Weekly Update, 9th August 2010

• I discussed updated figures for the number of jobs being created in the area with colleagues at HIE – I am also discussing this with colleagues at the Highland Council and North Highland Regeneration Fund. The purpose of this is to identify as accurate a picture as possible for job creation over the past three years of pursuing the Caithness & North Sutherland Action Plan. It will also allow us to show which sectors and industries the jobs are being created in.
• I met with Rob McKinnon, the new General Manager at North Highland Products/ Mey Selections. Rob joins the company after a challenging couple of years for the Mey Selections brand, but under Danny Miller’s chairmanship they have survived the economic downturn and are looking to the future with some confidence. We discussed future plans for the brand itself, and agreed on the potential for shared brand values between Mey Selections and North Highland Tourism. There are a growing number of food and drink businesses in Caithness & North Sutherland, and we discussed how Mey Selections interacted with these companies both now and in the future.