Glencraft factory

Giving quality company a lifeline

Published:

OF ALL the many cuts Aberdeen City Council has been trying to foist on the public to dig itself out of a huge financial hole of its own making, the proposed closure of the Glencraft factory and retail outlet has been among the most contentious. Furniture and bedding-maker Glencraft, which employs mainly people who are blind or otherwise disabled, is now closer to being saved.

The plan is to turn it into a social enterprise venture, an innovative businesses structure which has been successful elsewhere. This should give Glencraft a lifeline and remove the shadows hanging over the staff and workforce. This would not have been possible, or at least much more difficult to achieve, had it not been for the various bodies and companies involved agreeing to sell off the lease to help fund a move to new premises.

It was ironic that as Glencraft was battling to stay in business, after having its council subsidy axed, it revealed that it had just secured a big mattress order from a national company. It would have been a travesty if a business which had set such high standards in creating worthwhile employment and high-quality goods had perished because the council had fallen below the standard required in managing public funds.