Finnies the Jeweller invests seven-figure sum in Aberdeen City Centre

One of North-east’s leading independent family businesses is to invest a seven-figure sum expanding its presence Aberdeen city centre.

Finnies the Jeweller has doubled the size of its flagship George Street showroom after acquiring neighbouring premises.

And further development is to follow as the firm enters its seventh decade of trading from the same location.

The investment comes amid new hope around the future of Aberdeen city centre, with the Bon Accord Centre under new ownership, the former John Lewis building under offer and a huge community-led effort to regenerate Union Street underway.

Finnies was founded in Aberdeen in 1957 Ron and Peggy Finnie, and from humble beginnings as a watch repair business on St Nicholas Street, the family grew the business into one of the city’s best-loved brands.

Finnies is now owned by second generation, Sarah Dawson and her brother Matthew Finnie, who run the store alongside four other members of the family spanning three generations - Stewart Dawson, Declan Dawson, Dominique Dawson & Dominique’s husband, William Blake.

Matthew and Sarah said investing in George street was now “second nature” to the family.

“Within Finnies the ground floor has nearly doubled in size, with a beautiful new extension sitting alongside the existing showroom,” they said.

“The enlarged space successfully blends past and present, providing a bold statement of intent and the demonstrating confidence and commitment to both George Street and the wider Aberdeen area.”

The store is renowned for its expertly-curated jewellery collections, which are a combination of Finnies’ own designs alongside an edit of highly-desirable branded jewellery, across a broad spectrum of price points.

It also showcases some of the world’s finest watch brands, including many limited-edition timepieces.

Matthew and Sarah said balancing the shop’s rich heritage with its future ambition was a challenge, but that the family are proud of their expanded city footprint.

They added: “For any retail business, well into its seventh decade of trading from the same location, the prospect of development can often bring equal parts excitement and trepidation.

“Balancing the need to evolve whilst retaining the identity that has brought you to this point is crucial, and when the business in question is also family-owned, with multiple generations working side-by-side, the challenge of delivering something that everyone can be equally proud of should not be underestimated.

“However, we are delighted with the results and look forward to welcoming customers, old and new, through in the months and years ahead.”

Maggie’s Culture Crawl to hit the streets for its sixth year

The sixth annual Maggie’s Culture Crawl is set to hit Aberdeen’s streets on Friday, June 16, when hundreds of fundraisers will walk eight miles to raise money for those living with cancer.

The event will take place in the city centre with fundraisers set to stop at some of the city’s iconic venues enjoying refreshments, live entertainment and surprises throughout the crawl.

Maggie’s Aberdeen Fundraising Manager, Richard Stewart, commented: “I am overjoyed to be able to hold our annual Culture Crawl again in Aberdeen city centre. I look forward to this event more and more each year. It allows us to stay active, walk with friends and family, explore local venues, and raise as much money as possible for those living with cancer.

“The event allows for local businesses and communities to come together to rally behind the walkers, allowing us to celebrate our city’s culture at each stage of the walk. The valued contribution of Aberdeen businesses helps make the event more impactful year after year.

“I would like to extend my thanks to our amazing staff at Maggie’s and our valued fundraisers for allowing the culture crawl to continue for another year through their continued support. I cannot wait to see our fundraisers hit the streets and begin raising money for those who need it most.”

A fantastic £58,000 was raised from last year’s walk, and the team at Maggie’s is hoping to keep the positive momentum going again this year.

XIC brings the North-east’s largest health and safety expo to P&J Live

Creative printer and experts in durable printed safety products, XIC, is bringing the North-east’s only dedicated QHSE event, The Safety Expo, to P&J Live on Thursday, September 21.

Open to everyone, but particularly suited to QHSE and procurement professionals, the expo is free to attend and aims to highlight local businesses’ immense talent for health and safety products and services.

Showcasing training providers, workwear and PPE suppliers, equipment demonstrations and safety literature specialists all under one roof, the event provides the ideal opportunity for attendees to network with exhibitors and discover innovative solutions that align with their operations.

A number of local businesses have already signed up to exhibit at the event, including this year’s gold sponsors, Aquaterra, Clyde Training, Drager, Omniscient Safety Innovations (OSI), P3 Business Care, Red Wing, STC INSISO, Step Change in Safety, Total Safety, Synergy and Steven J Innes.

Bringing the latest in QHSE equipment, attendees will be able to witness in-person demonstrations from a variety of organisations including AquaTerra, Drager, Forest Training and Total Safety.

Jason Moir, Director at XIC and organiser of The Safety Expo said: “The North-east has incredible organisations on our doorstep which are paving the way for QHSE advancements on a global scale.

“The forward-thinking approach to this sector needs to be celebrated, and following smaller scale expo’s in the past, we’ve witnessed first-hand the demand for this type of event.

“The 2023 Safety Expo is back and bigger than ever before and our primary aim is to not only help unlock the potential of these businesses but enhance QHSE operations across the region as a whole.”

To find out more visit www.thesafetyexpo.uk