Business Gazeteer

Published on Thursday 29 May 2008 22:11

Top of the tree

Branching out from venue trunk road

SOME boys never grow up. Sandy Cunningham, for example.

What makes us think that the managing director of William Skinner & Sons is a big kid at heart? It's his range of giant tree houses that gives the game away.

The building firm, based in Ayrshire, has just completed its second tree house for De Vere, the hotel and conference venue company.

The first tree house (pictured) – at Theobalds Park in Cheshunt, Hertfordshire – is used as an unusual conference and seminar venue and is a "commercial success" for De Vere.

In fact, the hotel group liked the first tree house so much that it ordered a second one, this time for its venue at Shirrell Heath, near Southampton.

But there's a more conventional side to the business, too: other contracts on the go include three hospital refurbishments for the NHS, several school upgrades and a new mail room for Strathclyde Police's headquarters.

GOOD DAY

German football clubs

TOP German football clubs have become the most profitable in Europe, overtaking England's Premierleague despite the latter's growing lead in revenue. The Bundesliga became Europe's most profitable league in the 2006-7 season, according to Deloitte.

BAD DAY

Delta flight attendants

DELTA Air Lines flight attendants have again failed to get the necessary votes to form a union. The Association of Flight Attendants-CWA said that not enough of the eligible flight attendants voted, despite those that did showing solid support.

KILLER QUOTE

I HAVE no regrets about leaving banking. It's much better to have a real job."

Rob Woodward, who became chief executive of SMG last year after a career as a banker, including a spell in San Francisco with UBS Warburg

FACT OF THE DAY

151.54

THE average cost of office space in London's West End – including rent, taxes and service charges – rose to $299.54 (151.54) per square foot per year, maintaining its title as the most expensive office market in the world. Edinburgh came in at number 20, at $92.43 per sq ft per year. Office space in Glasgow costs on average $80.50, placing the city in 28th spot, while Aberdeen came in 34th place, at $72.55.