North Ayrshire Council
Key Competitive Attractions
Invest in North Ayrshire...
North Ayrshire is the ideal place to live and work. Home to major global companies, such as Glaxo Smithkline and Wilson Sporting Goods (now Amer Sports), North Ayrshire has an enviable record in attracting new inward investment to the area.
- Communications: 7 miles from the cargo hub of Glasgow Prestwick International Airport, and with access to deep water port facilities at Hunterston, Irvine is also only 30 minutes by train or road from Glasgow and access to the M74, linking Scotland with the rest of the UK.
- Property and Land: As a former New Town Irvine, has a vast array of modern business space. Sites are available throughout the North Ayrshire area, and in Riverside Business Park Irvine has one of the best parkland locations in Scotland.
- Academic Links: North Ayrshire offers excellent training and educational facilities, with the new James Watt College now firmly established, Ayr College and the Universities of Paisley and Glasgow close by.
- Education: The area provides first class nursery, primary and secondary education, with two new secondary campuses completed in the last couple of years. These facilities provide a wide range of activities including formal teaching, open learning, leisure, arts, and community-based adult education.
- Tourism and Leisure: North Ayrshire is one of Scotland`s top tourism locations offering spectacular scenery, the finest recreational facilities, world-renowned golf courses in nearby Royal Troon and Turnberry, and some of the finest sailing waters in the world.
Assistance and Support For New Business Investors
Business Services: North Ayrshire will provide any inward investor with a dedicated officer, responsible for making the move as smooth as possible. In addition, an after care service exists to ensure issues from planning permission to recruitment are dealt with quickly and effectively.
North Ayrshire and our partner organisations will prepare a tailor-made package aimed at securing new investment. This will include:
- Specific background information on the area from population to workforce statistics.
- Assistance with securing all statutory requirements and permissions.
- Site and property letting service, providing details of individual properties and organising viewings.
- Help in accessing financial support from the Scottish Executive.
- Introductions to all relevant support agencies such as the Regeneration Company and the Scottish Enterprise Network.
- Assistance with recruitment issues. Support from the Business Development team specifically in the area of training.
Existing Business Base
North Ayrshire`s strengths are founded on a rich history and culture. The area has a strong manufacturing tradition, with major companies such as Volvo Trucks, SCI and Compaq having been based in the area. North Ayrshire Council has been very successful in attracting new business to the area with world renowned companies such as GlaxoSmithkline and Wilson Sporting Goods (now Amer) having both established bases in Irvine. The Caledonian Paper Mill was the largest inward investment of its time, when it first established its base to the south of Irvine. More recently, Excell established a major call centre at Riverside Business Park. Expertise also exists in other sectors, with Sigma Aldrich, a bioscience business, flourishing and expanding in Irvine. In the town of Dalry, DSM (formerly Roche) recently secured further investment for a secondary expansion.
The retail sector of the economy has grown dramatically, with major new retail parks at Stevenston and Irvine providing an excellent shopping experience.
Thus, the economy of North Ayrshire, despite is manufacturing and engineering tradition, has evolved with the times and reflects the changing business world that we now live in.
