Scottish Enterprise Chairman visits Tayside
The new chairman of Scottish Enterprise, Crawford Gillies, visited Tayside on Thursday to find out more about how the region is responding to the current economic challenges.
Mr Gillies met with Scottish Enterprise colleagues in Dundee to find out how the organisation is successfully working with local businesses and industry sectors to help them grow during the current economic climate.
As part of his trip Mr Gillies also visited David Ritchie (Implements) Ltd, a growing engineering and manufacturing fabrication company. The company provides specialist equipment to the farming industry and over the last three decades has also become a major player in the supply of innovative material handling and storage solutions for the offshore, gas and chemical, security, medical, defence and utility markets. Employing 120 people, the company is based near Forfar.
Speaking after the visit, Mr Gillies said: “Despite economic challenges, it is clear that Tayside continues to be home to a number of prosperous companies and industries. With the regeneration of the Dundee Waterfront, the development of the Port, as well as the potential of securing a satellite of the Victoria and Albert Museum, Tayside is reinventing itself and driving forward its economic performance.
“The launch of our recent Business Plan highlighted how we intend to support customers in responding to the challenges they are currently facing while also trying to ensure they are in the best possible position to respond when the markets pick up again.”
“David Ritchie Ltd is an impressive, highly entrepreneurial business that maintains an outstanding reputation of providing goods and services to a wide range of industries and is an excellent example of the type of company that we want to work with and ensure they continue to make a positive impact on Scotland’s economy.”
Tony Walker, Managing Director of David Ritchie Ltd, said
“We were pleased to show Mr Gillies around David Ritchie Ltd. It gave us the opportunity to discuss our business strategy at the highest level and we very much welcome his input.
“As a company we will continue to work closely with Mr Gillies’s colleagues in Tayside whose expertise and input are proving invaluable.
Crawford Gillies is Chairman of Control Risks Group Holdings Ltd, Hammonds LLP and Touch Bionics Ltd; and a Non-Executive Director of Standard Life Plc. He was an independent member of the DTI's Management Board and Strategy Board from 2002 to 2007, and chaired the DTI's Audit and Risk Committee from 2003 to 2007. He is a former Chairman of CBI London.
Mr Gillies is committed to developing Scottish talent internationally. He is a long-standing member of SE's International Advisory Board and has chaired the Saltire Foundation since 2007.