Stax Glasgow has issued a call for other businesses in the area to join them in helping create jobs and boost the local economy. Just two years after opening for business on the Queenslie Industrial Estate outside Glasgow city centre, the Stax Trade Centres warehouse branch now employs 89 people, nearly all of whom live within three miles of the store.

“We know we’ve made a very positive impact on the local area, and we’re asking other businesses to follow our example by making their own contribution,” explains Steven Brady, Branch Manager of Stax Glasgow. “We’ve seen the benefits of investing in the Glasgow area. We expect to achieve 30% year-on-year growth in 2018, and we have exciting plans for future development, so we’re a good example of what other businesses can achieve if they follow our example and make a firm commitment to this region.”

The 80,000 sq ft Stax branch offers household, garden, hardware and building material lines to its customers, and features a dedicated Kitchens & Bathrooms showroom. It is also the first design-led, dual-purpose store of its kind, and works in tandem with the Stax Edinburgh branch to provide a Cash & Carry and Distribution Centre facility for retailers and trade professionals.

One of the keys to success for the Glasgow Stax team has been to work closely with Working Links organisation, which specialises in helping people get back into work. By partnering with Working Links, Stax has been able to reintroduce eight local people to the working environment, four of whom are now part of the Glasgow Stax team. The Stax employees have also repaid the business’s commitment to them, and 10 people have already been promoted after excelling in their original roles.

Stax believes the success it has achieved in Glasgow is also based on the personal relationships it has built with local trade and retail customers. “We have some 40,000 product lines on offer from major names such as Harris, Wilkinson Sword and Flymo, but that alone is not enough,” adds Steven Brady.

“We make it a priority to source our supplies locally, and so many of the materials and products which the business uses itself come from local suppliers wherever possible. This helps to ensure that the money we generate stays within the city and contributes to Glasgow’s economy.”