Keith Brown MSP Cabinet Secretary for the Economy, Jobs and Fair Work and Jeane Freeman MSP for Carrick, Cumnock and Doon Valley visit Barr Environmental

Keith Brown, MSP, Cabinet Secretary for the Economy, Jobs and Fair Work together with Jeane Freeman, MSP for Carrick, Cumnock and Doon Valley and Minister for Social Security visited Barr Environmental’s (“Barr”) head office at Killoch in East Ayrshire on the 24 October 2016 to recognise the leading resource management company’s commitment to the Scottish Business Pledge.

The Scottish Business Pledge is a values-led partnership between Government and business. It is a shared ambition of boosting productivity, competitiveness, sustainable employment, and workforce engagement and development. Barr Environmental are one of the first in the resource management sector to commit to this pledge, which includes playing all staff the Living Wage.

Barr have operated from Ayrshire for over 20 years and have invested several millions of pounds in infrastructure to support primarily local authorities in the treatment and recovery of resource from household and organic wastes. With facilities located in Ayr, Kilmarnock, Cumnock and Balloch, Barr has the capability to collect, receive, process, recover and dispose of waste. The business, last year, were also accredited with Investor in Young People and have a strong apprenticeship and graduate program in place, as well as supporting and hosting a number of local STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) events. Barr have also made significant contributions to the Scottish Landfill Communities Fund which has provided essential funding to community-led projects across the West of Scotland.

During the visit, Keith and Jeane had the opportunity to meet with Directors from Barr as well as a number of trainee’s who explained their journey to and through the business and what their ambitions for the future were. Furthermore, exciting plans for the creation of £60 million energy-from-waste facility which would be constructed at Barr’s site at Killoch were also presented.

Gavin Money, Director at Barr said, “It was pleasure to host the visit of Keith and Jeane in celebrating our commitment to the Scottish Business Pledge. This is an initiative which we would encourage other businesses in our industry and region to support. We continually invest in the development of our people and recognise the need to create infrastructure to support Scottish Government’s Zero Waste Plan and believe this will generate significant benefits in the shape of new jobs and new skills whilst maintaining Scotland’s position at the forefront of resource management.”

Keith Brown MSP, Cabinet Secretary for the Economy, Jobs and Fair Work said, “This Government is committed to building a fairer and more prosperous Scotland and the Scottish Business Pledge is a key part of our strategy to stimulate inclusive growth, protect and create jobs and promote Scotland as a great place to do business.

“I was delighted to visit Barr Environmental to see first-hand how they are supporting the values of the Business Pledge, including fostering innovation, supporting employees through a commitment to pay the Living Wage and playing an active role in the community.”

Jeane Freeman MSP for Carrick, Cumnock and Doon Valley continued, ““I am delighted that this important local company has signed the Business Pledge, making public the commitment to both fair work and to the local community for which they are already well known and justifiable proud.”