Hillington Park company is ‘Outstanding Business’

Hillington Park-based NSDesign has scooped a top prize at this year’s Renfrewshire Chamber of Commerce awards, named as the ‘Outstanding Business in Renfrewshire’ (with under 25 people) at the ROCCO awards.

The e-commerce and design solutions firm, which is located at the Hillington Park Innovation Centre, has enjoyed one of its busiest years to date.

Managing Director Gary Ennis said: "We are absolutely over the moon to have won this award – it really means the world to the entire team. We were delighted to have even been nominated and short-listed against such other good companies, but to pick up the award is really important to us.

"We are also in the running for another award, as we have been named as a finalist in the Scottish Software Awards, so we are hoping that we can continue our winning streak."

A spokesman from the awards judging panel said: "The judges were very impressed by NSDesign’s enthusiasm and approach of being a ‘people company that delivers technology’. The company growth is impressive, as are the levels of customer satisfaction. Well done!"

NS Design beat their landlords MEPC and Sporty Kids to the prestigious honour, but Grant Edmondson, managing director of MEPC Hillington Park, was just as pleased.

"We congratulate NS Design on their award, which is particularly gratifying to MEPC as this is the latest of many small companies successfully incubated at our leading edge Innovation Centre at Hillington Park."

NSDesign provides internet solutions with a wide range of web design, domain registration and hosting products for its customers, who include Greenock Morton FC, The Lighthouse (Scotland's Centre for Architecture and Design) and Highland Spring.

Gary Ennis added: "We may be a small company with fewer than ten members of staff, but we provide internet services to thousands of clients. These include government bodies, universities, public and private sector institutions, small-to-medium sized businesses and personal clients.

"We are a growing company and our customer care is unrivalled, which is why over half of all our new business comes direct from customer referrals. Winning this award has just cemented our reputation further."

For further information on NSDesign visit the website www.nsdesign.co.uk.

Under-11 Ambassadors for MEPC

Hillington Youth Club’s U11 football team are now ambassadors for MEPC Hillington Park, the majority landlord and developer of Scotland’s largest business location.

This follows a £1,300 sponsorship by MEPC for the club, which is currently leading its league, under the captaincy of centre-midfielder Kyle Harte.

MEPC’s sponsorship was marked last week by the handing over of a newly-branded team kit, with the company’s customer manager Alison Clark in attendance.

The Hillington Park U11 team proudly wore their new all-weather jackets and track suits at their first game, which they won 6-2 against local rivals Mosspark, before lining up for the obligatory team photograph - in pouring rain - at one of the directory boards at the Hillington Park estate.

Club manager Mark Scott said: "We are delighted by the support which we have received from MEPC, which makes us all thrilled and determined to pay back with success on the field."

Alison Clark said: "Hillington Park means a lot to local people, as there are currently over 7,000 jobs based here. As part of our investment in the local community, we’re delighted to support grass roots sports that get youngsters involved."

Charity works at Hillington Industrial & Business Park

Office workers and others at Hillington Park have responded generously to several recent charitable initiatives by MEPC at Scotland’s largest business location.

They have proved that the spirit of Christmas is still alive and well, and prepared to be counted, as the workforce has helped towards the following good causes:

Locally-based Blythswood Care’s annual Shoebox Appeal has been given a boost by publicity given in the latest edition of MEPC’s Hillington Herald newspaper, which has resulted in additional contributions from individuals and companies at the estate - including around two dozen shoeboxes from staff at Merlin House and The Hub at Hillington Park.

For the first time, the entire stock of shoeboxes, packed with useful day-to-day items, which have been collected at Hillington Park will be sent to charitable distributors in India.

Already, with three weeks still to run, some 16,000 shoeboxes have been donated by Scots, enough to fill two large containers which will be heading for the sub-continent in time for Christmas.

In other initiatives, the ‘Vision Aid Overseas’ project initiated by Vision Express has been supported, with more than 40 people at Merlin House, the Hillington Park Innovation Centre and The Hub donating unwanted pairs of spectacles for re-use in other countries.

And Sightsavers International have benefited from the proceeds of a secondhand book sale on World Sight Day in October, when a total of £70 of books were sold.

Alison Clark, MEPC’s customer manager at Hillington Park, said: "These have been valuable community initiatives, and we were pleased to have participated at this time of the year."