Scottish Leather Group to open new production facility

Confirmation that the UK’s largest leather manufacturer will open a new facility in Renfrewshire is being hailed as ‘the first step’ in ambitious growth plans to add more than 9,000 jobs to the local economy by 2030.

Scottish Leather Group employ more than 800 people at its Bridge of Weir, Paisley and Glasgow sites and has announced they are opening a new Paisley hub by autumn 2020, creating 100 skilled jobs to provide high-end car seat upholstery.

This comes as Renfrewshire business leaders set out the strategy to grow the local economy and seize on £1.4billion being invested in infrastructure, innovation and skills across the region.

 

Derek Mackay, Scottish Government Cabinet Secretary for Finance, Economy and Fair Work, said: “Scotland is an attractive place to do business with a skilled workforce and companies like Scottish Leather Group expanding their operations is testament to this.

“Our Programme for Government sets out ambitious commitments in areas such as trade, manufacturing, skills and innovation which will also help to boost productivity growth across Scotland. Our Economic Action Plan will also be relaunched later this year to reinforce this work and will be the central point for both businesses and individuals across Scotland to access the information demonstrating the work that is being done by this Government to drive sustainable and inclusive economic growth. I welcome the publication of Renfrewshire’s Economic Strategy which will help develop the local economy further.”

Scottish Leather Group Director, James Lang, added: “Renfrewshire offers the perfect environment for businesses to flourish and as a locally-based business we can trace our Renfrewshire roots as far back as the 18th century. We are delighted to be expanding our Renfrewshire operation further with this important new facility in Paisley, which will create new jobs and enable us to deliver on our expanding portfolio.

“These jobs are an important first step in our ambitions for Renfrewshire. We are at an exciting time with major economic investment taking place right across Renfrewshire, a region which has strong foundations upon which to build, with a high employment rate and businesses exporting £2billion of goods and services worldwide.

“Renfrewshire’s Economic Strategy sets out how we will seize upon the opportunities brought by this new investment and achieve inclusive economic growth. It is the culmination of close partnership working between the private and public sector and achieving its ambitious aims will require our continued collaboration, drive and passion.”

 

‘Renfrewshire’s Economic Strategy’ identifies key sectors of strength in manufacturing, construction, transport and storage, together with emerging sectors in creative industries, tourism and care. The strategy aims to increase GVA by £400million a year and expand Renfrewshire’s manufacturing sector by 30%.

Plans are also in place to grow the working-age population by 5,000 people and reduce economic inactivity by 15%, bringing 3,000 local people into the workforce, while Renfrewshire businesses will benefit from targeted actions to reduce skills gaps and shortages.

It acknowledges the importance of the work now started on the construction of the Advanced Manufacturing Innovation District Scotland (AMIDS) – a partnership project with Scottish Government and Scottish Enterprise to develop a 52-hectare site next to Glasgow Airport into a base for manufacturing companies to harness new technologies and access cutting-edge research.