ABERDEEN LOCAL CHAMPIONS HAIL GLENCRAFT RE-OPENING

ABERDEEN LOCAL CHAMPIONS HAIL GLENCRAFT RE-OPENING

SNP candidates and local champions for Aberdeen, Joanna Strathdee and Mark McDonald, have warmly welcomed the re-opening of the Glencraft factory in the city and echoed calls by First Minister Alex Salmond for the public in the North East to support the workshop and its products.

The First Minister re-opened the workshop today (Tuesday 27 April) as a charitable social enterprise, after a recovery solution by the company Production Services Network (PSN) and the establishment of a cross-partnership approach between private, public and the third sector allowed Glencraft to re-open its doors to the public.

Joanna Strathdee, the SNP's candidate for Aberdeen North in the forthcoming election, said:

"I'm delighted that Glencraft is back in business in Aberdeen again. The closure of the factory before Christmas was a terrible shock for the staff and a cause of sadness for Aberdonians generally. It's extremely good news, then, that all of Glencraft's former employees have the opportunity to get their jobs back and that 36 of them have already accepted.

"I hope that people in Aberdeen and across the North East will get behind the new incarnation of Glencraft by buying its high-quality products."

SNP candidate for Aberdeen South, Mark McDonald said:

"The partnership formed by the SNP Scottish Government, Aberdeen Council and PSN to get Glencraft back in business has been a great success. PSN in particular are to be highly commended - it's very heartening to see a Scottish-based international business give back to the community in this way.

"The charitable social enterprise model that the new Glencraft is based on is an excellent one that everyone in Aberdeen should feel able to support. I hope that Glencraft will have a long future as a sustainable business serving communities across the North East and I'm delighted that the SNP government has played a part in making this possible."