Business news in brief: Social Investment Scotland | BrewDog | Carillion

Published on 31/01/2013 00:00

BUSINESS veteran Nick Kuenssberg has been named as chairman of Social Investment Scotland (SIS), the body set up in 2001 to lend cash to charities.

Kuenssberg – who has sat on the boards of Bank of Scotland, ScottishPower and Standard Life – takes over from Alf Young, who has served as chairman since 2010.

SIS was set up by the Scottish Executive with cash from Bank of Scotland, Clydesdale, Lloyds TSB and Royal Bank of Scotland. The Co-operative later added further cash. The body has lent £43 million to almost 180 charities so far.

BrewDog supporting Glasgow record label

BREWDOG, the fast-growing Aberdeenshire-based brewer, will today unveil a partnership deal with record label Comets & Cartwheels, which lists Fake Major, Kitty the Lion and Quickbeam among its artists.

The controversial micro-brewery, which has made some of the world’s strongest beers, will share its “business expertise and knowledge” with the Glasgow-based company and will get involved in its events.

Comets & Cartwheels founder Paul Downie said: “We have a lot of big plans for this year with releases from each of the bands on the roster.”

Carillion wins £40m electrification deal

Construction group Carillion has secured a £40 million deal to electrify the railway line between Cumbernauld and Glasgow Queen Street.

The contract, awarded by Network Rail, will see more than 30 miles of track electrified as part of the £650m Edinburgh to Glasgow improvement programme, which aims to cut journey times between the two cities by about ten minutes.

Network Rail said: “This project will create jobs and mark the beginning of a transformation of services across the central belt.”