Accountants cast off boring image to sponsor Proclaimers musical tour

Published on Tuesday 28 October 2008 20:27

BUSINESS Gazeteer

LETTER FROM AMERICA

ACCOUNTANTS at Henderson Loggie will be spreading sunshine over Leith, Dundee and other parts of the country after agreeing to sponsor a musical featuring song by the Proclaimers.

The firm will be stumping up the cash for Dundee Rep Ensemble's second tour of Sunshine On Leith, which was penned by Stephen Greenhorn, who has also written episodes of Dr Who and River City.

The musical kicks off in Dundee on 1 November then walks 500 miles to go on tour to Edinburgh, Aberdeen, Glasgow and Inverness, before being sent to Coventry for next January and February.

In these strained economic times, Henderson Loggie said "audiences will undoubtedly have their spirits lifted" by the Proclaimers show.

The firm, which celebrates its centenary in 2009, was founded in Dundee and grew to have offices across Scotland.

James Brining, artistic director and chief executive at the Dundee Rep Theatre, said: "Thousands of Scottish theatre-goers have already enjoyed Sunshine on Leith and now, thanks to Henderson Loggie's support, many more will be thrilled by seeing it."

But this raises the question: will the senior partners at the firm be giving a rendition of I'm On My Way at this year's Christmas party?

KILLER QUOTE

IT'S not a precise number, it's not a scientific number but we are looking in that neighbourhood. We are talking about six (billion dollars] altogether.

Geir Haarde, Iceland's prime minister, who said his country was seeking further international financial help to pull it out of the economic black hole created by the collapse of its banking system

BAD DAY

Whirlpool

ABOUT 5,000 jobs will be lost at Whirpool by the end of next year, the company said.

The home appliance maker – which employs about 73,000 staff globally – said it would close a factory in Tennessee as well as cutting jobs across the United States, Mexico and Europe.

GOOD DAY

Stagecoach

THE Perth-based bus company is expanding its coverage of North America, adding Albany, Rochester and Syracuse in New York state and Niagara Falls to its routes from New York City. Stagecoach said its Megabus service is now carrying 150,000 passenger a month in North America.

FACT OF THE DAY

$160bn

RESEARCH by development charity Christian Aid claimed that "illegal tax evasion" by international companies is costing developing countries $160 billion (103bn) a year.

Large companies were criticised for choosing not to pay tax in developing countries.

The charity said: "Christian Aid believes tax revenue should be helping break developing countries' dependency on aid – and financing their development."