Lisa Boyle’s Business Bulletin

Jul 1 2011 by Lisa Boyle, Ayrshire Post (main ed)

THINK inside the box.

That’s the inside out message from one Ayrshire firm.

Eurobox has seen demand rise for its containers as more and more businesses want to save on rent and rates.

By storing materials, documents, plant and machinery in easily accessible units, small businesses are saving hundreds on expensive premises.

Eurobox, at the Heathfield Industrial Estate, is a subsidiary of Eurovans, a commercial vehicle company operated from the same site.

The business is the brainchild of director Robin Singh, who saw a market opportunity with so many local firms being challenged by the current market trends.

He said: “Lots of businesses in the Ayrshire area have been affected by the recession and those that are managing to hang on are having to think on their feet.

“I saw a lot of small firms giving up premises to cut back on the expense, but as work was beginning to come back in they had nowhere to store materials for ongoing projects.

“Some were using their own homes and garages, but for many this was not the ideal long-term solution.

“I had a vacant plot which was earmarked for development but seemed ideal for container storage.”

Eurobox was established in January and the first phase of containers was installed.

Robin continued: “Initially a lot of business came from the short-term home moving and rental market, but the storage containers seem to have a mass appeal.

“I was being approached by a variety of different firms keen to find cheaper storage solutions than locally rented premises.

“Local builders and tradesmen find them particularly useful as they can access the site easily and use materials as and when required.”

l AYRSHIRE Chamber of Commerce has joined forces with the county’s five MSPs to launch a campaign to prioritise investment in Ayrshire’s strategic infrastructure.

A meeting at the Scottish Parliament has highlighted the need for a clear plan to improve Ayrshire’s road, rail, air and sea links, along with our digital infrastructure, in order to create the conditions for business growth and economic success.

Garry Clark, head of policy and public affairs at Scottish Chambers of Commerce, said: “Ayrshire is well placed to link to Glasgow, Ireland and England, but to do this effectively, it will require investment in local trunk roads such as the A77 – particularly around Maybole, the A70 and the A737.

“In addition, Ayrshire needs world class broadband connections to attract new investment and to open the door for local businesses to trade on an international level.”

The campaign is being backed by MSPs Margaret Burgess (Cunninghame South), Willie Coffey (Kilmarnock and Irvine Valley), Kenneth Gibson (Cunninghame North), Adam Ingram (Carrick, Cumnock and Doon Valley) and John Scott (Ayr).

Martin Cheyne, chief executive of Ayrshire Chamber of Commerce, said: “We are delighted that all of Ayrshire’s MSPs have come together to add weight to this campaign and to help ensure that Ayrshire speaks with a single voice on the economic priorities for our county.”