February 2020



Macfarlane sales rise 4% to £225m

Glasgow-based packaging firm Macfarlane Group said on Thursday its 2019 sales rose 4% to £225.4 million and profit before tax rose 10% to £12 million….






Shareholder Sanlam reshuffles Nucleus board

Edinburgh-based funds platform Nucleus Financial Group on Wednesday announced board changes that involved its major shareholder Sanlam Investments. Nucleus said Alfio Tagliabue has been appointed as…





RBS in £35m deal with Dumfries housing group

Dumfries and Galloway Housing Partnership (DGHP) said on Tuesday it has followed up on a recent £114 million investment deal with M&G Investments with £35 million of private…



Wood Group M&A expert joins Craneware board

Edinburgh-based Craneware, a software firm that specializes in US healthcare, said on Monday it appointed David Kemp and Alistair Erskine to its board as independent non-executive…





Earlston’s BSW Timber bought by Endless LLP

Leeds-based private equity investor Endless LLP said on Wednesday it acquired Earlston-based BSW Timber Limited and all its associated subsidiaries. BSW is the UK’s largest…


UK immigration plans ‘an insult to Scotland’

The Scottish Government’s Migration Minister Ben Macpherson said on Wednesday the UK Government’s new immigration proposals are “an insult to Scotland.” The UK Government said…




Franklin Templeton buys $4.5bn Legg Mason

Asset management giant Franklin Templeton said on Monday it agreed to acquire rival Legg Mason — which includes Edinburgh-based affiliate Martin Currie — for $4.5…








Skeoch new chair at Investment Association

Standard Life Aberdeen CEO Keith Skeoch has been appointed chair of the Investment Association (IA) board. The IA champions the UK asset management industry. Its…



Westminster in chaos as finance minister quits

Sajid Javid has resigned as the UK Government’s Chancellor of the Exchequer (finance minister) as Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s first big cabinet reshuffle went spectacularly wrong. Bloomberg…


Frontier IP ups stake in RGU AI spinout Celerum

Edinburgh-based Frontier IP, a specialist in commercialising university intellectual property, said on Wednesday it raised its equity stake in portfolio company Celerum Limited from 10%…









Scots private sector output hits 14-month high

Scotland’s private sector recorded a modest increase in business activity during January, with the headline Business Activity Index reaching a 14-month high, driven partly by…







Ian Bru firm signs 100% renewable electricity deal

Swedish energy giant Vattenfall said it signed a 10-year electricity supply contract with Cumbernauld-based Irn-Bru maker A.G. Barr to introduce 100% renewable electricity across all Barr’s…


Finance secretary Derek Mackay resigns

The Scottish Government’s finance secretary Derek Mackay has resigned following allegations in a tabloid newspaper that he sent 270 online messages on social media to…







Edinburgh’s xDesign acquires web agency Bemo

Edinburgh-based digital service business xDesign said on Monday it acquired Scottish mobile and web agency Bemo. “xDesign will acquire the assets, people, and customer contracts…