Gazetteer: Think you're good? Tell SCDI about it

WINNING WAYS

SCOTTISH businesses are being urged to shout about their achievements and enter the "country's premier business awards".

This year's winners of the Scottish Council for Development and Industry (SCDI) Awards for Export & Enterprise will be unveiled, appropriately enough, by our very own minister for enterprise, Jim Mather, at a gala dinner next month in Glasgow.

Lesley Sawers, chief executive of SCDI, says: "This is the 19th year that these awards have been held in recognition of the cream of Scottish business. Scotland has many companies that deserve to be acknowledged for their efforts, which is why I would urge companies to enter the awards. Scotland has a proud heritage of globally successful organisations, but we also have many unsung heroes who diligently go about their work without recognition from their peers."

Award categories include outstanding international achievement, outstanding achievement in exports, the young engineers club of the year award and the president's award.

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FACT OF THE DAY

110,431

CARMAKER Kia sold 110,431 vehicles in September, a 2.7 per cent increase on a year earlier. However, the rise masks contrasting fortunes in different territories as the credit crunch bites. Sales in Korea and China rose, but those in Europe and North America were down, by 12.4 and 22.8 per cent, respectively. Through the first nine months of 2008, Kia's global sales increased 14.4 per cent to 1,062,379 units.

KILLER QUOTE

"WE are in a good place with our banking, we've got a five-year facility with plenty of headroom in that. It is quite a nice balance sheet. We're not at risk, we don't think, from all the current turmoil."

Garry Watts, head of SSL maker of Durex condoms and Scholl footcare products

GOOD DAY

Borland's Delicatessen

AYRSHIRE deli Borland's has been named Scotland's Most Promising New Business for 2008 by the British Chambers of Commerce. Having won the Scottish regional, Borland's (also known as Deli on the Corner) will go on to the UK National Awards in London.

BAD DAY

Boeing workers

TALKS aimed at resolving a five-week walkout by Boeing production workers have broken down. The plane-maker framed the crucial issue as "long-term competitiveness". A union leader said the machinists were being asked to "bargain away our members' jobs".