Perthshire North MSP, Mr John Swinney, has marked Small Business Saturday by visiting a local Perthshire business.

Mr Swinney visited the warehouse premises of Glaze & Save, a company which installs bespoke magnetic secondary glazing. Their innovative approach to providing energy efficiency has seen the company win multiple awards, including the 2017 VIBES Award for Environmental Product of the Year. They have been contracted to install their secondary glazing on a wide range of buildings, including houses, churches and listed premises. 

In addition to touring their warehouse, Mr Swinney was given the opportunity to meet with company staff including the company’s owner, Dr Tanya Ewing.

Commenting, Mr Swinney said:

“Small Business Saturday is an opportunity to celebrate and acknowledge the immeasurable contribution that small enterprises make to our economy and society.

“It was therefore a pleasure to meet with the entire team at Glaze & Save, and to hear first-hand of their successes and challenges.

“I was particularly impressed by the inspirational leadership of Dr Tanya Ewing. Tanya is a model employer – ensuring that all staff are paid above the real living wage, promoting flexible working arrangements and committed to staff development. It is clear that Tanya’s passion for her work is shared by her employees, who have fully bought in to the ethos of the company.

“It was also particularly pleasing to see that a majority of the company staff are female – a rarity in the construction business.”

Dr Tanya Ewing added:

““Glaze & Save has a proud local tradition, having been invented by The Proctor Group in Blairgowrie, and developed and expanded here in Perth since December 2013. As a local business, we understand the importance of supporting other small local businesses: almost all of our suppliers are located within a one mile radius of our warehouse, and we have a strict policy of using local businesses wherever we travel. Not only does it have a great effect on the local economy, it is also much more environmentally friendly too.”
 
“Glaze & Save looks to show how all small businesses can operate. In just five years we have we have achieved Living Wage Employer status, we take on a diverse range of employees from all walks of life, and we have been committed to being completely sustainable since we started in December 2013. It’s not always the been the easiest or the cheapest route, but we’re happy to show that small businesses and sustainability can be a winning combination.”