Business Gazetteer: Milne commands respect as he picks up CBE on day out at the palace

Published on Friday 28 November 2008 20:30

FROM a building empire that spreads from Aberdeen to Oxford, Stewart Milne yesterday became part of an even bigger empire.

The chairman and chief executive of the Stewart Milne construction group was invested as a commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE). Prince Charles bestowed the honour on Milne during a ceremony at Buckingham Palace.

"I am honoured to receive the CBE and accept it on behalf of my family, my colleagues and those who have supported me in my personal and business life," said Milne. As well as running his construction group for more than 30 years, Milne is also chairman of Aberdeen Football Club.

GOOD DAY

Simon Howie

BUTCHER turned businessman Simon Howie was named "entrepreneur of the year" at the Entrepreneurial Exchange's annual awards dinner in Glasgow.

The judges said Howie spotted "opportunities where others don't", a classic entrepreneurial trait.

BAD DAY

Gary Ashworth

FISHWORKS, the chain of fish restaurants and fishmongers, yesterday reported that its losses had widened in the year to 31 July to 5.5 million.

But chairman Gary Ashworth was defiant, saying FishWorks saw chances to "cautiously grow" even in the current market.

Queen grants Machray honour

ALSO collecting a gong from Buck House this week was Patrick Machray, the former chief executive of accountancy firm Johnston Carmichael and now chairman of Fifth Ring Communications.

Machray was invested as an officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) for his "services to the economy and charity in the North-east of Scotland".

He received his OBE from the Queen during a ceremony on Wednesday.

"It was an incredible experience and meeting the Queen made it all the more special. I feel extremely honoured to receive this accolade and I am delighted that my work has been recognised," Machray said.

From humble beginnings…

IT'S amazing what a spell on The Scotsman business desk can do for your career.

News has reached us that Mark McSherry, a former deputy business editor of this parish, is to leave his post as an editor in Reuters' New York bureau to become a professor at a number of the city's universities.

McSherry – who has also worked at Bloomberg, the South China Morning Post and the Sunday Times – will lecture in journalism at the universities.

The 45-year-old journalist, who has been at Reuters for five years, said he hopes to still write columns from his new "ivory tower". We hope Professor McSherry's new academic gown will be suitably flamboyant.

Palmer oils the wheels of commerce with new position

FOOD industry innovator Richard Palmer has become the first chief executive at BorderFields, the rape-seed oil company.

Coldstream-based BorderFields was founded in 2005 by local farmers and has since secured contracts with Tesco and Morrisons.

Palmer, who has more than 40 years experience in the food sector and set-up BP's first convenience shops, has ambitious plans.

"By 2012, I want cold-pressed rape-seed oil to represent 10 per cent of the cooking oils market and for BorderFields to be the ultimate brand leader," Palmer said. The company's Oleifera and BorderFields oils are already available in more than 1,000 shops.