By email from David Roberts:
Earlier this week we enacted a progressive piece of legislation on Domestic Abuse, it was reported that re-offending rates fell to a 19 year low and today we learn young women – having taken preventative action have all but wiped out a very cruel cancer. There is no shortage of things to talk up Scotland about. I attach a note based on press coverage of business investment in Scotland, primarily reported in late 2018. I don’t know if it is of value, it interests me as retired economist, that I have to search to find such news – back page of The Herald excepted . I’ve not mentioned the vital third sector – I live in rural Argyll and with it we would be missing c £20 million of investment raking place right now.
Half the countries in the world have fewer than 5 million people. We sit in the north of a small island off continental Europe and ….
News in Autumn 2018 all tracked from The Herald’s Business Section and other press:
- Attract £98 million (in two separate projects) in Montrose from GSK – latest at £54 m opened by FM in October 2018 – extensive coverage in the P&J/Courier
- North Sea companies may spend another £330bn by 2050 – a further 17 billion barrels of oil and gas could be recovered from UK oilfields – Aberdeen University : October 2018
- Norboard expansion at Dalcross – £95 million leading European facility.
- Graham Group reach £200 m+ turnover
- Castle Precision – £80 million contract from Rolls Royce for engine parts
- Family firms profits rise 26% in 2017/18 up to £1.4 bn revenues to ££17.2 bn employment up 9% to 111.700 from 103.000
- Loch Fyne Oysters became the first blue mussel producer worldwide to receive certication againstthe Aquaculture Stewardship Council's bivalve standard.
- £10 m raised for Leith distillery project
- Cromarty Firth £20 m expansion 140 jobs cruise ships and offshore
- Natural Colourant £2m expansion
- Walker Engineering BGF support
- Aggreko wins $200 mn contract to provide energy to Olympics in Japan 2020
- Clair field opens after 7 years of exploration
- DC Thomson – DC Thomson’s overall revenues for the year ending 31st March 2018 did, however, rise 2.7% to £207.3m Pre-tax profits were up from £54m to £71.4m but profit for the year fell to £26.3m from £31.6m
- BSW UK’s largest sawmilling company based in the Borders t/o up from £286 to £304 m profit £2.6m v previous year loss
Ed: First submission by email. If you have something in line with the TuS philosophy, send it in. More reliable than me judging if a comment under one of my posts needs front-lining.
Talking-up Scotland 
That is a substantial list of significant and diverse developments. Thank you for this, David.
What is the point of BBC Scotland and the Scottish press having so called ‘business’ correspondents when they provide such information so sparsely and are so quick to report any business failures?
Is it that the GOOD NEWS IS NO NEWS mantra is so deeply ingrained that they only respond to BAD. Or, is it a wilful editorial and,hence, political, choice.
What would they do if a company devised a toilet which pigeons would automatically use and which would dispose of the faeces efficiently, perhaps recycling the residue to generate energy?
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