Scottish Business Briefing - Tuesday 7 June, 2011

ECONOMY

'Lost generation' as Scotland fails to deliver entrepreneurs

SCOTLAND has a "lost generation" of entrepreneurs among those in their mid-thirties, according to a new report (Scotsman).

Read all today's economics news from scotsman.com

ENERGY & UTILITIES

SeaEnergy in 50m deal with Repsol to sell renewables arm

SEAENERGY, the Aberdeen-based wind power firm, yesterday unveiled the long-awaited sale of its renewable energy subsidiary in a deal that values the business at 50 million (Scotsman).

Read all today's energy and utilities news from scotsman.com

INDUSTRY

Double blow sees 200 Scots jobs under threat

Nearly 200 Scottish jobs are to go after one company folded and another said it was shifting production to the Far East. Dental products firm Peri-dent said it would cease production at its factory which employs 132 people, while receivers have

already laid off 47 Scottish staff at timber roofing specialist Donaldson & McConnell (Scotsman).

Read all today's industry news from scotsman.com

RETAIL

May retail sales dip as customers 'reluctant to spend'

Retail sales dipped in May as a result of customers' unwillingness to spend, say retailers. The British Retail Consortium (BRC) said May sales values, taking out the effects of closures and new stores, fell 2.1% compared with May 2010 (BBC)

Read all today's retail news from scotsman.com

TRANSPORT

Scotland showing a greater appetite for new cars

SCOTTISH new car sales bucked the UK-wide trend in May, with a 2.9 per cent rise north of the Border contrasting with a 1.7 per cent fall for the UK as a whole (Scotsman).

Polish express coach service is Souter's latest expansion

SCOTTISH transport entrepreneur Brian Souter yesterday launched an express coach service in Poland, marking the Stagecoach chief executive's second personal investment in the east European country (Scotsman).

Read all today's transport news from scotsman.com