
JHE accelerates eco drive with first electric van
The West Lothian company has already had solar panels installed on its headquarters in Brucefield Industry Park and has now added to its fleet of eco-friendly vehicles with a VW ID Buzz Cargo.
The new electric van complements JHE's three electric company cars and managing director Mark Heaney hopes to add to the pool going forward.
'The construction sector is not known for being environmentally friendly so it's important to do what we can in this area,' he said.
'We want to do the right thing and having electric vehicles helps reduce our emissions and allows our staff to drive within the Low Emission Zones which have been established in cities.'
Next month sees Mr Heaney celebrate 30 years with the company, which focuses on industrial and commercial work along with its HVAC services.
He has seen huge changes in the industry and he added: 'It is important to keep abreast of the advances in technology, particularly when it comes to the environment and the net zero targets which have been set by the government.
'Electric vehicles are key to improving the carbon footprint and I would like to think everyone in our sector is looking at ways in which they can help.
'We will be looking at adding to our fleet of electric vans. As their range increases, more options will be become available and that will be important for us with a client base spread throughout central Scotland and the north of England.'
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The Herald Scotland
2 days ago
- The Herald Scotland
Scottish billionaire brothers acquire historic bus company
Over the last month, I have covered the expansion, the performance and the concerns of the bus firm owned by former Rangers directors Sandy and James Easdale. The firm that describes itself as the UK's largest independent transport operator moved to take over 'one of Scotland's longest-established, family-run coach companies with more than 70 years of experience'. McGill's Group said the acquisition of Prentice Westwood, which also operates bus routes, is part of its continued expansion in the coach travel sector. The deal will see the respected West Lothian-based business join the portfolio of McGill's Group companies owned by the brothers. The brand is retained. (Image: McGill's) Tony Williamson, chief executive of McGill's Group, said the acquisition strengthens the company's offering in central Scotland and brings further expertise into the business. Mr Williamson said: 'Prentice Westwood has a terrific reputation as a quality transport provider in central Scotland, and we are very pleased to welcome them into the McGill's Group. 'During our discussions, I was very impressed by their team, ethos and operational standards - all of which made this an easy decision. 'We believe Prentice Westwood will play a significant role in supporting our continued growth across coach travel in central Scotland and beyond, and we look forward to welcoming our new colleagues into the business.' All Prentice Westwood employees will become part of the McGill's Group, and it is anticipated the well-known brand will be retained following the completion of the deal. Robbie Prentice, owner of Prentice Westwood, said the move was an exciting next step for the business and its staff. Mr Prentice said: 'We are incredibly proud of what Prentice Westwood has achieved over the past 70 years as a family enterprise. 'Joining McGill's Group represents a fantastic opportunity to secure the long-term future of the business and for our team to be part of one of the most forward-thinking and ambitious transport operators in the UK. 'The values and vision of McGill's align closely with our own, and I'm eager to see the development of the business in the coming years.' I also exclusively revealed that McGill's has doubled its profits. READ MORE: The firm said: 'McGill's Bus Group is Britain's largest independently owned bus company and a pioneer in fleet decarbonisation, with over 110 zero emission electric buses. 'Our wide and diverse portfolio includes local, city, rural and interurban quality bus services across Scotland under the McGill's, Midland Bluebird, Xplore Dundee and BrightBus brands, as well as open-top hop on and hop off tours, airport connections, expansive coach touring and private hire. 'We are also a key strategic partner to global intercity coach brand Flixbus across the UK.' The new results cover the period from January 2, 2023 to December 31, 2023. It said turnover increased from £57.6 million to £91.2m 'due to the full year impact of the business in Stirlingshire and the Lothians acquired through the acquisitions from First Group Plc'. McGill's also said: 'These businesses have added substantially to group revenue, fleet size and headcount and following a period of integration will contribute to future profitability. 'Operating profit increased from £720,000 to £1.88m.' I also had an exclusive interview with McGill's chairman Raph Roberts who outlined challenges around a new franchising model for bus services. He said: 'The publication this week of McGill's 2023 accounts told a story of a business that had weathered the Covid pandemic and through tight fiscal controls was in good shape. "Fast forwarding to 2025 the story is much the same – fiscal control, investment, consistency of service delivery and the Easdale brothers' belief that buses have a critical role to play in our economy. "That is only part of the story though." THIS ARTICLE APPEARED IN BUSINESS HQ MONTHLY Also this month, it was a mixed bag for the billionaire drinks family behind William Grand & Sons, who celebrated the completion of the acquisition of the Famous Grouse, the UK's best-selling blended whisky. However, the firm posted a drop in profits of nearly a third in new annual results. The Lanarkshire-based firm said revenue was down 6.5 per cent. It posted profit before tax of £388m, down 30 per cent, and turnover of £1.834 billion for the year ending December 31, 2024. The company said: 'In a year marked by industry-wide challenges, the decline in revenue compared to 2023 is in line with market trends, including the continuation of significant destocking. 'The reduction in profit reflects both these market conditions but also continued investment in the company's brands and infrastructure, demonstrating confidence in the future of the spirits industry.'


Daily Record
01-08-2025
- Daily Record
West Lothian racing driver reveals daily struggles after accident that ended his career
Dario Franchitti has revealed that he is still unable to walk properly when he first wakes up in the morning. Dario Franchitti has revealed that he is still unable to walk properly when he first wakes up in the morning as a result of the high-speed accident that ended his career. The West Lothian racing driver made headlines around the world after his horror IndyCar smash at the Houston Grand Prix in 2013. He fractured his spine, broke his ankle and suffered a concussion thanks to hitting the wall and flying into the safety fence at over 100mph. It was the last time the four-time series champion and three-time winner of the famous Indianapolis 500 competed competitively. And the Bathgate-born ace admits that his life is still affected 12 years on from the shocking incident. 'I don't remember anything about it,' he told the Fuelling Around podcast. 'The last thing I remember is my friend Albert and his wife Hilary's wedding three weeks before. It's still a block. There's tiny little bits that have come back from the day. I was in the pick-up truck ready to do the parade lap and the driver shut the window on my hand and my fingers were in the bloody door. 'I remember the little earpieces you wear that have got G-sensors in them to measure how hard you hit your head if you crash. They had come disconnected and it was hitting me in the armpit and it was annoying me in the car. About a week later I remember flying to Indianapolis on a wee hospital plane but the best part of a month has just gone. 'I don't like to watch my accidents. I think I had actually retired before I watched the 2013 one. I was watching a documentary that they wanted me to proof and make sure it was all true. I saw the shunt and it made me go 'uuuuurgh, Jesus' and of course you go 'hang on' and then you wind it back and start watching and you can see the suspension of [Takuma] Sato's car break and all that stuff. But it was so long ago. 'It's funny, I think about it every morning. When I try and get up and I try to start walking in the morning, because the right ankle is all metal, I have to do a bit of a shuffle until everything gets warmed up. So I do think about it. But I am massively grateful, every day, because I've lost some great friends in this sport. It's definitely a double-edged sword.' The 52-year-old joined old friend and fellow motorsport legend Jason Plato, one of the podcast's co-hosts, to chat about a range of motorsport and motoring topics during the near one-hour episode. He spoke about his admiration for the Isle of Man TT competitors and touched on his mental struggles after another major accident at Homestead, Miami, in 2000. 'I've always had a healthy respect for what we did,' he added on the award-winning show. 'I was a bit more risk adverse when I was younger. The shunt in 2000, I broke my pelvis and I mashed my brain up. That one took longer to get over, in fact I still suffer from the side effects of that one today. That one was probably the hardest one to get over, the fear of getting back in the car. Because my brain wasn't working at full strength anymore, I couldn't process the fear. 'As time went by, I just became less risk adverse and I was able to shut it out. Jackie Stewart would call it mind management and I became prepared to risk more than I ever thought I would. That crash was a cracker.' After the crash on the final lap of the Grand Prix at NRG Park in Houston in October 2013, Franchitti moved home to Scotland to concentrate on his recovery. He had divorced from first wife Ashley Judd earlier in the year, although the couple remain good friends. He has since married hedge fund executive Eleanor and they now have two children together. Doctors have cleared him to compete in amateur classic car events and he has also worked as a racing commentator and TV presenter.

The National
31-07-2025
- The National
David Martindale opens up on strain of Livingston's court cases
Martindale, who led the West Lothian outfit to promotion out of the Championship via a dramatic play-off final victory over Ross County last term, was delighted when American businessman Calvin Ford finally completed his protracted takeover after months of behind-the-scenes wrangling back in May. He felt that he was unable to devote the time that he needed to coaching before the change of ownership and is now hopeful that having Ford, the great-great-grandson of Ford Motor Company founder Henry, at the helm will enable him to focus solely on football in the coming months and secure survival. Read more: Speaking as he looked ahead to [[Livingston]]'s opening William Hill Premiership game of the new season against Kilmarnock at Rugby Park tomorrow, he said, 'I'm still going to help out with other bits and bobs around the club. But I'm not bogged down in the middle of court cases, with being one of the main witnesses, like I was before. 'Going to your bed at night, I was constantly thinking about phone calls. You'd be on your way home, you'd be getting phone calls from your lawyers, you'd be opening up emails and speaking about stuff. That was a constant. Looking back, that was three-and-a-half, four years. It was so draining. 'I was trying to focus on the game, but you're constantly thinking about what if, what if, what if, what if with court cases. I just feel there's a wee bit of a chain been lifted around the neck of the football club now that all of that is done and dusted. 'With Calvin and a new board at the football club, it's such a better work environment. It's such a better place to be mentally. There's always been a good culture within the building, but just mentally it's better.' (Image: SNS Group) Martindale added, 'There's a huge workload being taken away from me and I'm extremely comfortable with that. Chipper (head of football operations Brian Rice) is now predominantly dealing with recruitment when the window's open. He's helped me massively with that. Before it was myself dealing with that. 'Calvin coming in, a new board coming in, has allowed us to get a better infrastructure outside the footballing department, which has really helped the footballing department. Now we probably have the basic structure that we need going forward. We're in a good place. 'I think I got good at dealing with this and dealing with that. I'd compartmentalise it and store it away. Unfortunately, it was a lot of the stuff within the court cases I knew about because I was the one constant in the building. I was here pre, during and post so a lot of it fell to me. 'But I couldn't have been giving the best of myself as a manager. That definitely had a negative impact on the team. There were failings on my part as well, but you were keen to to do what's right for the football club. 'I've always done that. If we hadn't done what was right for the football club over the last two or three years there wouldn't be a football club. So all those battles two or three years ago were well worth it. The club is in the best place it has ever been in my tenure and hopefully I can deliver the goods on the park.' Read more: Martindale has vowed to keep faith with the players who clinched promotion last season during the 2025/26 campaign – but he has strengthened his squad extensively during the summer with the help of Rice and he is optimistic the new acquisitions will help Livingston to avoid dropping straight back down to the second tier. 'One of the first conversations that I had with the board when I came in was about receiving help upstairs with recruitment,' he said. 'We're probably still a good bit behind other clubs, but between myself and Chipper we'll get a lot more decisions right. (Image: Ross Parker - SNS Group) 'I think good recruitment is probably 50 per cent plus of the battle. You're going to make mistakes, you're going to get decisions wrong and you can only play 11 players at any one point. So recruitment plays a huge part in the success of the football club. 'Look at some of the bigger clubs over the years. Look at Man United and look at their recruitment. They have spent billions of pounds. So it's not always down to finance. It comes down to skill set, experience and eyes and that's what Chipper's got.'