Business in brief 02/06/2012: Enterprise | Pinsent | Havelock | SSC

A roundup of the latest business news from Enterprise Inns, Pinsent Masons, Havelock and the Scottish Salmon Company.

Enterprise agrees £220m lending deal

PUB giant Enterprise Inns has agreed a £220 million facility with a number of lenders including Royal Bank of Scotland, which will replace an existing arrangement due to end in December 2013.

The group said yesterday that signing the competitively priced deal would allow it to focus on improving its performance. Other lenders involved include Barclays, HSBC and Lloyds Banking Group.

Chief executive Ted Tuppen said: “We are very pleased to announce the signing of our Forward Start Facility, which reinforces the support of our banking group.”

Law Society role for Pinsent solicitor

PINSENT Masons’ solicitor Coral Riddell has been named as the Law Society of Scotland’s next head of professional practice.

She will succeed Bruce Ritchie when he retires at the end of December after almost 23 years with the society.

Currently a senior dispute solicitor at Pinsent Masons, Riddell is also legal director for the British Association of Snowsport Instructors.

She said: “The society is undergoing a process of re-invigoration and I am extremely enthusiastic about joining during such an exciting chapter.”

Better order book boosts Havelock

SHOP and classroom fit-out specialist Havelock Europa says a thicker order book than last year will lay the foundations for its return to profitability despite market conditions remaining “challenging”.

In its annual report, posted to shareholders yesterday, the Dalgety Bay-based firm said it would seek both further cost savings and an increase in revenues after selling its “point of sale” division at the end of last year.

In his first full year at the firm, chief executive Eric Prescott earned £271,000 in pay and bonuses.

Jobs boost as SCC plans Lewis facility

THE Scottish Salmon Company (SCC) yesterday outlined plans to create ten jobs by opening a fish harvest station at Arnish, on Lewis, in a £750,000 investment.

Oslo-listed SCC will feed fish from the harvest station into its Marybank processing plant, which was reopened in the autumn of 2010 as part of a £3 million expansion by the Edinburgh-based firm.

Alan Brown, SSC’s general manager in Stornoway, said: “The facility will work in tandem with our existing harvest station at Lochinver and will greatly improve efficiency at Marybank.”