Press Releases

GWBC member refocuses business

GWBC founder member Duncan Tannahill has restructured his business to suit the needs of clients as the economy climbs out of recession. Duncan’s business had majored on owning an ActionCOACH franchise and working with SME companies on a business coaching model helping them to grow and develop.

During the recession it became clear that businesses wanted more than just coaching where the owner is required to do the work of developing new systems and processes. This style of development has become increasingly challenging due to time pressures to implement the strategies identified due to businesses working much leaner than previously in terms of staff levels and so on.

The solution was clear and that has been to change the offering from business coaching to strategic development consulting where the company now works and implements the agreed activity for the client thus freeing them up to focus on the day to day activity of their business. Alongside this service, Duncan has now developed an executive coaching service to support senior people in companies with their own development and competencies so that in turn they can build a more competitive company.

And finally, the company has been renames and rebranded as The Tannahill Partnership Ltd reflecting the move away from the franchise influence and business coaching sole service offering.

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Awards are twice as nice for Mactaggart & Mickel Homes

Mactaggart & Mickel Homes triumphed at the Scottish Home Awards 2011 scooping not only the Small Housebuilder of the Year category but also the top accolade of the evening - Housebuilder of the Year. The awards recognise the cream of the housing industry and are judged by a panel of well respected property experts.

The family-owned housebuilder was praised by judges for its strategic approach to tackling tough market conditions which saw a significant positive swing of £7.8m in Group profit, returning from a loss last year. By diversifying into related sectors and creating its Timber Systems, Contracts and Commercial property divisions the company is well placed for the future.

Housebuilding remains the core of the business and Mactaggart & Mickel Homes’ commitment to quality and exceptional customer service was highlighted in addition to developments in marketing and social media.

The company also recognises the vital role it plays in futureproofing the industry not only through its innovative construction methods and comprehensive CSR strategy but most importantly through its extensive apprenticeship programme.

Joanne Casey, sales & marketing director at Mactaggart & Mickel Homes commented: “It is always gratifying to be recognised for your efforts, particularly by our peers in the property industry, and we’re delighted to have won these awards.

“This prestigious accolade will be a welcome boost for the entire Mactaggart & Mickel team right across our business, from our office based employees to our on-site workforce, not forgetting our suppliers and customers.”

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CM Design Consultants are delighted to announce that we are shortlisted in The Restaurant & Bar Design Awards 2011 and finalists in the Interiors category of The Scottish Design Awards 2011 for BrewDog’s new bar design being rolled out across the UK

You can view our entries online: click here / click here

Fingers and toes crossed for the awards ceremonies in Glasgow 19 May and London 7 July 2011

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P&R Services (Glasgow) Ltd

P & R Services (Glasgow) Ltd is celebrating a fantastic start to 2011 with a number of business successes. The company saw months of hard work pay off as they launched their brand new website, achieved ISO 9001:2008 accreditation and were also awarded a number of large contracts all within the space of a 4 week period.
P& R Services (Glasgow) Ltd is a Glasgow based safety testing company offering a variety of services including PAT testing, fixed wire testing, fire extinguisher servicing, supply and training, emergency lighting testing and fire alarm testing.

They are members of NAPIT, The National Association of Professional Inspectors and Testers, and have achieved Trustmark status. In February this year they added to this when they were awarded ISO9001:2008 accreditation. Achieving this accreditation is testament that P & R Services has all the required structures and procedures in place to ensure that customers receive a consistently high level of service whilst giving the company a competitive advantage when competing for new business and tenders.

P & R Services has also managed to secure a number of new business opportunities in recent months. Having previously worked with a well known retailer with over 3000 outlets throughout the UK the company were awarded the PAT testing nationally in January this year. They also managed to secure a number of new business opportunities, specifically in the area of fixed wire testing. Managing Director Allan Crockett is pleased with the direction the company is moving in, stating “Quite rightly P&R Services are delighted with our recent successes. They have not only secured the services of our existing team, it also means that we will be extending our workforce in our head office and the field.”

The company has also been working closely with local web design Print 4 Property and are delighted with the look of their new website, www.safetytesting.org. This was designed to give future and current clients the information they need to ensure that they comply with all legal requirements and to show the wide range of services that P & R Services offer. There are also a number of special offers available exclusively on the website.

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Westview Windows Celebrates Growth of Business with New Show Room

In the current economic climate you’d be forgiven for thinking that business expansion is a thing of the past, but Westview Windows, a reputable home improvement company is excited to announce the opening of their new showroom at their premises in Anniesland Business Park, in the West End of Glasgow on the 29th January.

To celebrate the opening, Westview Windows is offering one lucky customer on the day the chance to win £2,000 of products of their choice, and there is a lot to choose from as they offer windows, doors, sunrooms, porches, and conservatories all designed, manufactured and installed using their in-house expertise. For all those other customers not so lucky to win the competition there are still great deals to be had throughout February and March. Husband and wife Managing Directors, Kevin and Kirsty McGinn, stated that, “Given the current downturn in the economy it is great to be in a position to expand and we look forward to attracting a new customer base with the additional benefit is that as we grow we will seek to employ more people from the local community”.

On a personal level this opening also heralds a fresh start for Kevin McGinn who for the last two years has been battling a brain tumour and after some recent good news is back on board and looking forward to an exciting year ahead. “Our customers can expect an excellent, friendly and honest service and as a way of saying thank you for the amazing support and treatment I have received from the Beatson Institute, we will donate 10% from all confirmed sales on our opening day and we have nominated the Beatson Oncology Centre Fund as our 2011 charity and we will continue to raise funds throughout the year to support them”.

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Taylormade Marketing is delighted to unveil its new and recently developed branding and website

Taylormade Marketing is owned by marketer Liz Taylor who has a long career largely in consumer marketing within the food and drinks industry. With experience marketing in the UK and globally on brands as diverse as Pot Noodle, Wotsits, Jim Beam and The Macallan. Liz’s expertise lies in brand development, brand management and new product development. This provides a very sound basis for her consultancy and is useful when developing business and marketing plans for clients as well as advising on most aspects of marketing including social media opportunities.

The new branding was developed in conjunction with Jon Evans of Brass Creative and the structure of the website was developed by Philip Horne of e-Business Promotion .

Liz found that by following a clear briefing process, a distinctive creative route was quickly established, playing on the theme of “tailor made” or bespoke – which is largely what her marketing business is about - providing tailored solutions and measurable results for clients.

Liz would be delighted to talk to anyone contemplating a new marketing project, in need of an outsourced marketing resource or who wishes to understand the function of marketing in more detail.

www.taylormade-marketing.co.uk

0141 404 3469

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McClure Naismith - First Legal Firm To Secure UK-Wide Lexcel Accreditation

McClure Naismith LLP has become the first law firm to obtain UK wide accreditation by the UK’s only specialist quality accreditation system for the legal profession, Lexcel. Lexcel – which stands for Legal Excellence – provides clients with the assurance that a firm meets a series of exacting standards across a number of key areas of practice management and performance, including financial, people, clients, services and risk.

Launched in 1998, Lexcel is becoming the benchmark for best practice management of legal firms and is increasingly recognised by clients as a key indicator within tenders of focused and high quality client service. There is no comparable quality accreditation standard in Scotland. Winning Lexcel accreditation in Scotland means McClure Naismith will have a competitive advantage in pitches where there is an emphasis on strong practice management, client service and quality risk assessment.

Lorna Jack, Chief Executive of the Law Society of Scotland commented: “In a competitive and crowded legal market it is important for firms to demonstrate to clients that they have invested in and raised the standards of client care and practice management. Securing an accreditation such as Lexcel independently recognises that a firm is well managed and client focused.

McClure Naismith Chairman Alan Thomson added: “I am delighted that we are leading the way in Scotland - McClure Naismith has invested considerable time and resources to secure the prestigious Lexcel accreditation. The firm is now formally recognised for being highly client-focused and managed to an exacting standard.” Des Hudson, Chief Executive of the Law Society said: “Lexcel accreditation is now widely recognised and supported by the legal profession in England and Wales. We are pleased that the first firm in Scotland has now been accredited and would encourage others to follow suit”.

John Edwards of Recognising Excellence Ltd, the firm which undertakes the assessments required for Lexcel accreditation added: “McClure Naismith performed strongly across all areas of the external audit. Accreditation is quickly becoming a ‘must-have’ quality standard and we would urge more firms to ensure they are investing in their future”.

Find out more >

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A Glasgow West Business Club Member is one of 10 regional winners across the UK in the 2010 HSBC Start-Up Stars Awards in the running to win £30,000. Incentive Media, run by Susie Fraser, set up an innovative marketing company two years ago has had her firm named as Scotland’s top young business. Secretary of State Vince Cable, said:  “Celebrating our enterprising business culture is a wonderful way to highlight the essential role of entrepreneurship and commerce in Britain today.”

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July 2010

The Scottish Minority Ethnic Achievement Awards 2010

The Scottish Minority Ethnic Achievement Awards 2010 champions the Minority Ethnic talent from across Scotland and brings together individuals, communities and businesses from a wide array of fields. This year one of our members  K A Javid won the Scottish Ethnic Award for Best Small Business  2010 at the Glasgow Hilton on the 25th June 2010.

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April 2010

NEWS FLASH: KUBE WINS MAJOR PUBLIC SECTOR ISDN DATA CONTRACT

Kube Networks have secured a major public sector contract to supply International ISDN data calls, the 2 year contract worth £350k was secured against a number of global carriers.

Fraser Ferguson said “ This is a significant win for Kube and cements our place as the alternative to BT in Scotland, our commitment to customer service and our ability to reduce costs against BT and other carriers ensures Kube continues to be the telecommunications partner of choice for Voice and Data solutions and IT services to business and the public sector”

For further information on Kube Networks & what we can do for you contact sales@kubenetworks.com

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April 2010

THE LIMITED COMPANY OF THE YEAR  AWARD is presented to TAYLOR HOPKINSON ASSOCIATES at the Glasgow West Regeneration Awards

In moments of adversity there are still opportunities for those who look for them.  The recession came at a great time for Tom Hopkinson.  The heavy reduction in interest rates meant his mortgage payments were drastically reduced, freeing up money to allow him to consider setting up his own recruitment company servicing the renewable energy, clean technology and sustainability market.   

The lull in the recruitment market meant the costs of being out of the market for a short time while starting the company were low, as clients were not recruiting.  Tom also gambled on the Offshore Wind announcements being made in good time and the market picking up later in 2009.  Luckily the market for renewables did pick up as predicted in October last year and the company achieved 82% over their eventual annual turnover in the second two quarters of the year, which made last October pretty stressful for Tom, especially given that his wife was pregnant and he was the only bread winner at the time. But fortune favours the brave and combined with the hard work of his small team, their market knowledge and their belief in their service offering they won through, recently taking on 4 new staff and moving into bigger offices. The company is now looking forward to consolidating this early success in year two by continuing to grow its reputation as a leader in engineering, development and operations recruitment for renewable energy projects in the wind, wave, tidal, biomass, biofuels and clean technology sectors in UK and international markets.

Tom Hopkinson, managing director was delighted to receive this award and  thanks Glasgow West Regeneration for their support and help – with special thanks and appreciation to Diane McGranaghan, his business advisor.

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