Glasgow THE MAGAZINE OF GLASGOW CHAMBER OF COMMERCE FREE TO CHAMBER MEMBERS / £4.99 FOR NON MEMBERS WINTER 2019 Celebrating success Meet the winners of the 22nd annual Glasgow Business Awards NEWS DYW GLASGOW AWARDS SPECIAL FEATURES The very latest from First Glasgow All the winners from Fintech and growing 12 Chamber members 18 partners with DYW 19 the ICAs and GBAs 35 your business 2 www.glasgowchamberofcommerce.com Contents Winter 2019 www.glasgowchamberofcommerce.com Regulars 04 President – Jim McHarg reflects on his two-year tenure 06 International Trade – Welcoming inward missions 07 Intel – Andrew Jarvis, MD of First Bus (Scotland) 09 Chief Executive – Working with our international chambers 10 Circular Glasgow – Find out about the story so far 18 DYW Glasgow – First Glasgow partners up with DYW 18 Events 08 Glasgow Talks – with Eddie Hawthorne, CEO and Group Managing Director, Arnold Clark Automobiles, and Lord Willie Haughey OBE, Executive Chairman, City Facilities Management Holdings Ltd 19 ICAs 2019 – Meet the winners of the Inspiring City Awards 26 GBAs 2019 – Meet the winners of the Glasgow Business Awards Special features 24 Crane count shows new 07 35 investment in Glasgow 35 Fintech sector is making its mark on Scotland 40 Advice for growing your small business News & updates 12 The latest from Glasgow Chamber members 16 An update on the work of our partners 43 New member listings 24 12 46 Our contacts and partners The polywrap Glasgow Business is delivered in Editor: Anne Marie Hughes is 100% recyclable! Please make sure to recycle Production and design: Connect Publications (Scotland) Ltd Glasgow the polywrap cover from your magazine. This magazine is made using paper from Advertising: David Hughes – 0131 561 0022 sustainable managed forests and is recyclable. Chief Writer: Kenny Kemp www.glasgowchamberofcommerce.com 3 President Many highlights As Jim McHarg reaches the conclusion of a two-year tenure, he reflects on his time working with a passionate Chamber team and the inspiring businesses of Glasgow AS I WRITE WHAT WILL BE MY LAST introduction to Glasgow Business magazine, it has been both an honour and a privilege to serve as Membership remains healthy and your President and to work with the extremely capable and passionate increasing and we are welcoming many team at Glasgow Chamber of Commerce and to lead the Board new faces at our events” and Council of Directors on behalf of you, our members. There have been many highlights throughout my two-year tenure, It was also great to acknowledge at multiple levels. but few can match the joy and Ian Curle, who after running the On the international front, it has admiration of witnessing Glasgow Edrington Group as CEO for the last been fantastic to have been able to businesses earning their place in 15 years, was awarded the Glasgow represent the Chamber at various the spotlight at the annual Glasgow Chamber of Commerce Award for events in Berlin and Milan and to Business Awards. It is the undoubted Lifetime Achievement. have been part of a trade mission pinnacle of the Chamber’s events Ian has been instrumental in to China in November. Despite the calendar, and a showcase of all that transforming the business from a volatile, uncertain, complex and is great about our city and we are successful scotch whisky producer ambiguous world that we live and once again grateful to Royal Bank employing 900 people, to a leading do business in, your Chamber has of Scotland for being our headline premium spirits brand building the been forging ahead to establish sponsor for this, the 22nd year of the company with 3000 employees relationships in these countries, and awards. It was a personal pleasure across many international others, to assist businesses in Glasgow for me to be able to welcome our locations. More locally, in recent in developing connections in order dinner guests and congratulate all years, the company’s executive to trade across borders - which is the winners, those commended, the head office is back in the centre of aligned to our founding principle. runners-up, and all the companies Glasgow, in Queen Street, while the I have enjoyed every minute of who put themselves forward for company, under Ian’s leadership, being your President and I wish Stuart, these prestigious prizes. made fabulous investment in the team and my successor every AIt is so pleasing to see a year Scotland with the new Macallan success as they take the Chamber on year increase in the diversity Distillery on Speyside. forward into the next decade and with of nominations for each of the As I step down at the end of your involvement and support we can categories; ranging from the well January 2020 and hand over the role continue to make Glasgow an even established businesses in the city of President to my successor, I would better place to do business in, live in to our emerging businesses and like to thank Stuart Patrick and his and visit. younger business leaders who are dedicated and hard-working team at rightly on the stage picking up the Chamber. One of my ambitions Jim McHarg, President prizes. That’s all great news and as President was to encourage president@glasgowchamber bodes well for the future. more Glasgow businesses to see ofcommerce.com By way of an example, we saw the value of being a member of Cameron Facenna, one of the the Chamber where they could younger family members from network, learn, collaborate and Allied Vehicles Group, the business influence the direction of the many crowned Most Outstanding changes that the city is driving for Business, stepping up to collect the and experiencing. I believe that we prize; Kieran Coyle, of Premiership have made good progress in this Experience, winning Entrepreneur area with membership remaining of the Year; while Tony Quinn, of healthy and increasing and we are Silver Cloud, won Young Business welcoming many new faces at our Person of the Year for targeting events. In addition to this, during the millennial customers, while his last two years, we have introduced company won Best Performing our five policy forums and I Small-Medium Business. All young acknowledge the traction businesspeople that deserve the gained, commitment and recognition for their ambition, drive work done by all of the forum and commitment to achieve great members as they engage things for their businesses. with and influence city policy 4 www.glasgowchamberofcommerce.com Advertising Feature Working with SQA Business support from Scotland’s national awarding and accreditation body s Scotland’s national have a productive relationship with SQA. working with SQA,” says David. “We hear awarding and David continues: “We knew that from our clients about their needs and accreditation body, the SQA have one of their offices close requirements, and we see first-hand Scottish Qualifications to our training centre in Glasgow, from the training room how our courses Authority (SQA) provides and we knew we would be assigned are received by candidates. To have that aA wide range of high-quality, widely a dedicated regional manager, who insight, and then have the chance to recognised qualifications and would be available to work with us, and work with the body responsible to shape assessment services. would be flexible to our requirements. the next iteration of those awards is a That was one of the main draws We were also conscious that our own fantastic opportunity for our business.” for QA Ltd, a UK-wide provider of staff were familiar with delivering SQA David adds: “Having SQA in our vocational training programmes and qualifications, recognised the brand and corner is a key component of our apprenticeships. The team at QA chose associated standards, and how best to success. Having their branding on our to work with SQA because prospective engage students with it. literature helps us sell our services to candidates would already be familiar “Familiarity with SQA products and our clients, but more importantly having with SQA branding, as well as the services also meant that we were in a the relationship with the team at SQA awards and qualifications they offer, and position to better advise our clients of means we’re in a stronger position the currency they have with employers. the most appropriate pathways for their to better serve our customers, and to Speaking at their office on Renfield staff. Without the foundation of the provide them with the support and Street in Glasgow, David Hannah relationship we have with Derek and the guidance about the options that best (pictured above left), Head of Delivery rest of the team at SQA, we wouldn’t match their and their learners’ needs.” Apprenticeships at QA Ltd, says: “We be able to offer the services or the felt that as a Scotland-based training standards that we do.” For more information about how provider, we should be working with Derek adds: “The geographic your business could work with Scotland’s awarding body. For us, that closeness allows us to strengthen our SQA, call 0303 333 0330, or visit was the correct thing to do.” working relationship. David and I talk www.sqa.org.uk/WorkWithUs David continues: “Delivering in regularly about his business, and how a devolved area, we wanted the we can support their needs, whether qualifications we offer to have a that’s long-term strategic goals, or distinctive Scottish identity, and our simply chatting over an issue or a candidates said they already had an point of detail to make QA’s day-to-day understanding of who SQA is, and what activities run that bit smoother.” a qualification awarded by them means.