Agency has designs on business growth
Creative Exchange is home for expanding firm
A new design agency has set up shop in Perth’s Creative Exchange.
The Malting House Design Studio, which has an office in Dundee, has expanded into the Perth establishment, which has just opened in the former St John’s RC Primary School on Stormont Street.
The Creative Exchange is able to give studio and office space to artists and creatives living in Perth and Kinross.
It is hoped the company can work with more Perthshire clients now it has a base in the Fair City.
Wendy Maltman, the creative director who founded the agency 17 years ago, says the expansion is largely due to the growth of small and medium sized businesses in Perth, helped by entrepreneurial programmes like Creative Accelerator.
She said: “The way people are working is changing, with selfemployment on an upward trend in recent years - many people are leaving corporate life to set up their own businesses or to adopt a different way of working.
“That’s a significant factor of the vibrant Perth business scene.”
Wendy added she sees that evolution reflected in her own team.
She continued: “I’m fortunate to have two of my Perth team living and working in the city, both of whom have many years of business experience in the area.
“Debbie Hutchison, our marketing director, has worked with household names including Nissan and Renault, and remains a director with Merlin ERD, a highly successful engineering consultancy based in the city, and our communications director Jennifer McGregor worked for SSE in Perth for more than 20 years in external relations, PR and stakeholder engagement roles.
“As well as corporate experience, both Debbie and Jennifer also have extensive experience of supporting family-run businesses - they are very familiar with the challenges smaller companies can face in becoming established and getting their products to market.”
She added: “It’s fitting that we’re opening our Perth office during Tay Cities Business Month.
“It’s always been a pleasure to do business in Perth, and it’s great to now have a permanent base here as well as in Dundee.
"We’re looking forward to supporting even more local businesses in Perthshire and the surrounding area.”
The way people are working is changing, with self-employment on an upward trend