contents Welcome .................................... 3 Editor’s Introduction................... 4 New Directors Introduction ..... 4-5 Chamber Support ....................... 6 Chamber Sponsor Partners ......... 9 Members’ News .................. 10-14
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Welcome
e work hard to serve the needs of our diverse membership and continually grow our services and add value. Feedback from our Annual Membership Survey was extremely positive as well as providing us with valuable information on what our members need and want. We will continue to use these needs to shape our activities going forward and thank those who took the time to take part in completing the survey. Taking part is very important. Those members who are active in membership reap more benefits and this goes for participating in other activities too. One of the main Chamber functions is to promote opportunities and represent our members so that the needs of our local business community are heard. It is for this reason that we distribute information and collate feedback and opinion or encourage participation in a number of consultations. These consultations are of huge importance to our business lives and recent topics for consultation include the Local Area Development Plan and +16 Education and we can now take part in the British Chambers of Commerce’s Quarterly Business Survey. Please do take the time to take part and participate in these worthwhile exercises which are used to shape the business world you and I operate in. It is important to have your say, and it is important that we don’t leave it and hope that somebody else will do it instead of us. A huge benefit of being part of the Perthshire Chamber of Commerce is that there is strength in numbers. A terrific example of joint effort is Perth’s successful bid to have its City status restored. The whole community here worked together to make a compelling case. The Chamber
was honoured to have assisted in developing the bid last year, and I would like to pay tribute to the work of our Honorary Director Mike Beale. The Chamber is ideally placed as a non-profit-making, independent membership organisation to bring together the businesses across Perthshire and provide business support and representation in various formats. Our rural roadshows have been a huge success. We have visited Blairgowrie, Kinross, Crieff, Pitlochry and Aberfeldy with these open events being chaired by our own Chamber Directors who live and/or work in each of these areas. We were delighted that David Littlejohn, Head of Planning and Regeneration at Perth and Kinross Council, accepted our invitation and joined us at each of these events where we learned of the makeup of the new structure and engaged with David on the many critical issues around planning and regeneration. We were also joined by a member of PKC’s Business Growth Team responsible for that particular area and if you have a business and are looking to grow, please do contact the team on 01738 477953 for assistance. Those thinking about Business Start Ups should be reminded that Business Gateway has an office in Perth again and can be contacted on 01738 448310. Talking of support…the Chamber is delighted to welcome a new Platinum Partner, the James Hutton Institute and two new Silver Partners, McLeod Glaziers and Black and Lizars. Their support and that of our existing Platinum, Gold and Silver Partners is very much appreciated. Stephen Leckie Chamber President
Delegation or Abdication? ....... 21 Competing Through Service ..... 25 Local Development Plan........... 26 City Status Restored to Perth .... 27 Glenlochy Trust’s 75th Anniversary......................... 28-29 Scotland’s Modern Apprentices.............................. 30 Employment Matters ................ 31 New Member Profiles .......... 32-34 Beekeepers have Perthshire Buzzing ............... 36-37 Springtime in Perthshire ........... 40 Membership Benefits................ 41 Events ...................................... 42
Front Cover: photograph by Graeme Hart, Perthshire Picture Agency For advertising contact D-Tech on T: 01389 736000 E: sales@incommerce.biz For editorial enquiries contact the Editor, Vicki Unite on T: 01738 450401 E: info@perthshirechamber.co.uk Publisher: D-Tech Distribution: D-Tech Distribution InCommerce is published by D-Tech Graphic Design & Print Ltd. Unit 14, Birch Road, Broadmeadow Industrial Estate G82 2RE. Telephone 01389 736000. Fax 01389 736002. E-mail: info@dtechuk.com. Edited by Perthshire Chamber of Commerce, Algo Business Centre, Glenearn Road, Perth PH2 0NJ Tel: 01738 450401 Fax: 01738 450402 E-mail: info@perthshirechamber.co.uk. InCommerce is fully protected by copyright and nothing may be printed wholly or in part without the written permission of the publishers. The proprietors of this magazine are publishers and not agents, or sub-agents of those who advertise therein. They cannot be held liable for any loss suffered as a result of information gained from this publication.
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The Big Interview – John Swinney MSP .............. 17-19
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