celebrated at the launch of our new Beehavin project at Garnock Community Campus.

The main aim of this project is for the pupils to learn beekeeping and enhance their knowledge and skills in sustainability and the connection between a healthy bee population and food production. Pupils also achieve accreditations whilst developing vital employability skills.

NEWMILNS PRIMARY VISIT SAXEN Saxen were delighted to host the P5/6 and P7 Newmilns Primary pupils in our showroom and offices in May. The showroom tour went down well and the kids were particularly impressed with the moss wall, 3D wall art and the acoustic panels used for sound proofing office spaces, but I think what peaked their interest most was the gaming chairs!

After having a tour of our showroom, the pupils were invited to design an office for their head teacher using products from our website.

The pupils had expensive taste but I am sure the head teacher would have loved her new space!

It was a pleasure to have the kids in our showroom and we hope it showed them the different job functions involved and may inspire them to explore design or sales roles in the future.

OUR SAXEN VISIT On Friday 10th May pupils from P5/6 and P7 visited the Saxen offices in Newmilns. They had invited us after they were at our careers fair a few months ago.

Firstly we saw their website and created our own office then we designed a new office for our Head teacher. It was an expensive office that cost over ÂŁ2,000! We realised that online shopping for furniture is

really expensive!

The second station was upstairs where we looked at the main area where some seating and lighting was on display and they told us how they use recycled plastic to make these sound proof boardings you can put on your walls in your office to prevent too much noise from the other offices.

Finally on our tour we went upstairs to see more furniture, bigger and more eyecatching furniture to sit on. In the room next to that there were two offices, lots of chairs [Gaming chairs and office chairs.]

After that we went to the top floor where the rest of the offices are located. Up there was this cool Wall art of 3D Stoney moss and other colourful wall art.

We have learned a lot about furniture and the effort that goes into making them.

Thank you Saxen for inviting us to your offices I hope other people will come and visit Saxen! P6 Pupils

BLOG.DYWAYRSHIRE.COM

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#NOWRONGPATH A massive thank you from DYW Ayrshire for your support during the 2019 #NoWrongPath Campaign. This promoted the message to young people that there are different ways to get into a variety of job roles and that exam results do not necessarily define your ultimate destination.

YOUR BUSINESS | AUTUMN 2019

ENGINEERING THE FUTURE AT GE

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GE Caledonian recently welcomed 30 female S1 pupils from Auchenharvie, Belmont and Stewarton Academies for a day packed with engineering activity allowing them to ask questions and explore what goes on at the Prestwick site.

The girls were tasked to build a rocket from recyclable materials which were then powered with water and air to achieve flight, with the winning team being those who reached the greatest distance. The young people were also given the opportunity to meet current staff in GE including a number of female apprentices and were taken on a tour of the shop floor.

The tour was full of impressive sights, from deconstructed plane

01292 678666

engines to the preparation of highly valued tiny components.

The Lego production line challenge focused on project management where each team competed against each other to build replica fan blades in the quickest time to fulfil a mock order request. The pupils soon realised this was not as easy as it first sounded as each team member could only be based at their particular station, the fan blades had to be built in a set order and any defects had to be sent back to the start. This challenge demonstrated the importance of time/task management and the cost implications of any errors in the process.

This highly enjoyable event is in its third year and helps inspire the next generation of female engineers.

INFO@DYWAYRSHIRE.COM

University of the West of Scotland held their annual Taster Event at their Ayr Campus in June, S5 & S6 pupils were invited from schools across Ayrshire to spend the morning at the campus and find out more about life at university.

Pupils were given the opportunity to take part in a 90-minute workshop choosing from Nursing, Primary Education, Sports Coaching & Development or Performance, giving them a taster of what studying their chosen subject at university would be like. After the workshops, the university also offered campus tours and gave a presentation on different

routes into university and the options available. Current students also participated in a question and answer session for the pupils where they had the opportunity to hear from the experiences of the students and their university careers.

This year a fantastic 14 schools attended with a total of 98 pupils having the opportunity to take part in the workshops and learn more about university life. Thank you to UWS for organising this great event and allowing Ayrshire’s young people to have this opportunity again.

BLOG.DYWAYRSHIRE.COM

YOUR BUSINESS | AUTUMN 2019

UNIVERSITY OF THE WEST OF SCOTLAND TASTER EVENT

37

MEMBER NEWS

AYR ARTS GUILD SEVEN YEARS AND STILL GOING JOINS AYRSHIRE CHAMBER STRONG FOR TIDELINES BOOK Ay33rrdConcert Series 33rd Ayr Concert Series FESTIVAL AYR ARTS GUILD

SPONSORSHI

P

The Ayr Concert Series is support ed by South Ayrs It lost its finan cial subsidy from hire Council, Ayr South Ayrshire sponsor to help Arts Guild and Ayr Gaiety.

Council this year keep ticket pric and we are seek es competitive sponsorship opp ing a new with those in ortunities to sup Glasgow. Plea port the Ayr Con se ask about cert Series. south-

AYR CONCERT

tsfestivals

SERIES 2019 - 202 0 SEASON TICKE TS

Circle Rows A – K ..................... .................£151 Stalls Rows A – J ..................... ..................£121 Student (Stalls) ............................ .............. £35 Schoolchild (Sta lls) ..................... .............. £21

S

AVE As it prepares to celebrate its seventh year this £14 33rd AYR CONC ER T SE RI ES Book Festival has ASON TICKET Tidelines September,SEAyrshire’s BOOKING FORM proved itself a firm fixture in Scotland’s vibrant book festival calendar, with figures from last year showing an impressive 20% increase in sales and over 1,000 tickets sold for the weekend’s events. with a Seas Ticket on !

Name/s: .............. ............................ ............................ ............................ ............................ ............................ ............................ ............................ ...................

Address: .............. ............................ ............................ ............................ ............................ ................... ............................ ............................ ............................ ............................ ............................ ....... ............ ............................ ............................ ............................ ............................ ............................ ...................

Contact Telepho ... Postcode: ....... ne No: .............. ............................ ............................ ....... ........... ............................

Please supply by post Season ............................

Tickets for Ayr .......................

Concert Series Circle: No. @ £151 2019 – 2020 (7 concerts): ....................

Stalls: No. @ £121 £ ..................... .................... ....................

Voluntary Don ation to Ayr Con £ ..................... cert Series .................... £ ..................... ....................

I enclose cheq ue for TOTAL £ .....................

Signed.............. ................... ............................ ............................ ............................ .. Date ..............

Please post with cheque payable ..................... to ‘Ayr Gaiety Part Sally Rennie (ST) , Ayr Gaiety The nership’ and sae atre, Carrick Stre to: et, AYR, KA7 1NU I should like my .

Voluntary Don ation to be Gift SEASO Aided: ............................ ............................

TICKE N ............................

I am interested ............. (Signed AVAIL TS in taxi share arra ) ngements to/fr AB om concerts.

ONLY LE

YOUR BUSINESS | AUTUMN 2019

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(Found arranged for SOU ed 1987) TH AYRSHIRE CO by volunteers UNCIL from AYR ARTS GUILD (founde Scottish Chari d 1973) ty No. SC005562 available from Ayr Gaiety The atre Box Office, Carrick Street , AYR, KA7 1NU .

Open Monday

– Saturday 10

CIRCLE £25 (27 March STALLS £15) £20 (27 March STUDENT (Sta £15) lls) £5 SCHOOLCHILD (Stalls) £3

Held on Irvine’s historic Harbourside, Tidelines is a registered charity bringing AYR world-class literary events ARTS GUILD to Ayrshire at affordable prices. ‘Tidelines Book Festival provides high quality, informative, entertaining and accessible events, with ticket prices lower than most major book festivals,’ ANDREW O’HAGAN FESTIVAL PATRON says current Festival Chair, Siobhan Staples. ‘We want to engage EVERYONE in books and literature, including people who might not automatically think of the written word as entertainment.’ Alongside the main festival, Tidelines also runs a schools programme offering free author visits to local schools to encourage engagement with reading and to improve literacy.

6pp A5 2019.

One of the Chamber’s newest member is Ayr Arts 2019/20 Guild, a registered charity (SC005562) with 243 TICKETS individual members and x Office: 01292 288235groups.

89Bolocal affiliated It publishes a Calendar of Events every two months for the modest SAVE £14 WITH A SEASON TIC KET subscription of £12 (£18 for two at the same address).

B P O ST Y ...

Previous visiting authors have included round-the-world cyclist Mark Beaumont and crime writer Anne Cleeves (creator of Vera and Shetland). Award-winning author and Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature, Andrew O’Hagan, is the festival’s Patron. ‘This is a cultural festival with a local flavour,’ he says. ‘It makes me proud to see the area I grew up in celebrate great writing in such style’.

Tidelines has been able to develop and grow due to the hard work of its volunteers and the generous support of sponsors, but providing quality events whilst keeping prices low is a constant challenge and Tidelines is keen to speak with local businesses interested in being part of the festival’s future.

Tidelines Book Festival 2019 runs from 26th to 29th September.

For further information on the programme or to contact Tidelines about sponsorship go to www.tidelinesbookfest.com, or contact the Harbour Arts Centre box office 01294 274059.

am – 5 pm

SEASON TICKETS AR AVAILABL E E TO ALL

2019/20 BBC Scottish Sy mphony Orches tra Scottish Cham ber Orchestra The Orchestra of Scottish Op era The Chamber Philharmonic Europe

Live Classical Music

Season Tickets available only by post marked fao Sally Rennie at Ayr Gaiety Single Tickets Theatre. available from subject to avai Monday 2 Sep tember 2019 and lability, also at the door on the , night of each con cert.

Doors and bar open 7pm | Con certs 7.30pm

Front cover ima

ge: The Chambe

r Philharmon

ic Europe

VolunteersGUfrom Ayr Arts ILD AYR TOWN Guild each year arrange to HALL bring six or seven orchestral concerts by professional musicians to Ayr Town Hall.

The 33rd season dates have been agreed but they have just lost their main sponsor! South Ayrshire Council, as a result of council cut backs that are affecting all parts of Scotland, has withdrawn its annual investment, formerly £25,000. Thus, after 32 years, they are seeking a new sponsor and are keen to develop audience numbers.

JOIN AYR ARTS

To receive the bi-monthly Cale ndar and Noticeb the local arts oard to keep you scene, send £12 single (£18 for in touch with Mr Alastair Ritc two at the sam hie, 14 Savoy e address) to Court, Racecou rse Road, AYR , KA7 2XP. www.aag.org.uk Gift Aid it!

)

ayrshire.gov. uk/events facebook.com /southayrshiree ven

Arranged for South Ayrshire

by Ayr Arts Guil Council d

Scottish Chari

ty Number: SC00

5562

17/06/2019

11:37

The prestigious Ayr Concert Series brings Scottish orchestras with International conductors and soloists, including the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra, the Scottish Chamber Orchestra and the Orchestra of Scottish Opera to the county town, this season augmented by the Chamber Philharmonic Europe from Cologne.

Ayrshire Chamber members are the first to be notified of the dates for your diary, as follows: n BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra: Friday 22 November; Thursday 19 December; Friday 24 January. n Scottish Chamber Orchestra: Wednesday 2 October; Saturday 4 January. n The Orchestra of Scottish Opera: Friday 7 February. n The Chamber Philharmonic Europe: Friday 27 March.

Bargain Season Tickets will be on sale from Ayr Gaiety Theatre Box Office from August (£151 Circle; £121 Stalls). Please see the full colour brochure with full concert programme included within this edition of Your Business.

For sponsorship opportunities, please contact Michael Hitchon MBE, Treasurer, Ayr Arts Guild at michael.hitchon@tiscali.co.uk or through Ayrshire Chamber Membership Development Officer, Joan McMurdo.

The Board of Directors is delighted to welcome the following companies as recently joined members of Ayrshire Chamber of Commerce and Industry:

ACTIVE SPINAL CARE Ayr Dr Hazel Baillie info@activespinalcare.co.uk

CLICKUK Stewarton Mr Alex Paterson alex@clickuk.com

GROWTH STREET Glasgow Miss Jennifer McGuffie jennifer.mcguffie@growthstreet.co.uk

MONEYCORP Edinburgh Mr Mike Rowse scotlandfx@moneycorp.com

STRONG BY NATURE Kilbirnie Ms Alison Craig info@strongbynature.co.uk

ARDROSSAN PRINTING COMPANY LTD Ardrossan Mr John Murphy ardrossanprintco@hotmail.com

CLYDESDALE BANK PLC Ayr Mr David Hannon Peter.R.Grassom@cybg.com

HOSPITALITY WORLD LTD Dalry Mrs Karen Pajovic ninokarenp@gmail.com

OWN.DIGITAL Greater London Mr James Cooper contact@own.digital

CROSSHOUSE CHILDREN`S FUND Glasgow Miss Amy Aitken info@crosshousechildrensfund.org

IRVINE HOUSING ASSOCIATION Irvine Ms Dianne Palmer dianne.palmer@irvineha.co.uk

SUSAN CHAN AT NEW HORIZONS Kilmarnock Ms Susan Chan info@susanchan.co.uk

DALGARVEN HOUSE HOTEL LTD Ardrossan Ms Cassandra Rankin gm@dalgarven.co.uk

JOHN KERR & CO Saltcoats Mr Bruce Fairgrieve johnkerraccountants@googlemail.com

EAST AYRSHIRE WOMEN'S AID Kilmarnock Ms Karen Gardner info@eastayrshirewomensaid.org.uk

KINNELL CORPORATE LIMITED Ayr Mr Alan Rorison alan.rorison@kinnellcorporate.co.uk

ARG MANAGEMENT CONSULTING LTD Prestwick Mr Jamie McCallum jamie@argmc.co.uk AYRSHIRE ALIGNMENT Ayr Mr Robert Pringle ayrshirealignment@gmail.com AYRSHIRE HAMPERS Kilmarnock Mr David Burnet hello@ayrshirehampers.co.uk AYRSHIRE TRAVEL SERVICES LTD Kilmarnock Mr Douglas Browning Douglas.browning@sky.com BEATTIE MUIR Strathaven Ms Emily Muir emilycmuir@beattiemuir.com

ETC LTD Kilmarnock Mrs Lisa Parker david@etc-ltd.co.uk FRESH-JET CATERING LTD Dundee Mr David Baxter info@fresh-jet.co.uk

LAMLASH HOUSE EVENTS Newmilns Mr Johnathan Muirhead info@lamlashhouse.co.uk LLJ FIRST AID Saltcoats Mr Gary Boyd lljfirstaid@gmail.com

BOAT SHED SCOTLAND Fairlie Mr Ian Sawkins Ian@4PSLTD.co.uk

FRIENDS OF THE BROADWAY PRESTWICK Prestwick Ms Leica Malkin hello@broadwayprestwick.org.uk

MACROBERTS LLP Glasgow Mrs Laura Wilson marketing@macroberts.com

CARD INDUSTRY PROFESSIONALS London Mr William McNeil will@cardindustryprofessionals.co.uk

GREEN SHUTTERS BISTRO Largs Mr Jim Walker jim@greenshuttersbistro.com

MIND HEALTH Saltcoats Mr Michael Hainey mike.hainey34@googlemail.com

CHEEKY CHARLIES Troon Mr Chris Morrison chrismorrison77@hotmail.com

GREENFELLAS 2 LTD Ayr Mr Ross Ainsworth greenfellasservices@gmail.com

MKM BUILDING SUPPLIES LTD Kilmarnock Mr Colin Eggo colin.eggo@mkmbs.co.uk

PIRLEYHILL FARM & PODS Turnberry Mr Stuart Andrew sthreave@gmail.com

TARTAN EYES Troon Mrs Kelly Morris contact@tartaneyes.com

PRIME STAFF CONSTRUCTION LIMITED Kilmarnock Mrs Dianna Berrie dberrie@primestaff.co.uk

TSB Kilmarnock Miss Debbie Gray debbie.gray@tsb.co.uk

RPC BPI INDUPAC Stevenston Ms Louise Hammond L.hammond@rpc-bpi.com

UMI DEBT FINANCE SCOTLAND Coatbridge Mr Patrick Burke patrick.burke@weareumi.co.uk

RT RESOURCES LTD AYR Mrs Elaine McCubbin info@rtresources.co.uk

VILLAGE PETZ West Kilbride Ms Patricia Payne villagepetz@gmail.com

RUSSELL CONSULTING SCOTLAND LTD Kilmarnock Mrs Tammy Russell colin@rcslev.com

WALKER GORDON ASSOCIATES LTD Kilmarnock Ms Evelyn Walker evelynmwalker@gmx.com

SCAPA SERVICES (UK) LTD Largs Mr Allan Wright allangwright@gmail.com SECURE PLAY LTD Irvine Mr Craig Durham info@secureplay.co.uk

WALKIES BY BYE Kilmarnock Mr Nick Bye nick@walkiesbybye.co.uk ZOOM SHOT PRODUCTIONS Irvine Miss Ashley McGowan djashcontact@gmail.com

We want to recruit more members to strengthen your business network and create more business opportunities for you. We are asking you to help by referring companies you know to us.

When they join, we’ll reward you with a choice of special offers to help your business. Call the membership team on 01292 678666 or visit the referral page on our website.

39 YOUR BUSINESS | AUTUMN 2019

NEW MEMBERS