Former office welcomes 15 new businesses inside
A new lease of life has been given to the former offices of a travel company in East Kilbride town centre.
EK Collective, the town’s new coworking space in what was David Urquhart Travel, has now welcomed 15 businesses since launching in February this year.
Among the new companies now located in Strathmore and Edinburgh Houses are awardwinning commercial interior design studio Bell and Swift, wine supplier Alexander Wines, construction and landscapers Candid Projects, IAS electrical and Queen of Clean.
EK Collective, which offers hotdesking, communal and private workspaces, and meeting/event spaces, is run by Collective Communities CIC a social enterprise company established by existing coworking company Glasgow Collective.
It aims to support new business growth and regeneration in East Kilbride by attracting diverse businesses and entrepreneurial individuals into the town centre.
Co-founder and managing director of Bell and Swift, Dawn Campbell, said: “We have been with the team behind EK Collective from the start, and we know we can grow with them as our business develops in future.
“Many of our team at Bell & Swift live in East Kilbride or south Glasgow and have been commuting into the city centre for the last five years, so we jumped at the chance to have our Scotland base closer to home.”
MP for East Kilbride Dr Lisa Cameron, who has recently visited EK Collective, said: “EK Collective are extremely innovative. I previously visited their sister company in Glasgow with Cllr John Anderson, Chair of Enterprise.
“It is fantastic they have chosen EK for their next venture.”
The town’s MSP Colette Stevenson also added her support to the new venture, saying it’s a “great way for like-minded creative, professional people to collaborate and work together” and she is sure they “will go from strength to strength.”
Local councillor Joe Fagan, whose ward covers the town centre, added: “EK Collective is an example of the kind of new thinking we need in East Kilbride to breathe new life into the town centre.
“There will always be a place for retail, but we have to embrace new ideas to build our town back to what it should be.”
Glasgow Collective and EK Collective cofounder David McBeth said: “Demand for space at EK Collective has been incredible. There is a real buzz and energy at EK Collective with the diverse range of new businesses that have joined. Flexible hybrid working models are becoming increasingly popular post-pandemic and we believe a town of East Kilbride’s size should have access to such facilities in the heart of the town centre.”