West Lothian construction firms vow to help each other during tough period for sector

Construction businesses in West Lothian have pledged to rally round each other during these challenging times for the industry.

That was the outcome of the latest gathering of the West Lothian Construction Forum, which took place recently at the Sibbald Training Centre in Blackridge.

The meeting attracted the largest number of forum attendees to date, with around 20 different companies represented. Lynn Martin of Business Gateway West Lothian was the guest speaker, who explained what help is available for growing businesses.

Developers, landscapers, electricians, renewables experts, roofers and housebuilders were all in attendance as they discussed ways of assisting each other during what many agreed was a tough period for the sector.

“It was great to see so many businesses come along and engage with each other,” said forum chairman Jamie Taylor of Taylor Roofs, who is approaching his first year at the helm. “There is no doubt that momentum is building as regards to the forum and this week’s meeting was the busiest one yet. There were lots of good ideas exchanged and it was encouraging to hear everyone discuss how we could all help each other going forward.”

Key to the growth of the forum has been the return to in-person meetings, with Jamie adding, “We are making a conscious effort to get people along and gather in one meeting space as it definitely helps create an energy in the room and in turn build better relationships. More and more businesses are showing an interest in joining the Forum and that has to be good for the sector in the region.”

The next meeting takes place at the Sibbald Training Centre on Thursday, 13 November (4.30pm-6.30pm), with the Construction Industry Training Board (CITB) presenting on the evening.

You can learn more about the West Lothian Construction Forum here.

You can read the original story on Project Scotland here.