The shortlist for 2019 ROCCO Awards has been revealed and business across Renfrewshire are in for some top honours.
Aesthetic Suites are in the Renfrewshire’s favourite business category and Nichola and Kristine would like to say, they appreciate the nominations from their clients to get to the final of the Rocco business award for Renfrewshire’s favourite business. Voting has now opened and we would be so grateful for votes. You can vote online here.
With the wide range of sophisticated techniques at our disposal, as well as our ability to carry out all of the more basic cosmetic tasks to the very highest standard, you can be sure that we have everything required to provide you with the striking results you deserve.
The Chamber is delighted to announce that Paisley.is has been confirmed as main sponsor of Rocco 2019 for second year.
Cllr Iain Nicolson, Leader of Renfrewshire Council, said: “I am delighted that Paisley.is will be the headline sponsor for this year’s ROCCOs event.
“The ROCCOs are a highlight in the calendar of the Renfrewshire business community and do such a great job of showcasing the creativity and entrepreneurialism putting Renfrewshire firmly on the map as a business destination of choice.
“We have had great support for the Paisley.is destination brand from the business community and from the Chamber as we look to sell the benefits of doing business in Renfrewshire.
“I’m proud of the strength and the success of our business community, and it is a pleasure to be able to honour the best of the best at the 2019 awards.”
The ROCCO’s now in their 16th year are open for entry and are Renfrewshire’s premier business event.
CEO Bob Grant said, “The Chamber is delighted to welcome Paisley Is as returning main sponsor for Rocco 2019. The destination brand has grown since launch and its important role continues to highlight our strengths as a commercial location demonstrating we are open for business. We look forward to building on our key partnerships, encouraging investment and visitors to Renfrewshire.
Thank you to all our category sponsors, without their support, the ROCCO’s would not be possible. I encourage businesses & organisations from all sectors to consider entering in 2019. Winning a ROCCO is a great achievement and competition is always fierce. Across the 17 categories we have something for everyone; from a sole trader or young entrepreneur & community group to well established SMEs and large corporates. You have plenty of time to enter the Rocco’s however please don’t leave it to the last minute. You can enter as many categories as you wish, and if you are planning to attend please book early, the ROCCO’s sell out every year well before the event.”
The ROCCO’s are free to enter for members based anywhere plus non-members that are based in Renfrewshire. The 17 categories this year are:
ROCCO Award for Excellence in Customer Service – sponsored by the Scottish Leather Group
ROCCO Award for Developing the Young Workforce (West) – sponsored by DYW (West)
ROCCO Award for Excellence in Manufacturing – sponsorship available
ROCCO Award for Innovation & Technology – sponsored by Creation IP
ROCCO Award for International Trade – sponsored by Glasgow Airport
ROCCO Award for Invest in Renfrewshire – sponsored by Renfrewshire Council / Invest in Renfrewshire
ROCCO Award for Most Promising New Business – sponsored by Renfrewshire Council
ROCCO Award for Employer of the Year – sponsored by West College Scotland
ROCCO Award for Family Business of the Year – sponsored by The Malcolm Group
ROCCO Award for Young Business Person of the Year – sponsored by Rolls-Royce
ROCCO Award for Business Leader of the Year – sponsored by Diageo
ROCCO Award for Excellence in Tourism – sponsored by Paisley.is
ROCCO Award for Community Champion – sponsored by Engage Renfrewshire & The Royal Bank of Scotland
ROCCO Award for Outstanding Performing Business with 5 or less employees – sponsored by intu Braehead
ROCCO Award for Outstanding Performing Business <25 employees – sponsorship available
ROCCO Award for Outstanding Performing Business >25 employees – sponsorship available
ROCCO Award for Renfrewshire’s Favourite Business – sponsored by the Paisley Daily Express (nominations open end of August)
The awards are open for entry until the 6th September. Shortlist will be announced end September and the winners announced at our awards ceremony on Friday 15th November at The Normandy Hotel hosted by Fred MacAulay.
On the night a charity raffle will support 2 charities including Accord Hospice
For more info and to enter / book a table – please visit www.roccoawards.com
The social medial hashtag is #2019Rocco
The Lightweight Manufacturing Centre opening in Renfrewshire represents “a significant step in our ambitions to be the beating heart of modern Scottish manufacturing”.
That’s according to Renfrewshire Council Leader Iain Nicolson who joined First Minister Nicola Sturgeon at the official centre opening today (Wednesday 26 June 2019).
The centre is the first phase of the National Manufacturing Institute Scotland (NMIS) which is being built in the Advanced Manufacturing Innovation District Scotland (AMIDS).
Based in the Doosan Babcock facilities at Westway Park and run by the University of Strathclyde, the centre helps manufacturing companies to benefit from lightweighting technology.
Lightweighting is already adopted in the high-value automotive and aerospace industries, developing lighter components
that provide a range of benefits including improved speed, increased strength, reduced costs and greater sustainability.
“I’m delighted to see the Lightweight Manufacturing Centre officially open and I’m excited by the benefits it can offer to manufacturers big and small,” said Councillor Nicolson.
“Every business is looking for that competitive edge while also recognising the importance of reducing their impact on the environment and I look forward to seeing local businesses benefiting from its expertise over the coming years.”
In partnership with the Scottish Government and Scottish Enterprise, Renfrewshire Council is leading development of the Advanced Manufacturing Innovation District Scotland.
Work starts this summer on the enabling infrastructure to transform a 52-hectare site next to Glasgow Airport into a hub for manufacturing innovation, home to NMIS and a £56million Medicines Manufacturing Innovation Centre.
Councillor Nicolson added: “There are already 9000 manufacturing jobs in Renfrewshire and it accounts for more than 20% of our economic output. There’s great potential to grow this even further and the Lightweight Centre opening is a significant step in our ambitions to be the beating heart of modern Scottish manufacturing.
“We have always been a place rich in creativity and innovation and look forward to supporting the development of these major investments, ensuring they bring jobs and opportunities to everyone in Renfrewshire.”
Find out more about the Advanced Manufacturing Innovation District Scotland.
Michelle Ferguson is Director of Scotland’s Bravest Manufacturing Company, which is a division of Royal British Legion Industries and a Social Enterprise which supports armed forces veterans and others with disabilities. Here she outlines how they have benefited from working with the team at the Lightweight Manufacturing Centre.
“We took over the premises in Erskine Hospital Estate last year and have grown to a team of 17, with our main aim of helping people who face barriers to employment to learn new manufacturing skills, gain confidence and independence.
“We manufacture road and rail signs, specialist engineering cutting and prototypes. We became aware quite early in our manufacturing days that a number of these products had a real impact on the environment, causing thousands of tons to end up in landfill each year, so we wanted to consider a way to prevent this where possible and potentially re-manufacture them.
“As we didn’t have the technological know-how, we approached the University of Strathclyde’s Advanced Forming Research Centre who put us in touch with the team at the Lightweight Manufacturing Centre.
“I was surprised and delighted that they would give consideration to a Social Enterprise project like ours and they were so welcoming, involving our Operations Manager Andy Russell along with two of our veteran factory operatives Gary Jamieson and William Murray, throughout the full process.
“Everything about them was positive and their expertise has helped us to find a solution which we’re now exploring further. We see it as a game-changer which could have a hugely positive impact on the environment.
“We’re very proud to be based in Renfrewshire, where manufacturing is a real growth industry and embracing new technology and innovation. Many people may come to us initially because we’re a social enterprise, but they stay with us because of the quality products we manufacture.”
Contractors and suppliers won’t want to miss out on a ‘meet the buyer’ event for Glasgow Airport Investment Area contracts
Wills Bros Civil Engineering Limited are holding the drop-in event from 3pm to 7pm on Wednesday 26 June at the Normandy Hotel in Renfrew.
The drop-in event includes a presentation at 4pm. To register your attendance and for more details, visit the Meet the Buyer event website.
The Motherwell-based company secured the £21million construction contract to deliver the enabling infrastructure underpinning the Advanced Manufacturing Innovation District Scotland.
Now they are looking to hear from contractors and suppliers who carry out a wide range of works including groundworks and drainage, landscaping, fencing and street lighting.
Councillor John Shaw, Convener of Renfrewshire Council’s Finance, Resources and Customer Services Policy Board, said: “I would encourage all local suppliers and contractors to come along to this event and hear all about the available opportunities on offer and what steps they need to take to ensure they can bid to secure them.
“Meet the buyer events are just one of the benefits of the Glasgow Airport Investment Area project which, completed, will create a new home for advanced manufacturing and help attract thousands of new jobs to Renfrewshire.”
The Glasgow Airport Investment Area project is jointly funded by the UK and Scottish Governments through the £1.13billion Glasgow City Region City Deal and will see new roads, bridges, cycleways and footpaths being built connecting into a site next to Glasgow Airport.
Abbotsinch Road will be upgraded and realigned and a new bridge constructed spanning the White Cart from Wright Street to an approach road off Arran Avenue, offering access for cyclists, pedestrians and Wright Street businesses.
There’s also a new cycle and pedestrian bridge across the Black Cart and an off-road cycle link between Abbotsinch Road and the A8 Greenock Road.
Work starts this summer and is expected to be completed in 2020.
Supply chain events are part of 60 community benefits included in the contract, together with opportunities for apprenticeships and support for community projects.
Find out more about the Glasgow Airport Investment Area project.
Live at Thomas Coats Memorial as part of the 100 Days to Save Coats, LNP Promotions put on a gig which just blew all 700 members of the audience away with her intimate connection with the public through music, there was wit, storytelling and even history about the Bard himself Robert Burns all in the setting of the Gothic style Thomas Coats Memorial.
The Building is doing lots of events and next weekend is the penultimate weekend with mass choirs all with an aim to ask the public for donations to save this historic and beautiful building. Here is some footage from last night thanks to Paisley Buddie Drones and Brian McGuire.
We must thank LNP Promotions, Gary Kerr, Tommy McGrory and so many more volunteers for giving us access last night so we could promote the event afterwards via video and photographs to the public. I hope you enjoy this small video we made last night.
Renfrewshire Chamber’s B2B event “Business Matters in Renfrewshire” – the largest free networking event of its kind in Renfrewshire, is now open for registration click here
Thursday 16th May 10am-4pm, The Lagoon – Paisley, sponsored by Paisley.is
Hashtag is #b2bpaisley
50+ exhibitors and 6 free seminars throughout the day.
The day is a great opportunity for you to network with 50+ organisations in one go, learn some new “stuff” or update your existing knowledge, all business people, students & senior pupils welcome.
For event & exhibitor information click here
Register for all Seminars here
Seminar 1, 10.15-11.00 “Paisley.is: 1 year on & game changing city deal developments” with the Paisley.is team & Renfrewshire Council
register here
Seminar 2, 11.15-12.00 “Social Now to Social Wow!” with NSDesign
register here
Seminar 3, 12.15-13.00 “Doing Business with Renfrewshire Council” with Invest in Renfrewshire & Procurement Team.
register here
Seminar 4, 13.15-14.00 “How to win business using LinkedIn” with fatBuzz
register here
Seminar 5, 14.15-15.00 “How to Grow a Greener Business” with Resource Efficient Scotland, a programme of Zero Waste Scotland.
register here
Seminar 6, 15.15-16.00 “Business Futures: Accelerating Digital, Social & Transformational Tech” with UWS.
register here
Please share with any colleagues or friends that may be interested to attend
50 + exhibitors confirmed so far with room for more.
Cost to exhibit: £150+vat members, £250+vat non-members.
Contact lconnor@renfrewshirechamber.com or bgrant@renfrewshirechamber.com to enquire about stand availability.
Study underlines Glasgow Airport’s economic importance to Scotland –
A study published today (Wednesday, January 30) confirms the valuable contribution Glasgow Airport makes to the Scottish economy.
The economic impact study reveals the airport, which welcomed 9.7 million passengers in 2018, generates in excess of £1.44 billion (GVA) annually and supports more than 30,000 jobs across Scotland.
Produced by economists York Aviation, the study also outlined that if Glasgow continues to grow as forecast in its Master Plan the airport would contribute £2.54 billion (GVA), support over 43,000 jobs and welcome 17 million passengers annually by 2040.
The study also confirms Glasgow’s critical role as a gateway for global exports and imports, with the airport handling more than £3.5bn in goods in 2017.
Mark Johnston, Glasgow Airport’s Managing Director, said: “This study confirms the huge economic benefits the airport generates for the city and Scotland each year. With a total annual economic impact of £1.44 billion supporting over 30,000 jobs nationwide, the findings are very encouraging and show that when Glasgow Airport succeeds Scotland shares the benefit.
“These findings are hugely significant and we want to continue to grow in a sustainable and responsible manner. We have invested more than £130 million in our facilities since 2011 and have a strategy in place through our Master Plan to put us on the path to becoming a 17-million passenger airport by 2040. By this point the airport would also support a further 13,000 jobs and generate an additional £1.1 billion annually.
“We can’t do this on our own and it is imperative that through the ongoing support of our city and national partners we ensure Glasgow Airport continues to thrive and deliver for Scotland. To do this we also need to address the current constraints such as motorway congestion and delivering the planned rail link.”
A new Advanced Manufacturing Innovation District (AMID) next to the airport is also set to create up to 10,000 additional jobs. To date, two anchor tenants have been confirmed – the £56-million Medical Manufacturing Innovation Centre (MMIC) and the £65-million National Manufacturing Institute for Scotland (NMIS).
The study has been produced to inform Glasgow Airport’s 2040 Master Plan, which will be published for public consultation later this year.
Renfrewshire North & West MSP Derek Mackay said: “Renfrewshire benefits hugely from having Glasgow Airport on our doorstep, forming a vital part of our local community.
“The economic growth and jobs the Airport brings to the local area, and to the wider West of Scotland region, is massive, and has had a huge positive knock-on effect throughout Renfrewshire and the surrounding areas.”
Glasgow Chamber of Commerce Chief Executive Stuart Patrick said: “The results of this study further reinforce the view that Glasgow Airport is the West of Scotland’s most important transport hub and strengthens the case for it having a nationally-funded direct rail connection.
“Glasgow’s economic strategy is aiming for one million new inbound tourists every year and is planning for a growing population, 100,000 new jobs and the same number of new houses around the region. This needs a successful airport with a wide range of direct flights.
“So, the ambition is there, and the Glasgow Airport team does a first-class job in pitching the city as a strong investment destination for the world’s airlines.”
Bob Grant, Renfrewshire Chamber of Commerce Chief Executive, said: “This report brings into sharp focus the value of Glasgow Airport as a key infrastructure asset to the Scottish economy. There is huge potential to increase GVA to 2040 via the Master Plan.
“Government, along with public and private sector partners can support that growth by understanding the challenges of competing in a global marketplace. In today’s economic climate growth is never guaranteed.
“Thousands of jobs are coming to Renfrewshire and the City Region with the development of innovation hubs such as AMID. An enhanced transport infrastructure is required to facilitate this expansion.
“Delivery of the planned rail-link is an essential component of that strategy and will support Glasgow Airport as they continue to invest many millions for the benefit of our economy.”
In December last year it was announced that Emirates would introduce the iconic A380 aircraft to the airline’s Dubai service – a first in Scottish aviation history. Glasgow Airport is currently investing more than £8 million to upgrade its facilities in preparation for the arrival of the world’s largest commercial aircraft in April this year.
For the month of January we are offering a 25% off discount to new members who join the Chamber.
Kick start 2019 by joining Renfrewshire’s largest business network and take advantage of the benefits of membership.
Networking
We run various events throughout the year. Our monthly networking lunches held at local hotels are attended by 50-70 delegates from businesses based in Renfrewshire and the surrounding areas. New members receive a free place at one of these lunches on joining.
Other events include: a New Members Event, Pitch and Roll Networking, HR Forum, our annual B2B Event in May and Business awards… the ROCCO’s.
Business Mentoring
Free business mentoring in an area or skill you are looking to develop for a period of one year.
Marketing
Members can tap in to our marketing channels for free. Please send us any press releases or editorial to be featured on our website. Anything featured on our website will also be sent out to members in our eNews – sent every 2-3weeks. Our quarterly publication, Business Matters, is circulated to members and is distributed to business centres, coffee shops, council offices and hotels in the Renfrewshire. New members receive a free quarter page of editorial.
Free Chamber HR, Health & Safety, Legal & Tax Services
These services give you unlimited access to no less than five business advice lines and website which features over 750 free downloadable template documents. You are also protected by £1,000,000 of legal expenses insurance which includes employment cover and tax enquiry cover.
Contact Jill Carrino for more information on how your business can benefit from Chamber Membership – 0141 847 5450 jcarrino@renfrewshirechamber.com
