Business Matters Mag Spring 2024

President’s welcome

Dear Members

Welcome to the latest issue of Business Matters Magazine, packed full of the latest news from your chamber, our members and partners.

May I extend a warm welcome to our new directors elected to the board at the recent AGM. Joining are Tracey Rundell, Head of Marketing & Communications, Altrad Babcock, Rebecca Bell, Operations Director, Spectrum Service Solutions and Paul Marsella, Site Director, Diageo Shieldhall. Their knowledge and expertise compliment and further strengthen an already strong board and demonstrates the calibre, diversity, and depth of business talent we have within our membership. I look forward to working with them as we help our members connect and grow.

I am also delighted to confirm in the role of Vice-President are current board directors Donald Boyd, UK Head of Growth & Sales for Azets UK and Ronald Leitch, Chief Operating Officer at AGS Airports Ltd. Succession planning is key to our long-term success, and the future strategic direction of the board is strengthened with their appointments.

2024 will be a special year for your chamber as we celebrate our 60th Diamond Anniversary. We have been honoured with a civic reception kindly granted by Renfrewshire’s Provost in recognition of this significant milestone and the role of the chamber in supporting our business community since 1964. I look forward to welcoming you to our birthday celebrations at Paisley Town Hall on Thursday 20th June.

It seems fitting that in this year the chamber has been awarded significant funding to deliver key

projects to support our local economy. Funded by Renfrewshire Council via the UK Shared Prosperity Fund, we are delivering support in International Trade & Export development, Artificial Intelligence Innovation and Business Mentoring. You can read more about these projects on Pages 14 & 15.

And how is our economy performing? The latest findings from the Scottish Chambers Quarterly Economic Survey shows the economy is likely to be recovering hesitantly, following the contractions in growth in the final part of 2023. Despite some of the headwinds reported by businesses, including increasing employment costs, confidence is still in positive territory. There are clear sectoral differences, as might be expected, with the retail and hospitality sector in particular having a subdued set of results. The increase in the national minimum wage implemented in April, while positive for workers, is likely to impact specifically on these sectors.

Changes to the UK immigration system also threaten to harm Scotland’s attractiveness, with a planned 50% rise in the minimum salary threshold for a Skilled Worker visa from April. This policy will make it much harder for many Scottish businesses to hire international staff as the salary threshold is higher than Scotland’s average wage. We would ask the UK Government to adopt a business-friendly approach which aligns with Scotland’s economic needs.

Finally, I wish to extend an invitation to you all to join us at Renfrewshire Connect on Thursday 16th May at the Lagoon, Paisley. This prestigious free B2B event, returning for the twelfth time is the largest of its type in Renfrewshire and is sponsored

by Invest In Renfrewshire. The event is open to all businesses, schools, and students to attend. We have six informative seminars to book offering expert advice and networking opportunities for your business. You can now register online via www.renfrewshirechamber.com. Please come along and help your organisation connect and grow!

Kind regards

A warm welcome from our Chief Executive

Dear Members & readers, welcome to the Spring issue of our popular magazine Business Matters.

Thank you to everyone who has completed our annual survey, the results of which you will find on page 18. Once again, the team have scored highly maintaining a consistent level of services on behalf of you our members and your feedback helps us plan for the next 12 months.

We are delighted to be delivering significant projects for the wider business community as part of Renfrewshire Council’s Challenge Fund. These projects offer new support to help you trade internationally, introduce artificial intelligence to your business processes or find a mentor to support your growth or overcome challenges.

I extend a warm welcome to our newly appointed directors Tracey Rundell, Rebecca and Paul Marsella. You can read more about them on page 25 and we look forward to

their support, energy & contribution with the Chamber’s mission to help you connect & grow. We also welcome Donald Boyd and Ronald Leitch in the role of Vice-President. Also further congratulations to Ronald as he takes on the role of Chief Operating Officer for AGS on a permanent basis.

I encourage you to book on for Renfrewshire Connect taking place on Thursday 16th of May at the Lagoon and sponsored by Invest in Renfrewshire. The day represents an opportunity to network with 50 + companies in one go and is a great use of your time. There are also six informative sessions covering topics ranging from Business Support and Artificial Intelligence to Sales Development, Blogging, International Trade & Video Communications.

So please book your free place now via www.renfrewshirechamber.com and share with your colleagues and friends, we hope to see you on the day!

Best regards

Renfrewshire Chamber of Commerce

Bute Court, St Andrews Drive, Glasgow Airport, PA3 2SW t: 0141 847 5450 / f: 0141 847 5499 e: info@renfrewshirechamber.com / w: www.renfrewshirechamber.com

Next issue of Business Matters is Summer 2024

Deadline for editorial and adverts is Monday 17th June 2024

Themes are Renfrewshire Connect/ education, training & development / business support & finance / tourism & leisure

Business Matters Spring 2024

Advertising & Editorial: Contact Jill Carrino t: 07702 909474 / e: jcarrino@renfrewshirechamber.com

Print and Design by: The Print Brokers (Scotland) Ltd / e: sales@theprintbrokers.co.uk

Renfrewshire Chamber of Commerce would like to acknowledge the support of our Premier Partners: “ I’d like to update

Follow the chamber:

NMIS launches new apprenticeship matchmaking platform for local manufacturers

Anew online platform created to simplify how manufacturing companies recruit new apprentices and graduates was launched during Scottish Apprenticeship Week (4th-8th March), with the aim of encouraging more young people to consider careers in manufacturing and engineering.

The Manufacturing Skills Academy at the National Manufacturing Institute Scotland (NMIS), operated by the University of Strathclyde and part of the UK’s High Value Manufacturing Catapult, is working with Skills Development Scotland to address the skills gap in the manufacturing sector – starting in Renfrewshire and the wider central belt.

The ‘Pre-Approved Talent Scheme’ –based on similar principles to the university clearing system – is a digital database of apprenticeship candidates that were shortlisted but unsuccessful for positions at large manufacturers. With consent from the job seeker, local firms will be able to access this pool of applicants and direct them towards similar roles.

Supported with funding through the Scottish Government’s ‘Making Scotland’s Future’ programme, the initiative was initially established to streamline recruitment processes and help smaller manufacturing businesses to source talent. It will also signpost candidates to relevant

micro-credentials and college courses that could enhance their CV and improve their chances of securing a role in the future.

With the Advanced Manufacturing Innovation District Scotland (AMIDS) located in Renfrewshire, the scheme could also attract more young people to the area to begin their career journey.

Dr Avril Thomson, head of skills programmes at the Manufacturing Skills Academy, said: “The demand for manufacturing and engineering skills is on the rise and we have a pool of enthusiastic young people who want to get into jobs across the sector. At the moment, however, we’re seeing a gap where smaller businesses struggle to find the right people despite the fact that hundreds are applying for positions at larger companies.”

The database includes a range of filters which will enable the businesses to sort the candidates by their geographical location and qualifications. If successful, it could be rolled out nationwide, with potential to expand into other sectors beyond manufacturing and engineering.

Avril added: “The Pre-Approved Talent scheme will support both candidates and potential employers. Candidates will be hand-picked and the employers will have the reassurance from another company that they are suitable for the role. By offering a matchmaking-style service, we hope to speed up and simplify the

recruitment process and encourage more talent into the sector.”

Scotland’s manufacturing sector accounts for 169,000 jobs and employs around 1,600 modern apprentices in engineering each year. Around 9,000 people are employed in Renfrewshire’s manufacturing sector, which accounts for 23% of the region’s economy .

Gordon McGuinness, director of industry & enterprise networks at Skills Development Scotland, said: “Apprenticeships play a vital role in Scotland’s economy, bringing economic benefits not just for employers, but the communities they serve. Looking at how we can further improve recruitment, and in particular to widen out the quality talent pool for smaller businesses, is bound to make a positive impact. We look forward to working with partners to test the new approach.”

NMIS is a group of industry-led manufacturing R&D, innovation, and skills facilities supported by a network of partners across Scotland, all working together to transform the future of manufacturing. It opened its flagship facility in June 2023 at the heart of the AMIDS.

The 11,500m2 operationally carbon neutral campus is also home to the Lightweight Manufacturing Centre, fully connected Digital Factory, and a publicly accessible collaboration hub.

Source: https://www.renfrewshire.gov.uk/media/10488/Renfrewshires-Economic-Strategy-2020-2030/pdf/Renfrewshires_Economic_Strategy_2020-2030.pdf?m=1568663422430

The First Minister Humza Yousaf, NMIS chief executive Chris Courtney and several apprentices outside the NMIS facility

Together, transforming the future of

Together, transforming the future of manufacturing.

Revolutionising skills, productivity and innovation to attract investment and make Scotland a global leader in advanced manufacturing. nmis.scot

Emirates marks 20 years of service at Glasgow International Airport

Emirates, the world’s largest international airline, is celebrating two decades of flying to and from Glasgow Airport.

In the 20 years since its inaugural flight on 10 April 2004, Emirates has carried over 5.62 million passengers on 18,990 roundtrip flights to and from Dubai, connecting travellers and

businesses in the region with its expansive global network.

To mark the significant 20-year milestone, Emirates flight EK027, served by its iconic A380, arrived at Glasgow Airport’s stand 30, home to Scotland’s only triple airbridge, with a celebration including a Bagpiper.

Connecting Scotland with the world Emirates operations from Glasgow have made a significant contribution to the local economy, facilitating inbound tourism, creating thousands of jobs, as well as transporting hundreds of tonnes of cargo in the belly hold of its flights every week.

In 2023 alone, Emirates transported over 4 million kgs of cargo via Glasgow Airport. Goods transported over the years include quintessential Scottish products ranging from barrels of Whisky and Scottish Salmon through to rarer British cargo like Aston Martins.

Richard Jewsbury, Emirates Divisional Vice President in the UK, commented: “We’re proud to have served Scotland via Glasgow for more than 20 years, connecting millions of passengers and facilitating valuable trade across our global network. We have seen significant growth over the last two decades and forward bookings for this route were up 51% year-on-year in 2024. We’d like to sincerely thank all our stakeholders including the local community, customers, businesses, suppliers, ground handlers, the Scottish Government, local authorities, Glasgow Airport, and travel agents for their unwavering support over the past two decades as we reach this milestone.

“Glasgow remains a key market from both passenger and cargo perspectives and is a hugely popular destination for our passengers around the world. We look forward to continuing to provide our bestin-class services and greater connectivity to Scotland.”

Ronald Leitch, Interim Chief Operations Officer at AGS Airports, said:

“The Glasgow Dubai service has been a resounding success story for Glasgow

and the wider region. It was Scotland’s first route to the Middle East and remains the country’s only direct service to Dubai.

“Both airport and airline have celebrated so many milestones during the last two decades, such as the opening of the stunning Emirates’ lounge in 2014, the first visit of the A380 that same year and then the introduction of the world’s largest passenger aircraft into daily service in 2019 and again last year. Despite being a daily occurrence, the arrival and departure of Scotland’s only A380 service still captures the imagination of passenger, the public and our airport colleagues.

“I remember vividly the first Emirates’ flight coming in to land all those years ago. In the ensuing years, this service has been instrumental in connecting Scotland’s leisure and business travellers through the world’s busiest international airport in Dubai. Equally, the service also plays a significant role in ensuring hundreds of thousands of tonnes of Scotland’s finest goods are exported globally each year.

“To mark 20 years of this hugely important service at Glasgow Airport is a tremendous honour and achievement for Scotland.”

Daily flights served by Emirates iconic A380

In April 2019 the Emirates A380 made Scottish aviation history by becoming the first A380 to form part of a scheduled service anywhere in Scotland. Emirates currently operates a daily service from Glasgow to Dubai using its much-loved A380, continuing to meet demand across multiple cabin classes. Emirates’ summer schedule will see flight EK028 from Glasgow to Dubai depart at 14:35pm arriving in Dubai

at 01:05am local time. The return flight EK027 from Dubai to Glasgow departs at 07:50am local time and lands at 12:45pm.

The remarkable Emirates A380 offers 14 Private Suites in First Class, 76 fully flatbed seats in Business Class, and 427 seats in Economy Class. Passengers traveling in premium cabin classes can also enjoy features like the Onboard Lounge and First-Class shower spa, and customers in every cabin can savour curated dining options as well as award-winning inflight entertainment.

Fly

better to over 140 destinations with Emirates

Emirates’ extensive network spans over 140 destinations, across six continents. The airline continues to place top priority on delivering a first-class customer experience for all.

Emirates also offers its customers an unmatched culinary experience in the skies with regionally inspired multicourse menus developed by a team of award-winning chefs complemented by a wide selection of premium beverages. Elevating Emirates cuisine with epicurean flavour and flair, chefs use a vast array of ingredients to create delectable dishes across all cabin classes.

Customers can sit back and relax with more than 6,500 channels of carefully curated global entertainment content featuring movies, TV shows, music, podcasts, games, audiobooks and more with ice, Emirates’ award-winning inflight entertainment system.

For more information, visit emirates.com. Tickets can be purchased on emirates.com, Emirates Sales Office, via travel agents or through online travel agents.

Bridge of Weir accelerates journey to next generation biobased leather with new tanning technologies

Bridge of Weir, supplier of Fine Automotive Leather to the world’s most-respected luxury car brands, today announces the launch of two revolutionary tanning technologies, BioTAN and FreeTAN, marking another significant step forward in the development of next-generation, biobased and biodegradable leather.

Tanning is the production process where the structural protein called collagen is stabilised and where the raw material becomes leather. Bridge of Weir’s two new technologies, which have been intensively developed over the last four years, will increase the bio-content and end-of-life biodegradability properties of its leather, as well as remove fossil fuel, oil-derived components and heavy metals from its processes and products to achieve a circular future for natural leather.

As part of the BioTAN journey, this first phase represents a pioneering hybrid technology that incrementally increases the bio-content within the chrome-free leather tanning process to above 50%, resulting in finished products without compromising on aesthetics or performance. By progressively replacing traditional components with bio-based materials, BioTAN achieves a balance between environmental sustainability, performance and quality.

FreeTAN offers a full replacement of existing tanning chemistry with compostable technology. Completely chrome-free, heavy metal-free, and aldehyde-free with promising biodegradability properties, FreeTAN sets new sustainability standards while delivering finished leather products with exceptional performance.

Simon Cook, Group Technical Director at Bridge of Weir Leather said: “For

over twenty years, we have invested in pioneering new initiatives which optimise and improve sustainability, quality and productivity. With our new BioTAN and FreeTAN innovations, we are further raising the bar for environmentally sustainable leather standards, these revolutionary technologies being a vital next step on our journey to increase the bio-based renewable carbon content of our leather, further cementing our key role in supporting car makers’ environmental targets.

“What’s more, this is only the start. The leather of the future for us is 100% biobased content, completely chrome-free, heavy metal-free, aldehyde-free, and entirely biodegradable. We are committed to net zero for our operations (Scope 1 and 2) by 2025 – ahead of Scotland’s net-zero ambitions – and delivering zero waste to landfill by the same year, further fortifying our sustainability pledges.

“Our announcement today provides our

customers with further evidence of Bridge of Weir’s position as the leader in the supply of environmentally sustainable Fine Automotive Leather for the world’s luxury car brands.”

The raw hides used to make Bridge of Weir leather are always sourced from responsible local suppliers with 100% traceability, as certified by the UK Cattle Tracing Scheme, with the highest standards of animal welfare and without risk of deforestation. Bridge of Weir also publishes an independent lifecycle analysis (LCA) of the product and makes the lowest carbon leather for the sector, helping its customers reduce their carbon impact on the planet without offsetting.

Bridge of Weir leather is the natural material of choice for the world’s leading automotive luxury brands, including Aston Martin, McLaren, Jaguar Land Rover and Polestar, thanks to its quality, durability, versatility, and sustainability.

Braehead appoints Ashley Bisland to the position of centre director

Retail and leisure destination

Braehead, owned by property company SGS and managed by Global Mutual in conjunction with Savills as property managers, has appointed Ashley Bisland as centre director.

Located just outside Glasgow, Braehead covers 1.1 million square feet and is home to brands, including M&S, Primark, TK Maxx and Next.

Bisland first joined the Braehead team in December 2022 as deputy centre director, with over 12 years of experience at Savills – specialising in shopping centre management, and has been successfully managing the site since February 2024.

Rachel Scott, asset manager at

Global Mutual, said in a statement: “We are delighted to announce Ashley’s appointment as centre director. She has been an invaluable member of the team over the last two years and is passionate about Braehead’s success.

“Ashley understands the changing face of retail, the importance of building strong brand relationships and how to provide the best possible shopper experience. We look forward to continuing to work with Ashley in her new role as we drive our plans for the centre forward.”

Saagar Sachdev, director at Savills, added: “Ashley’s appointment comes at a great time. Braehead has had a solid start to the year - with a number of leasing deals announced and more in the pipeline

– reflecting the strength of demand for prime retail and leisure space. We look forward to working with Ashley to build on this momentum in the months ahead.

“The retail landscape continues to be shift but we have an incredibly strong management team in place – who together understand what brands need to thrive, what customers want and how to adapt quickly as this changes.”

How to use AI as your small business marketing assistant

It’s been over a year since ChatGPT burst onto the marketing scene, and the buzz around AI shows no signs of slowing down.

There are blogs a-plenty that love to hype up AI’s “amazing potential” to help companies, but often the examples they give just aren’t relevant to smaller, independent businesses. I mean, how often do you really need to summarise a 200 page report or generate a PESTLE or SWOT analysis?

So, here are some ways you can more usefully deploy AI as your small business marketing assistant (all of which we’ve recently taken advantage of ourselves at NSDesign):

1. Transcribe your calls and webinars Apps like Grain and Otter use AI to generate transcripts of your Zoom calls, giving you a full account of the call, unlike handwritten notes. You don’t even have to trawl through the whole transcript to get to the salient points: you can use their in-built assistants to look for the relevant parts of the transcript. This can save you a LOT of time when you’re interviewing subjects for case studies, or holding briefing calls for new marketing campaigns. Just make sure you get all participants’ consent to be recorded!

2. Analyse spreadsheet data

Recently, a client asked me to pull together some facts and figures (highlighting trends, with fancy graphs, and customer quotes etc) which were all contained in a HUGE excel spreadsheet from over a year’s worth of training evaluation data.

To pull together even a fairly basic report would normally take at least 1-2 hours if I were doing it manually. Using ChatGPT and its data analysis capabilities, my report took just 20 minutes: 10 minutes to run the right prompts and get the info I needed, and 10 minutes to copy the results into a word document. (And don’t worry: the client knew I was using AI to complete this task!)

3. Generate ideas

While the jury is still very much out on using text generated by an AI – just ask the poor actors forced to abandon the 15-page

AI script for the Willy Wonka Experience in Glasgow recently – coming up with ideas is another matter.

Try asking the AI to “act like a business advisor/ marketing director/ subject matter expert” and see what it comes back with. You can use its ideas as a springboard for your own. Never just copy and paste from ChatGPT – treat it like a first draft, which you can enhance and improve with your own human additions and corrections, adding your own personality and relevant examples. These AI tools can be great for “blank page syndrome” – helping you get words down onto the page, early ideas ready for making better.

4. Visualise concepts

As with AI-generated text, you may or may not want to outsource your publicfacing artwork. (I direct you once more to the Willy Wonka fiasco with its AIgenerated poster of a magical chocolateland – reality was never going to live up to that!) However, tools like Midjourney, Adobe Firefly and others can be a fast and accessible way to create vision boards and initial creative concepts.

You could even start with your own images, and use AI “in-painting” to

modify parts of the scene, removing unwanted items (like that annoying tree in the background which looks like it’s growing out your head) or adding in some AI enhancements like changing the background for your perfect product shot, or changing the sky from dark clouds to blue skies. Image manipulation has never been easier, or cheaper with many of these tools free to use, or operating a ‘freemium’ model (free to test out and play with, moving to a small affordable monthly subscription once you decide to actually make use of them commercially).

For more help with your digital marketing and how AI can help, get booked onto one of our AI for small business webinars, or talk to our team about our 1-2-1 consultancy and training.

We promise to show up in person, and not just send our AI avatars!

Friday 14th June 8:00am-3:30pm

Playing this year at the Earl of Mar Championship Golf Course, Mar Hall Hotel & Resort, an 18 hole, 6500 yard par 70. With spectacular views of the River Clyde and the Kilpatrick Hills, designed by respected golf course architect, Dave Thomas, best known for The Belfry in England, plus San Roque and La Manga in Spain.

• Breakfast rolls served with tea / coffee on arrival from 8am

• Nearest the Pin, Longest Drive, Top Team and Individual Champion prizes

• Complimentary use of practice facilities from 8am

• Lunch from approx 2pm with prizes awarded

• Shot Gun start 9.00am

Cost: £300 per 4 ball includes breakfast, golf, lunch & goodie bag.

MODERNISATION PROGRAMME CONTINUES AT HILLINGTON PARK

With new bespoke developments and the ongoing modernisation of existing industrial units the key focus now at Hillington Park, the end of 2023 and the beginning of 2024 saw some notable projects coming to completion.

The keys to the £6m bespoke build for national motor vehicle dealership TrustFord’s new 29,000 sq ft ultra-modern vehicle showroom and service facility, with parking for up to 171 vehicles, were handed over and its fit out is well underway for a planned opening in Spring this year.

And two 5,000 sq ft commercial properties were brought to the market to meet demand for industrial, trade-counter and warehouse properties following the £770,000 reinstatement and refurbishment of a 10,000 sq ft unit on the ever popular Earl Haig Road

Scope Bathrooms, a 25 year occupier on the estate, opened its new design studio/showroom on Colquhoun Avenue following another important modernisation project and it is now the focal point for this successful, high end bathroom supplier as it celebrates its silver anniversary in 2024. Scope also occupies a warehouse facility at the West 100 & 200 scheme.

Julia Cheung Buchanan, Senior Development Manager at Hillington Park

Trade counter, industrial and storage units available now to let

1,000 - 15,000 sq ft

Trade counter, industrial and storage units available now to let

1,000 - 15,000 sq ft

said: “The focus at Hillington Park remains on bespoke development projects and the refurbishment and upgrading of our existing stock to modern sustainable standards. The TrustFord development, one of the first automotive developments in Scotland to achieve a BREEAM “Excellent” sustainability accreditation, was completed on time and on budget and is testament to the hard work of the entire team, including Muir Construction.

“The refurbishment of the two units on Earl Haig was another great team effort with Hillington Park based construction firm Lochlie Construction Group being the main contractor on the project.”

Scope Bathrooms

Earl Haig Rd

Mar Hall Hotel, Golf & Spa Resort announces a string of senior appointments

With a multi-million-pound renovation underway, Align Partners, on behalf of Dutco, continues the repositioning of Mar Hall Hotel, Golf & Spa Resort into a luxury five-star Scottish destination with the appointment of a team of senior industry experts across the resort.

The luxury Scottish five-star resort has appointed a new Executive Head Chef, Head Pastry Chef, Head Concierge, Head of Maintenance, Head of Golf, and Head Greenkeeper.

Elevating the culinary offering at the resort, Executive Head Chef Tony Tapia joins the hotel with a wealth of experience having worked in several 3 AA Rosette restaurants, and alongside industry icons, Rick Stein and Michel Roux Jr. Tony is known for his creativity which he will bring to life in new menus that seek to transform the food offering at Mar Hall and elevate the dining experience.

Tony is joined by new Head Pastry Chef, Louise Campbell. Originally from Manchester, Louise has worked in Scotland for 30 years refining her skills in collaboration with industry experts, including executive chef Michael Mizzen at Hilton Glasgow when it was the city’s first five-star hotel. Having worked at Mar Hall over a decade ago, Louise was inspired to return by the ongoing investment and the opportunity to elevate the afternoon tea and banqueting offerings using seasonal ingredients and meticulous skill. Unlocking incredible guest experiences at the hotel, award-winning Alan McDougall has been appointed Head Concierge. He holds the current role of Chairman of the Society of The Golden Keys of Great Britain & The Commonwealth and brings his renowned passion for meeting and exceeding guests’ expectations to Mar Hall.

it appoints new Head Greenkeeper, Andrew Eckford, who brings his 13 years of experience in greenkeeping at Cameron House, and professional golfer, Christopher McQueen, who joins as Head of Golf following his extensive experience at Gleddoch Resort and Spa and Trump Turnberry Resort.

In addition, Mar Hall has invested in a new ultra-fast WiFi network, providing connectivity for seamless business events and individual guest needs. Renovation works have also commenced on the Marquee, with its spectacular views over the River Clyde and rolling Old-Kilpatrick hills. This makeover will transform the event space and deliver a new kitchen to cater for up to 300 guests.

Mar Hall is also investing in the grounds across the estate, including its championship 18-hole golf course, as

Significant investments and improvements to the golf course are now underway at the resort. All bunkers have been repaired with a total sand replacement, while the greens have undergone an aeration process, which will be continuously top-dressed throughout the year along with the fairways. Other upgrades include a new automated irrigation system and a new fertilization and disease control process to protect the grounds, while 12 new golf buggies have been purchased, to ensure a five-star guest experience in line with corporate and golf society expectations.

On the meeting and events side, a new dedicated wedding and events team has been created that will be led by Commercial Manager, Fiona Gallagher, who has been promoted from within. She will ensure all enquiries are handled promptly, professionally and seamlessly to guarantee both guests and organisers achieve their event objectives.

David Webster, operations director at Align Partners, the investment and asset management team leading the transformation at the hotel, said: “While we seek planning permission to achieve the complete redevelopment across the resort, we are significantly investing in both our product and our people to ensure the guest experience is elevated to a five-star luxury hospitality experience.

“From culinary and events to golf and activities, we have appointed some of the most renowned names within their respective fields to help us deliver our vision for Mar Hall as a world-class destination resort, and we are incredibly excited for guests to experience the new proposition.”

Mar Hall Hotel, Golf & Spa remains open for business. The resort recently released CGIs of its brand-new luxury gym and leisure facilities, which reopened this month, and the revamped pool and leisure suite which are set to open from the end of April. For more information or to book your next Mar Hall Hotel, Spa & Golf experience, contact the hotel directly on 0141 812 9999 or visit https://www.marhall.com/.

Tony Tapia, Executive Head Chef

Mar Hall Hotel, Golf & Spa

Louise Campbell, Head Pastry Chef

Christopher McQueen, Head of Golf

Andrew Eckford, Head Greenkeeper

Alan McDougall, Head Concierge

Renfrewshire Business Challenge Fund

Empowering Renfrewshire Businesses for Success

Renfrewshire Council’s Business Challenge Fund aims to bolster the growth and sustainability of small to medium sized enterprises (SMEs) in Renfrewshire. The initiative with support from the UK Shared Prosperity Fund invited proposals from public, private, education and third sector organisations in the area for new and bespoke business support services. The fund is structured around five key areas, reflects the evolving needs of local businesses: Business Growth and Productivity; Business Sustainability and NetZero; Innovation and Collaboration; Internationalisation and Digital Upskilling.

The successful applications from NMIS, Renfrewshire Chamber of Commerce and West College Scotland represent an investment in the future prosperity of Renfrewshire allowing businesses to innovate, grow, and thrive in an ever-changing marketplace.

COBOTICS & 3D PRINTING

of digital manufacturing upskilling interventions. From Demo Days showcasing the basics of 3D printing and collaborative robots to immersive Interactive Upskilling Workshops that provide participants with hands-on skills and access to expertise. The highlight of the program is the Supported Technology Trial

What is PRODIGY? The ‘PROductivity and Digital Innovation for Growing Your business ’ programme will deliver a series of hands -on upskilling workshops designed to give local manufacturing SMEs an enhanced understanding of how cobotics & 3D printing can help improve their efficiency and innovation, through levering developments in manufacturing technology and upskilling their workforce.

How does it work? PRODIGY has four phases from awareness to deployment. It is structured to cater to diverse audiences and digital readiness levels, allowing

Where does it take place? All demonstrations and workshops will be held at the flagship NMIS Netherton facility, next to Glasgow Airport. The final phase will see a selected group of companies take the equipment to their own sites for a hands -on trial. Various waves of the programme will run from April 2024 to January 2025.

Manufacturing Institute Scotland, this support is entirely free for SMEs in the Renfrewshire area.

For more information contact: PRODIGY at nmis-skills@strath.ac.uk.

Who has developed PRODIGY? The is being fully funded by Renfrewshire Council ’s Business Development Fund, part of the UK Shared Prosperity Fund. It has been created & delivered by the Manufacturing Skills Academy

Renfrewshire Chamber are delivering four projects:

West College Scotland will deliver the Renfrewshire Net Zero Workforce Development Fund (NZWDF) equipping SMEs in Renfrewshire with the skills and capabilities to move towards net zero.

Via a small grant programme, participating SMEs will be able to equip their workforces with the skills needed to deliver new, or enhanced, net zero services to their business customers; helping customers meet their Net Zero and Sustainability goals whilst

Renfrewshire International Trade helping to expand your business by trading internationally. It provides workshops, information and 1-2-1 consultancy support to encourage SMEs to export either for the first time or to develop new markets with existing products or services. The Trade Mission Support programme can provide 50% match funding to cover costs of attending physical trade missions and exhibitions and supporting some of the logistics in presenting your commercial offer abroad.

For more information contact: Stuart Hamilton - Renfrewshire International Trade & Trade Mission Support, call 07554 153517 or email: shamilton@renfrewshirechamber.com

The Business Mentoring Programme for non-members works with a group of dedicated expert volunteer mentors who offer their knowledge, skills, and connections to help you meet challenges and support your business, you will be matched with someone who has the right skills and experience to add value to your business.

For more information contact: Stuart Murray - Business Mentoring, call 07525 323500 or email: smurray@renfrewshirechamber.com

The AI Innovation Programme can identity what aspect of your business could benefit from applying generative AI software & technology. It includes 1-2-1 consultancy support with AI experts over six months to measure improvements in productivity & efficiency of your business.

West College Scotland offers a range of professional training and development courses to help you update your skills.

For more information contact: Bob Grant - AI Innovation, call 07702 909476 or email: bgrant@renfrewshirechamber.com

maximizing the opportunities for participating SMEs to grow their business.

Clydebank Campus 0141 951 7555

Greenock Campus 01475 553 044

In supporting 40 SMEs, NZWDF will significantly support Renfrewshire’s contribution towards the achievement of Net Zero goals.

Paisley Campus 0141 581 2121

For more information contact: nzwdf@wcs.ac.uk.

Thursday 16th May 10am-4pm,

BOOK NOW TO CONNECT, GROW AND LEARN

Free to Attend

Renfrewshire Connect is our annual networking event open to all. Free to attend, the event is packed with value for SMES, Staff, students and startups alike.

Learning Sessions

Join us for expert discussions, covering topics ranging from Advertising and Artificial Intelligence to Leadership, Management and Mental Health.

Over 50 Exhibitors

Connect with companies from across Renfrewshire and beyond.

Connect with exhibitors in following sectors:

• Business Services

• Construction & Property

• Digital Media

• Economic Development & Business Support

• Education & Young People

• Finance & Legal

• Hospitality

• Manufacturing

• Recruitment & Human Resources

• Sales & Marketing

• Third Sector & Volunteering

Book Now for Renfrewshire Connect

Sponsored by:

• business growth grants of up to £10,000 to help develop new products, attend exhibitions, purchase equipment or carry out property improvements;

• help of up to £5,000 to help you take on a graduate intern; support towards the wage costs of taking on a young unemployed person; and loans to help with working capital or the purchase of equipment.

Seminar 1

Invest in Renfrewshire is Renfrewshire Council’s programme to boost the local economy and tackle unemployment. Want to know more? visit www.investinrenfrewshire.com email invest@renfrewshire.gov.uk or call 0300 300 1180

10.15am-11am Regeneration and business support with Renfrewshire Council .

Seminar 2

11.15am-12pm with Gary Ennis from NSDesign. “Cool Tools for Artificial Intelligence (AI) success”.

Seminar 3

12.15pm -1pm Renfrewshire International Trade “How to grow your business through International Trade”.

Seminar 4

1.15pm-2pm with Peter Barclay from Sales Geek: How to shift your mindset from “Selling” to “Serving”, and build strong, long-lasting relationships.

Seminar 5

2.15pm-3pm with Dangerous Studio - The Importance of Video as a Business Communication Tool.

Seminar 6

3.15pm-4pm with Colin Kelly from Comsteria. How to make blogging your website’s secret weapon!

The day is free to attend and open to all businesses, schools, pupils & students. Cost to exhibit is: Connect Members: £190 + vat • Growth Members: £95 + vat Corporate Members & Premier Partners FOC • Non-members: £295 + vat

To book your free place to attend please go to www.renfrewshirechamber.com Twitter hashtag is #renfrewshireconnect

Chamber Pictures

and Coming Events

See our events section on our website: www.renfrewshirechamber.com • 0141 847 5450 events@renfrewshirechamber.com

Renfrewshire Connect: Thurs 16th May. 10am –4pm, Lagoon, Paisley 50 + exhibitors, 6 free seminars cost to exhibit from £95 +vat

Chamber Connect: With Beyond HR. Empowering your business for 2024 Employment law changes and workplace issues. Thurs 23rd May 10am-11.30am

Networking Lunch: With Nick Muirhead. CEO Scottish Leather Group. Thurs 6th June 12pm -2pm. Members £30+ vat, non-members £40 + vat

Chamber Golf Challenge: Friday 14th June, Mar Hall. £300 per 4 ball includes breakfast, golf, lunch & goodie bag. Shotgun start 8am- 3pm. Raffle for St Vincents

Chamber 60th Anniversary: Thurs 20th June, Civic Reception, Paisley Town Hall 6pm- 8pm. Free for members

Awards 2024: Friday 15th November with

facebook.com/renfrewshirechamberofcommerce Follow the chamber:

twitter.com/renfrewshirecoc

March Lunch at Mar Hall

Burns Piper Ross Aitchison

Lydia Brown steps down as Director

Chamber Board AGM

April - Board Meeting with Howdens

Bob Grant, Gavin Newlands MP, Derek J McNab Westminster visit

March Speaker - Simon Hannah, JW Filshill

Burns Speaker John McEvoy

Raymond Kane & Pupils St Andrews Xmas Lunch

AGM at Glynhill

Rocco

Host Fred MacAuley

CHAIR APPOINTED TO THE BOARD OF VISITSCOTLAND

The Minister for Small Business, Innovation, Tourism and Trade, Richard Lochhead MSP, has announced the appointment of Stephen Leckie as the new Chair of VisitScotland.

Stephen is CEO and Executive Chair of Crieff Hydro, Scotland’s oldest registered trading company.

He is a long-time advocate for Scotland’s wider tourism industry.

He is currently Chair of the Scottish Tourism Alliance, President of the Scottish Chambers of Commerce, a committee member for UK Hospitality and Lord-Lieutenant of Perth and Kinross.

He intends to step down from his roles with the Scottish Tourism Alliance and Scottish Chamber of Commerce in the coming year.

Stephen brings a broad background to VisitScotland. As an operator of hotels, self-catering and attractions across different parts of rural Scotland, he’s well versed in the challenges and opportunities on the ground.

As a longstanding Chair, he’s also familiar with working to maximise the impact of boards and organisations.

Stephen will take over from our outgoing Chair Lord Thurso. The appointment is for three years, from 1 April 2024 until 31 March 2027.

Annual Member Survey 2024

Thank you to all Chamber members who completed our Annual membership survey. We received eighty responses and your feedback will help the chamber team plan for the coming year.

Stephen Leckie

New members

On behalf of the Board of Directors and the Chamber staff, we would like to welcome onboard the following new members.

Mar Hall Golf & Spa Resort

Hotel & SPA

Fiona Gallagher 0141 812 9999 fiona.gallagher@marhall.com

True Origin

Charity Nicola Taylor 0141 255 0901 nicola@trueorigin.org.uk

Paisley Autocare Ltd

Vehicle Maintenance and Repair Services

John Convery 0141 848 7553 john.convery@paisleyautocare.com

Quarriers

Charity

Rowan Main 01505 616 160 rowan.main@quarriers.org.uk

Houston Kiltmakers

Kilt Hire/ Kilt Makers

Ewan MacDonald 0141 889 4879 ewan@kiltmakers.com

Olden Goldies

Companion Service

Barbara Davey 07765 418 542 barbara@oldengoldies.co.uk

Massage & Glow

Massage Therapists

Judi Bisset Houston 07530 905 152 massageandglow@hotmail.co.uk

Restoration & Creation

Furniture Restoration

Caroline Sweeney 0787 913 0792 caroline@restorationcreation.com

Energy Saving Guru Ltd

Uitility broker

Scott McCaw 07464 202 416 scottmccaw@energyguru.co

Framing Art

Picture Framing/Supplier

Sundeep Shan 07712 166 511 sunny@framing-art.co.uk

Blyth Accountants Limited

Accountants

Mary Blyth

07498 215 840 mary@blythaccountants.co.uk

Gasfit Plumbing & Heating Ltd

Central Heating System Replacement

Specialists

Lorna Martin 01505 675587 accounts@gasfitltd.co.uk

Vibration Field Services Ltd

Specialists in the Installation, Repair and Maintenance of Vibration Test System

Caroline Sharpe 0141 840 1957 caroline.sharpe@vibrationfieldservices. com

Crown Management Consulting Ltd

Business Consultancy Service

Michelle Ferguson 07717 763 539

MichelleFerguson@ crownmanagementconsulting.co.uk

Marsh Commercial Commercial Insurance Brokers

Gary Harrison 07385 517390 gary.harrison@marshcommercial.co.uk

X402 Ltd

Software Company

Natalie Smith 0141 530 3402

natalie.smith@x402.com

A and S Corporatewear Ltd

Workwear

Alan Barrett 07428 658 093 alan@ascorporatewear.co.uk

The Wynd Counselling & Conference Centre

Counselling Services 0141 887 4647 info@thewynd.org.uk

Palompo PR

PR Consultant

Lisa Dixon 07795 436 966 lisa.palompo.dixon@gmail.com

SMS Group

Ship Repair/Marine Interiors

Alex Stobo 0845 013 0481 alex.stobo@sms-marine.co.uk

RWH Health & Safety Consultant Ltd

Health & Safety Consultants

Ronnie Hassan 07810 513 882

ronnie.hassan@icloud.com

Dargavel Digital Ltd

Social Media and Internet Marketing

Paul Caruana 07437 010 710 paul@dargaveldigital.com

LCA Mortgages

Mortgage Broker

Sharon McKim 07949 379 969 sharon@LCAmortgages.co.uk

MME Electrical Services

Electrical Services

Mark Macnab 07876 793 700 mark@mmeservice.co.uk

BOLLOstore Limited

Home/ Business Audio

David Fairley 0141 552 5552 info@bollostore.com

PIB Insurance Brokers

Insurance Brokers

Richard Anderson 07546 698 797 richard.anderson@pib-insurance.com

Solutions on Demand

IT Support, Web Design, Graphic Design & Print Solutions

George Glen 0141 488 1533 george@creodesign.co.uk

Mini First Aid Glasgow

First Aid Training

Vicky Moon 07359 044 490 vicky.moon@minifirstaid.co.uk

Adman Int Ltd

Specialists in Property Asset Management and Building Fire Protection

Tracey Chrystal 0141 588 7345 tchrystal@admanint.co.uk

Wincanton

Logistics/Supply Chain Partner

Derek Stirling 01698 738850 derek.stirling@wincanton.co.uk

Electrasure

Solar PV, Battery Storage & off Grid

Installations

Andrew Lauder 0141 374 0403 info@electrasure.co.uk

Chamber President Derek J McNab highlighted the Chamber’s progress in the last year and outlined plans to help Renfrewshire Connect & Grow in 2024. The guests were piped into the Normandy by the talented St Columba’s School Pipe Band. Renfrewshire Council Depute Leader Jacqueline Cameron gave the principal sponsor address showcasing the significant £100 million investment in cultural assets including Paisley Town Hall and the compelling re-imagining of Paisley Museum.

The ROCCO raffle raised an outstanding £9,000 supporting St Vincents Hospice and the Provost’s Charity fund for the Clothed In Love project.

Rocco favourite Fred MacAulay delivered a vintage performance entertaining the audience all evening and the outstanding artists from Scottish Opera held the audience spell-bound.

The Awards also featured unique trophies designed and made in Renfrewshire by J.G.B. Steelcraft and Scotland’s Bravest Manufacturing Company.

The Winners:

ROCCO Award for Environmental Sustainability sponsored by Lochlie Construction.

Winner: JW Filshill Ltd

ROCCO Award for Innovation & Technology sponsored by University of the West of Scotland.

Winner: Angelwax Ltd

Council Leader Iain Nicolson gives main sponsor address

The Normandy Hotel RCC President Liz Connolly Rocco Host Fred MacAulay

ROCCO Award for Excellence in Manufacturing sponsored by National Manufacturing Institute Scotland.

Winner: Howden, A Chart Industries Company

The Winners:

ROCCO Award for Community Wealth Building sponsored by Renfrewshire Council.

Winner: Morrison Construction Scotland

ROCCO Award for Most Promising New Business sponsored by Business Gateway.

Winner: Spokes Bikes Ltd

ROCCO Award for International Trade sponsored by Glasgow Airport.

Winner: Peak Scientific Instruments Ltd

ROCCO Award for Excellence in Tourism sponsored by Paisley Is.

Winner: Gleddoch Golf & Spa Resort

ROCCO Award for Renfrewshire’s Favourite Business sponsored by Braehead.

Winner: Spex Appeal

The Winners:

ROCCO Award for Family Business of the Year

sponsored by The Malcolm Group:

Winner: WRC Recycling Ltd

ROCCO Award for Young Business Person of the Year sponsored by Rolls-Royce.

Winner: Shaun Jamieson – Switchease Limited

ROCCO Award for Community Champion sponsored by Engage Renfrewshire.

Winner: ROAR –Connections for Life

ROCCO Award for Journey to Net Zero sponsored by Ren Zero.

Winner: KLAS Care C.i.C

ROCCO Award for Employer of the Year

sponsored by West College Scotland.

Winner: Rolls Royce Plc

ROCCO Award for Outstanding Performing Business 5 or less employees ponsored by Spectrum Service Solutions.

Winner: Aspire Academy

ROCCO Award for Outstanding Performing Business >5<25 employees sponsored by Terumo Aortic.

Winner: Paisley Autocare Ltd

The Winners:

Chamber Chief Executive

Bob Grant said:

“Watchingourbusiness communitycometogether to celebrate at ROCCO 2023wasaninspiration to witness. We drew hugeenergyfromthe enthusiasm, sense of community,andexamples ofexcellence&innovationondisplaythroughouttheevening. Renfrewshiretrulyisafantasticbusinesslocationwith somanyoutstandingorganisationsasweConnect&Grow together.“

“YoucanviewallimagesonourFacebookpageandcomments on#2023Rocco.IencourageallRoccowinnerstoutilisetheir winacrosstheirPRchannels.ThankyoutotheentireChamber teamforalltheirworkbeforeandonthenighttoensureour500 guestshadagreattime.SpecialthankstomainsponsorInvest inRenfrewshire,Diageowhosuppliedourdrinksreception, Andrew O’Brien from J.G.B. Steelcraft and the team at Scotland’s BravestManufacturingCoforourfantastictrophies,Cameron Presentations&GapTVforalltheAV,thePrintbrokersforthe program,Gary&JanfromNSDesignfortheexcellentsocial mediacoverageandtheNormandyHotelforthemealand service.ThanksalsotoStColumba’sSchoolPipeBandwho welcomedguestsinsuchstyle.

Finally,thanksalsotoLeaShaw,MonwabisiLindi&Toby HessionofScottishOperawhoentertainedussowell.Planning forthe20thEditionofRoccoin2024isalreadyunderway,in whatwillbeour60thDiamondAnniversaryyear.“

ROCCO Award for Outstanding Performing Business >25 employees sponsored by Altrad Babcock.

Winner: Spectrum Service Solutions

ROCCO Award for Business Leader of the Year

sponsored by Diageo.

Winner: Simon Hannah, CEO JW Filshill Ltd

Pipers & Drummers from St Columba’s School

Diageo Bar Team

Chamber Staff Team

New Directors & VicePresidents Announced by Renfrewshire Chamber

Renfrewshire Chamber of Commerce has strengthened the current board with the addition of three new directors confirmed at a recent AGM.

Joining are Tracey Rundell, Head of Marketing & Communications, Altrad Babcock, Rebecca Bell, Operations Director Spectrum Service Solutions and Paul Marsella, Site Director Diageo Shieldhall.

Also confirmed in the role of VicePresident are current board directors Donald Boyd, UK Head of Growth & Sales for Azets UK and Ronald Leitch, Chief Operating Officer AGS Airports Ltd.

Chamber President Derek McNab said “We warmly welcome Tracey, Rebecca and Paul to the Chamber team. Their knowledge and expertise compliment the strong board and demonstrates the calibre

and depth of business talent we have within our membership. I look forward to working with them as we help our members connect and grow. We also congratulate Donald and Ronald on their election as VicePresidents. Succession planning is key, and the future strategic direction of the board is strengthened with their appointments.”

Renfrewshire Chamber is the main business membership organisation in Renfrewshire. They offer extensive networking, learning, and support opportunities for the wider business community with a staff team based at Glasgow Airport. Their documentation and customs declaration service is designed to facilitate international trade & help navigate import & export regulations.

For more information visit www.renfrewshirechamber.com.

Tracey Rundell, Altrad Babcock

L to R : Ronald Leitch, Vice- President, Paul Marsella, Diageo Shieldhall, Derek McNab, President, Rebecca Bell, Spectrum Service Solutions & Donald Boyd, Vice-President

INSURANCE POLICIES THAT ARE IGNORED

How often do you agree to your insurance renewal premium, put the documents in a safe place and never really know what you are paying for?

You are not alone; part of our mission is to help educate you on what you are buying and whether its relevant to your business. You’ll already have in place the obvious cover like Employers Liability, Motor Insurance, Property Insurance etc. however, do you have any of the below:

Management Liability

This exists to protect directors, officers and senior managers of a business against allegations of wrongdoing.  These allegations can come from almost anywhere e.g. a regulator, a competitor, an employee.  Worst thing is, you may not have done anything wrong but have to defend yourself and prove your innocence.  Policies starts from £100 + insurance premium tax and provides legal defence costs to handle the claim on your behalf.

The policy can be extended to include ‘Employment Practices Liability’ which is your employment law claims.

Product Recall

Often an overlooked cover for manufacturers and distributors.  The big benefit of this policy is the business interruption if you lose a contract with a customer.

Business Travel

This is a flexible policy which you do not need to notify pre-existing medical conditions (provided you are not travelling against medical advice) and it can cover you and your family for personal trips.

Cyber

Whilst it’s the big corporates that hit the headlines, actually its SME businesses that are attacked daily.

Whilst having contracts with I.T. support companies and anti-virus will go part of the way to protect you, it leaves you exposed in other areas such as loss of profit during

downtime, legal and regulatory costs if action is taken against you, meeting the cost of a demand if your data is being held to ransom. You want to 100% consider this if you use third party platforms because as the data controller you still remain

responsible for the data security. If you would like to find out more you can contact Donna Robertson, Managing Director, donna@squaredbrokers.com, 0141 737 7770.

Strictly St Vincent’s

Step back into the glitz and glamour of the ballroom as we present to you “Strictly St Vincent’s: A Night of Stars!” It’s not just a dance competition; it’s a spectacular showcase of talent, entertainment, and above all, an opportunity to raise vital funds for your Little Hospice with the Big Heart.

Our legendary dance extravaganza is returning, featuring a fresh new feel. This year, “Strictly St Vincent’s” promises more glitz, more glam, and more heart-warming moments.

Quickstep to secure your table now and make sure you “shuffle” in without any “twist” of fate!

Ticket price includes a glass of bubbly on arrival and a delightful 2 course dinner, followed by tea and coffee.

Early Bird Deposit – £100 to secure your table of 10 – balance due before 31st June 2024

£60 individual ticket (seat)

£600 Table of 10 (Smaller table sizes available on request & tables over 10 will try and be seated together)

We are also on the look out for our Strictly St Vincent’s Dancers, whether you’re a seasoned pro or just starting, we welcome you to join the line-up. Can you imagine yourself mastering the Tango, perfecting the Paso Doble, and igniting the stage with your Rumba? Dance it out to see who can not only raise the most for our hospice but who can pick up the mirror-ball trophy!

https://stvincentshospice.org/fundraising-events/strictlycome-prancing-2/

Golf Day 2024

Join us on Friday 6th September, 2024 at the stunning Elderslie Golf Club in Renfrewshire!

Early Bird Team Deposit £80 – with full payment by 30 April, 2024.

Enjoy a fantastic day of Golf with friends, family or colleagues on the James Braid designed course with panoramic views of Renfrewshire.

All the while raising funds for your Little Hospice with the Big Heart and see if your team can take away the St Vincent’s Hospice Shield for 2024.

The day will begin with a warm welcome to the clubhouse to register and enjoy hot breakfast rolls with tea and coffee, a Shotgun Start, with prizes for several challenges throughout play, followed by lunch, raffle, auction and of course the prize-giving.

Your Host and Golf Pro to be announced shortly.

Prices are £320 per team of 4 players, or £80 each & we will place you in a 4.

We also have sponsorship opportunities available for businesses: 18 Tee Sponsors are available for £120 each Bunker Sponsors for £60 each.

Your sponsorship will include your company name and logo at the particular site as well as an advert in the Event Programme. The Tee Sponsors will be larger than the Bunker Sponsors. https://stvincentshospice.org/fundraising-events/golfday-2023/

Noble Property Solutions

Noble Property Solutions Ltd is an All Trades Construction Company, based in Paisley, delivering projects across the Insurance Reinstatement, Domestic and Commercial Property Sectors. Owner managed, with extensive experience in the construction industry; we have delivered a wide range of successful projects and provide high quality service to both private and commercial clients.

Specialists in domestic insurance repair works, commercial fit out, property development and refurbishment projects; utilising our team of highly

trained and experienced tradesmen and approved subcontractors supported by a management team with over 75 years combined experience.

We work with a number of leading Insurers and their appointed Loss Adjusters, Surveyors, Brokers and Repair Networks to provide a seamless approach to Insurance Reinstatement repairs. We specialise in Large and Complex Loss Insurance Projects in both domestic and commercial properties. Our tradespeople are qualified and trained specifically to deal with the reinstatement of properties following an Insured Peril. Pictured is a

recently completed project which involved demolition and rebuild of a detached 5 bedroom property following extensive fire damage following a lightning strike.

McFarlane Street

We would like to shed some light on our brand new light industrial units available to rent on McFarlane Street, Paisley.

Located in the heart of a thriving Paisley enterprise district, McFlarlane Street offers high quality light industrial units to suit a range of business types and sizes with incredible road frontage, offering fantastic visibility for prospective tenants.

Less than 2 minutes from the M8 motorway, just 5 minutes from Glasgow airport and 5 minutes walk from Paisley St. James train station, the easy accessibility of CoVault McFarlane Street makes it a prime spot to base your business.

Q: CoVault caters to a diverse range of businesses, big and small. How do we set ourselves apart from other workspace providers in the market?

A: The high quality industrial units at McFarlane Street are perfect for any business type. All units have 24hour access, communal external CCTV monitoring, roller door access, on-site parking and smart meters in every unit.

With month-to-month contracts, you don’t need to worry about getting caught in lengthy contracts that are difficult to get out of. We don’t take a deposit either, giving even the smallest start up the best chance to build profits from day one.

We also offer businesses the ability to take on more space as and when it feels natural to do so. In other words, Covault can grow with your business.

With studios ranging from 750 – 2,000 square feet, CoVault McFarlane Street offers the perfect environment for any small business to flourish.

Q: In today’s dynamic business landscape, flexibility is key. How does CoVault adapt to the evolving needs of its clients – in terms of short-term contracts etc?

A: Flexibility is more important today than it ever has been due to the current economic climate. We can cater to local business needs.

The commitment to a traditional, longterm lease can cause new businesses to struggle to stay afloat. Who has six months’ rent up front before you even open your

doors? On the other hand, businesses that have the opportunity to scale up could find their growth throttled because of their restrictive space.

“Moving into to CoVault Workspace has also been great in terms of making new contacts and working with other businesses. We’ve already teamed up with the florist next door on events.”

Lynn Johnston, Bespoke Touches

For more information and to book a unit at CoVault McFarlane Street, get in touch today on 0141 471 7862 or visit www.covaultworkspace.com

Renfrewshire Council Updates:

First section of the first opening road bridge over the River Clyde arrives in Renfrewshire

The first opening road bridge across the River Clyde is a step closer to completion as the first section of the Renfrew Bridge has arrived in Renfrewshire.

Renfrewshire Council is leading the delivery of the £117million Clyde Waterfront and Renfrew Riverside project which will see the new bridge connect Renfrew with Yoker and Clydebank and open up work, health, education and leisure opportunities on both sides of the Clyde – with the potential for thousands of additional jobs, investment and developments brought to the riverside.

The south section of the 184-metre cablestayed twin-leaf bridge has arrived on the River Clyde after travelling for seven days on a barge across the English Channel and Irish Sea having been fabricated in the Netherlands.

It will now be installed on the Renfrew side of the river at Meadowside Street by civil engineers GRAHAM ahead of the north section of the bridge arriving next month, where it will be fixed into place at Dock Street in Yoker.

Renfrewshire Council Leader Iain Nicolson said: “It’s fantastic to see the first section of the bridge arrive in Renfrew and the project take a significant step forward as this is going to be transformational for the local area, wider Renfrewshire and the City Region.

“The opportunities that the new bridge, and its new connecting roads and active travel routes, will offer communities and businesses are exponential and the project as a whole will provide a substantial boost to the economy and attract more jobs to the area – in addition to more than 950 already created during the construction phase.

“With this project linking into the Advanced Manufacturing Innovation District Scotland (AMIDS) at Netherton next to Glasgow Airport, it is an exciting time for Renfrewshire and outlines the council’s continued ability to deliver nationally significant infrastructure projects successfully.”

In addition to the new bridge, the project will create additional connecting roads, cycling and walking routes which will link Inchinnan Road in Renfrew with Yoker Railway Station, using the new Renfrew North Development Road.

It will also see improved access for businesses and suppliers to Scotland's

home of manufacturing innovation AMIDS, which is being developed by the Council in collaboration with Scottish Government and Scottish Enterprise.

Wellbeing Economy Secretary Mairi McAllan said: “I’m delighted that we are providing almost £39 million towards the new Renfrew Bridge through the Glasgow City Region City Deal. The arrival of the first section of the bridge is a significant milestone and will bring opportunities for local communities as well as people and businesses across the wider City Region.

“The improved access to the Advanced Manufacturing Innovation District Scotland, which hosts the National Manufacturing Institute Scotland and the Medicines Manufacturing Innovation Centre, will also support our broader ambitions for a thriving, innovative manufacturing sector.”

The project is jointly funded by the UK and Scottish Governments through the £1.13billion Glasgow City Region City, a partnership of eight councils working to deliver a programme of work to grow a strong, inclusive and sustainable City Region and an economy which delivers for all people and businesses.

UK Government Minister for Scotland John Lamont said: "The arrival of the first bridge section is a great moment for this flagship infrastructure project to regenerate the Clyde, improve connectivity and boost the economy.

“The UK Government is proud to be investing £39 million in the Clyde Waterfront and Renfrew Riverside scheme, part of our £523 million investment into the

Glasgow City Region Deal, and more than £3 billion for levelling up across Scotland."

Civil engineers GRAHAM are delivering the project which has supported more than 950 jobs during its construction and generated hundreds of subcontract and supplier opportunities, many of which were taken up by businesses in the local area.

Jim Armour, GRAHAM Contracts Manager, said: “The arrival of the first section of the bridge marks a significant milestone on the project and a fantastic achievement by the team.

“Over the next few weeks, the team will be working hard to prepare for the north section of the bridge to arrive, where it will be fixed into place on the Yoker side of the river.

“The new bridge is a vital piece of infrastructure that demonstrates civil engineering excellence and will drive economic growth on either side of the Clyde”.

The bridge is due to be completed ahead of schedule and be fully operational for pedestrians, cyclists and motorists in Autumn 2024.

For more information on the project, visit www.renfrewshire.gov.uk/citydeal.

Renfrewshire Council Updates:

Paisley Learning and Cultural Hub wins prestigious property award

Paisley Learning and Cultural Hub has gained industry recognition after winning ESG Refurbishment of the Year at the Scottish Property Awards.

Home to Paisley Central Library, the hub has been created following a £7million investment by Renfrewshire Council and is part of an ongoing drive to regenerate Paisley and give people new reasons to visit the town centre.

Housed within a former High Street shop and spread over four floors, the new building includes a reception area, children’s library and storytelling area – with a unique play structure including a climbing wall and slide also in place having been codesigned with renowned Scottish artist Claire Barclay.

The upper floors include an outdoor terrace, community rooms and a study area for young adults, as well as free WiFi and PC access to support digital inclusivity.

The venue is operated by local culture and leisure trust OneRen and already has an exciting programme of events scheduled, including the recently announced return of Paisley Book Festival, author visits, Bookbug sessions for families, and storytelling workshops.

Councillor Lisa-Marie Hughes, Renfrewshire Council’s cultural spokesperson and chair of OneRen, said: “We’re delighted to see the Learning and Cultural Hub gaining the recognition it deserves as it has been an incredible transformation of the building - and we’re already seeing the benefits with a huge increase in visitors compared to the same period last year.

“Placing a library in the centre of the High Street is part of our ongoing drive to give people new reasons to visit the town centre as we believe culture should be at the heart of its future and this modern, welcoming hub aims to be inclusive and accessible for all.

“We look forward to seeing it become a staple of the town centre in Paisley, inspiring current and future generations to discover a love for reading and learning, and I want to congratulate all involved in the refurbishment project. From the Council and OneRen to all our partners, this recognition is fully deserved and a welcome boost to Paisley’s ongoing regeneration.”

The project edged out fierce competition from across Scotland and was also nominated in the Regeneration Project of the Year category, alongside the £20million regeneration

of Paisley Town Hall which has been transformed into one of the country’s leading entertainment venues.

Jordan McCrae, Architect at Collective Architecture, said: “Winning the ESG Refurbishment of the Year award is a great achievement for all involved. We are delighted that the client’s vision and the team’s hard work has resulted in a fantastic building which will hopefully provide a truly public space on Paisley High Street and act as a catalyst for further regeneration in the area.”

The building was delivered in partnership with HubWest Scotland, and their CEO Iain Marley said: “We are delighted that the outstanding Paisley Learning and Cultural Hub was crowned ESG Refurbishment of the Year at the Scottish Property Awards.

“Creating new spaces and fully upgrading and rejuvenating a 150-year-old building involved many challenges, but project has delivered a fantastic high-quality facility that is already being widely and enthusiastically enjoyed by the community and it will play a key role within the overall regeneration of Paisley Town Centre.

“We are also very proud that the project enabled the creation of eight work experience placements and four new jobs.”

The refurbishment of the building was carried out by construction firm CCG construction who have hailed the project as outstanding.

CCG Managing Director, David Wylie said: “The Scottish Property Awards is a prestigious body for the construction sector in Scotland so to win ESG refurbishment of the year is testament to the hard work of everyone that was involved.

“A special mention goes to our dedicated site team who, despite the fallout of the pandemic, worked tirelessly during a very complicated construction programme to deliver a truly an outstanding new building that will be enjoyed by the local community for many years to come.”

In addition to the investment in the Learning and Cultural Hub, Paisley is undergoing a regeneration programme that includes £45million to transform Paisley Museum into a world-class visitor destination expected to bring more than 125,000 visitors every year, a £20million refurbishment of Paisley Town Hall to place it as one of Scotland’s foremost entertainment venues, the £3million modernisation of Paisley Arts Centre, and an ongoing investment in culture and the arts as a means to transform the town for future generations.

For more information on the learning and cultural hub, visit www.oneren.org/culture/libraries or for Paisley’s regeneration, visit www.renfrewshire.gov.uk/paisley

Renfrewshire Council Updates:

Town Centre Premises Grant

Our new Town Centre Premises Grant has been established to help businesses move into empty, ground-floor commercial premises in Erskine, Johnstone, Linwood, Paisley and Renfrew town centres.

The grant aims to bring new types of businesses and services into vacant ground floor commercial premises in Paisley, Johnstone, Renfrew, Linwood and Erskine town centres who can boost footfall, diversify the area, and create new jobs with contracted hours.

Successful applicants will receive a grant of up to 50% of project costs, up to a maximum of £25,000, which can be used for things like premises improvements, rental payments and others. The grant cannot be used towards the purchase of vehicles, employee wages or utility bills.

Our Business Development Team can recommend potential properties they have identified and owners and landlords of commercial premises can also put forward their empty property

to be offered to prospective applicants. Criteria is in place to ensure that the grant can support appropriate businesses and include things like being a small-to-medium sized business, taking out a lease of at least 36 months and offering a different product or service to the area – among other set conditions.

The funding proposal and level of grant is agreed with our Business Gateway team who manage the application process and can help applicants in discussions with the premise owner.

To find out more and apply, speak to our Business Development Team by visiting us at InCube at 27 High Street, Paisley, calling 0141 530 2406 or emailing renfrewshire@bgateway. com

Please share this widely with any businesses you believe may benefit from the grant funding and support as we seek to ensure as many local town centre premises as possible are in use for local people.

Apprenticeships Spotlight

The first week in March every year is Scottish Apprenticeship Week (known as SAW) with hashtags this year of #ScotAppweek24 and #skillsgeneration. DYW West ran and supported a dozen events across the week including chamber members UWS, West College Scotland and Altrad Babcock. With an online campaign supported by City Gate Construction, Rolls Royce, Taylor Wimpey, Thomas Johnston and the Scottish Leather Group (and many others across the wider West region).

Bob Davidson, DYW Programme Director said “Apprenticeships are a fantastic way to learn and earn either via a modern apprenticeship on leaving school with support from a training provider or a graduate apprenticeship which typically involves attending university 1d a week. We champion apprenticeships all year round but SAW is used by many employers to

launch their apprenticeships and allows us to really give a spotlight to them”. If you are an employer interested in starting an apprentice please get in touch with DYW West at info@dywwest.co.uk and also have a look at apprenticeships. scot, a fantastic online resource from Skills Development Scotland for employers and for young people / parents and guardians with over 1,000 apprenticeships live just now across Scotland.

DYW West are seeking employers in Renfrewshire to pledge their support to the Young Person’s Guarantee (YPG). If you are already involved in or are interested in any of the following 5 “asks”, you are supporting the YPG (and could get to use the YPG logo in your comms channels and be listed on the national YPG website).

Can your organisation support

The 5 asks are:

1. Prepare young people for the world of work (e.g. support a school, offer work experience, mentoring)

2. Help young people to achieve their potential (e.g. support those looking for work, CV prep, work experience)

3. Invest in a skilled workforce (e.g. offer apprenticeships –modern or graduate)

4. Create jobs, volunteering and training opportunities (e.g. Kickstart, volunteering, paid work experience / interns)

5. Create an inclusive and fair workplace (e.g. living wage, disability confident etc.)

Employers don’t need to support all 5. If you are interested please email info@dywwest.co.uk and we can help you complete the form and support you on your journey to achieving the relevant asks (such as direct support from DYW or signpost / refer to partner organisations). Almost 700 employers across Scotland have so far pledged their support.

TOPTRACER DRIVING RANGE

Our state-of-the-art Toptracer driving range is the ideal practice facility for all your golfing needs and offers the opportunity to practice into the night with our long opening hours. Available to members and non-members.

OPENING TIMES: Monday - Friday 10.00am - 9.00pm | Saturday - Sunday 10.00am - 6.00pm

GOLF COURSE:

Our 18-hole championship course is spread over 360 acres, with stunning views over the Clyde Estuary.

CORPORATE GOLF: Bring a client or colleague and mix business with pleasure with our corporate membership and golf day packages.

GOLF PRO SHOP:

Our on-site Pro shop is well-stocked featuring all the essentials available to hire or buy.

The landscape of HR, 10 years on…

BeyondHR celebrates 10 years of business in 2024, marking a decade of significant change in the HR landscape. We have navigated economic downturns with ample layoffs to booms causing a shortfall of talented candidates. We watched the world embrace flexible working and a healthy work-life balance, including trials for 4-day weeks. As the world changes, we have seen developments in HR strategies and employee expectations.

Across the world we have experienced the overwhelming impact of technology in the workplace; the transition of social media from a distraction to a benefit for company reputation and recruitment. As Gen-Z enters the marketplace, we

continue to see adaptions and demands for better working conditions. There have also been countless changes to employment laws.

While many advances stand out from the past decade, the introduction of Artificial Intelligence has been the most impactful. Software such as ChatGPT, Fireflies.ai, Motion, and Lavender.ai, have all influenced how HR operates. Fireflies.ai has revolutionised meetings, improving efficiency by taking meeting notes and producing transcripts.

When used correctly, AI will enhance businesses, but the human element will remain crucial in various aspects of the working environment. We have already seen the benefits of smartphones and social media, so we recommend using AI tools to benefit the business.

Holding back on AI may leave your business processes behind while embracing it can push productivity by streamlining procedures. Employees may have more focus time on strategic elements of the business if their day-today tasks are supported with AI. Will AI take over human resources? Well, the clue is in the name, you can’t have HR without the human element. AI will merely complement the workplace but will fail to replace the human element of empathy, judgment, or complex decision-making.

We are excited about what the next 10 years will bring for BeyondHR and how we will develop our services for our clients and partners. We await to see the further innovations that will accompany these developments.

Maximise Employee Performance

Apprenticeship applications now open!

We’re looking for the next generation of:

• Technicians

• Bodyshop Technicians

• Aftersales Customer Advisors

• Rental Advisors

• Parts Advisors

• Electronic Fire & Security Alarm Engineers

To fi nd out more, search: Arnold Clark Apprenticeships

Diverse