Historic French giant acquires renowned Scottish company

The Herald Scotland

20-07-2025

The UK Testing and Certification laboratory based in East Kilbride will continue to be headed up by former owner David Brown as part of Socotec UK, which has acquired the operation for an undisclosed sum.
The move will enhance Socotec's capabilities in fire safety and compliance amid the evolving regulatory landscape following the Grenfell Tower tragedy and the introduction of the Building Safety Act, it said
Read Kristy Dorsey's story here
Business Insight 📈
Shares drop in UK housebuilder after 'shocking update'
The news came this week. (Image: PA) Signals from Chancellor Rachel Reeves ahead of her Mansion House speech tonight that the UK Government will bring forward measures to help more people get on to the housing ladder were not enough to keep one of the UK's biggest housebuilders out of the red on the stock market.
Shares in Barratt Redrow closed down nearly 10% at one stage this week after it emerged profits would now be around 10% lower than previously guided because of the cost of remedial works on previously completed projects.
That came as the company highlighted the impact on demand for new homes from 'consumer caution and mortgage rates not falling as quickly as hoped'.
Housing completions for the 52 weeks ended June 29 were 'slightly below' the guided range at 16,565, which the company said was 'mainly due to the impact of fewer international and investor completions than expected in our London businesses'.
Read Scott Wright's Business Insight here
Business Briefing 📈
New 380-seat restaurant to open in Scottish shopping centre
A typical large-scale restaurant. (Image: Getty Images)
A restaurant operator is to open its first outlet in a Scottish shopping centre.
The firm is to open a 380-seat restaurant, creating 35 jobs, while a new family-owned jeweller will create a further six roles in the mall.
The Centre, Livingston, which describes itself as 'one of the largest shopping centres in the country' has unveiled plans for the new restaurant with live cooking stations with a selection of dishes from around the world.
It also welcomes F.Hinds, a sixth-generation jeweller which opened its first store in London in 1856 and now has 118 stores across the UK. Its 1,395 square foot store, which will be located next to Ryman, is due to open in August.
Read Brian Donnelly's Business Briefing here
Around the Greens ⛳
Surprises await as golf club turns 175 years old
The current clubhouse opened in 1892. (Image: Prestwick St Nicholas) This article appears as part of Kristy Dorsey's Around the Greens series
Graham MacKenzie has been managing secretary at Prestwick St Nicholas Golf Club in Ayrshire for more than three years, and carried out the same roles at three other clubs over a 19-year period.