New tenant for Kelburn Business Park - The New Chocolate Company
Port Glasgow
It’s sweet success for Riverside Inverclyde as the next company to take up occupancy within its eye-catching quality business units at Port Glasgow’s Kelburn Business Park is The New Chocolate Company Ltd. Kelburn Business Park is proving to be adaptable in attracting a diverse range of businesses – the ideal profile for Inverclyde’s continued regeneration.
Joanne and Brian Dick are delighted to start off their new venture in Inverclyde. The idea of making chocolate started as a hobby, but now, as qualified chocolatiers trained by UK World Chocolate Master Ruth Hinks, quality chocolate will be made locally at Kelburn Business Park.
Joanne said “to do a good job, it is important to have first class, modern premises. Kelburn Business Park is very modern and the buildings within the park will certainly allow us to consider expansion in the future. Riverside Inverclyde has been excellent in helping the business get started, with David Martin giving us his undivided attention, as we started to get things moving. Kelburn Business Park is very modern and the buildings within the park will certainly allow us to consider expansion in the future”.
It is anticipated that as well as making chocolate bars, moulded pralines, truffles and hampers, a large part of the business will be chocolate leisure workshops. Children’s workshops are also going to be a big part of the school holiday programme, while considerable interest has been shown by companies looking to offer a different type of team-building day. It is possible to accommodate from 8 to 24 people in the factory to run classes.
Riverside Inverclyde’s Chair, Gerry McCarthy, said : “Securing new tenants for Kelburn Business Park is one of our key focus areas in the Inverclyde Economic Development & Regeneration Single operating Plan 2016-19. Our ambition for Kelburn was to facilitate a diverse business base for Inverclyde - a business base that has the potential of growing and creating jobs. The New Chocolate Company certainly fulfils this criteria. Not only that, it is a new business and provides further optimism that Inverclyde is starting to catch up with the rest of the country in developing entrepreneurial ventures. I’m sure many within Inverclyde will join me in wishing the company a successful future here”.
Inverclyde Council’s Environment and Regeneration Convener, Councillor Michael McCormick, said: “This is a very positive development. Not only are we welcoming a new tenant to Kelburn Business Park, but helping a new start business to grow and prosper. I wish the New Chocolate Company every success in their new location and would encourage more businesses to check out the great package Inverclyde offers for new and growing businesses.”