Welcome to Business Bites – a weekly round-up of positive business stories from Tayside and Fife.
From barbers to builders, stockbrokers to stallholders, we want to hear from you.
We want to celebrate the achievements of local businesses of all sizes whether that’s winning deals, adding staff, investing, adding products and services or inspiring progress.
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1. A £3.1m deal for Deanestor
Dunfermline furniture and fit-out specialist Deanestor has won a £3.1 million deal.
It will manufacture and install bespoke kitchens and wardrobes for a new £80m build-to-rent neighbourhood in Glasgow developed by Moda Living.
Deanestor’s will provide 433 kitchens and 599 wardrobe sets for the high-tech studios and apartments.
Ramsay McDonald, managing director of Deanestor Scotland, said: “We engaged with Robertson at the early pre-construction planning stages of this project.
“We look forward to starting on site and to completing the furniture and fitout works by Spring 2023.”
2. Thorntons takes on trainees
Thorntons, whose headquarters is in Dundee, has announced five new trainees will join the firm this March.
A further 12 trainees will join the expanding business in September.
Each year, hundreds of law students and graduates apply for a place on Thorntons’ traineeship programme. Successful candidates excel during that selection process.
Gemma Vear and Ellen Grant will join the private client team in Perth. Latasha Kirimbai joins the same team in Edinburgh.
Andrew MacQueen joins the business law team and Euan McLaughlan becomes part of the residential property team in Dundee.
Lesley Larg, managing partner of Thorntons, said: “Trainees are key to our future success.
“Helping them gain a valuable breadth of experience to further develop their legal, business and client skills, is something we pride ourselves on.”
Thorntons announced last week that it will merge with Edinburgh-based Stuart & Stuart WS on April 1.
3. RS Robertson Financial Planning merger
A Cupar financial planning company has expanded to become one of the largest in Fife.
RS Robertson Financial Planning has gained one of Fife’s only chartered financial planners, Greg Mackie.
David Haddow, a financial planning consultant who ran his own business, also joins.
Meanwhile Kirsty Clark has been promoted to financial planning consultant and Beverley Christie has become operations director.
Gordon Laing, managing director of RS Robertson Financial Planning, said: “Our new appointments will allow us to build and reinforce our offering.”
4. Dundee Gift Card launch
A new local gift card to help boost tourism and support efforts to keep spending local will launch in Dundee.
More than 60 businesses are supporting the scheme.
Dundee Ice Arena, Camperdown Wildlife Centre and McManus Art Gallery & Museum and V&A Dundee will accept the gift card, which is a pre-paid Mastercard.
Perth tech firm Miconex is behind the programme. It runs 130 gift card programmes in the UK, including Perth and Kirkcaldy.
Miconex managing director Colin Munro said: “If each Dundee household bought a £50 Dundee Gift Card, that would be over £3.5m locked into the city.
“There is huge potential to support local people, jobs and businesses at this vital stage in the recovery process.”
5. Lindsays appointments hat-trick
Legal firm and estate agency RSB Lindsays has made a hat-trick of new appointments in Dundee.
Lawyer Sienna Sproson joins as an associate in the private client team, joining from Blackadders.
Andrew Anderson has been promoted to property manager, having joined RSB Lindsays as a negotiator last July.
Ellie Riddell has been appointed as a property negotiator in the department.
RSB Lindsays managing partner Alasdair Cummings said: “The development of our Dundee team is a real source of pride.
“It signals our growth ambitions for the region.”
6. Fishers holds masterclass
A group of hospitality industry apprentices had a masterclass in washing and ironing at Fishers in Cupar.
Scotland’s largest commercial laundry and textile rental business welcomed 12 trainees from a range of hospitality and tourism venues in and around Aberdeen.
Fishers launders more than two million items a week at the height of Scotland’s tourist season.
7. Cellexus targets new markets
Dundee biotechnology firm Cellexus is gearing up for expansion with the appointment of Fiona Bellot as sales director.
Cellexus manufactures the CellMaker bioreactor system. It is used by scientists to scale up cell culture in their laboratories to develop new products and vaccines.
Fiona will lead Cellexus through a period of growth as they set their sights on new markets.
8. Babcock LGE win Maritime UK Award
Fife-based Babcock LGE (Liquid Gas Equipment) scooped the award for innovation at Maritime UK Awards.
It acknowledges the Rosyth company’s world-leading, cargo handling and fuel gas solutions to shipyards and shipowners.
Neale Campbell, managing director of Babcock LGE, said: “This award is testament to the hard work and ambition of every member of the team.”
9. Abertay Uni degrees in Hong Kong
A professional training institute in Hong Kong is now able to award Abertay University degrees.
The Social Resources Development Institute (SRDI), will run the third year of the civil engineering degree programme in the country.
SRDI tutors will carry out the teaching with Abertay staff moderating their assessments.
Andrea Cameron, dean of the School of Applied Sciences, said: “This is a significant milestone in Abertay’s determination to expand our international connections.”
10. Dundee and Angus Chamber event
A Dundee & Angus Chamber of Commerce (DACC) event on March 24 will discuss sustainability.
The in-person event at the Chamber’s City Quay offices will hear about Dundee’s Net Zero commitment and the Circular Tayside charter.
Dundee City Council leader John Alexander is among the speakers.
The Little Green Larder, SolarisKit and Keep Scotland Beautiful will share their sustainability journeys.
Alison Henderson, DACC chief executive, said: “From climate positive gin to decarbonising transportation, we see so much growth in local businesses operating at the cutting edge of net zero business.”
People can register for the event here.
11. Perth Ambassadors Network meeting
Perth Ambassadors Network held an in-person event looking at businesses moving forward from COP26.
Mr Robertson, who is also chair of Perth City Leadership Forum, hosted the event.
He said: “As the first Ambassador event for two years, it was hugely encouraging to see such a significant turnout of senior business leaders from across the area.”
