Business Briefs - 24th March

The deal spans clubs across the Sky Bet Championship, League One and League Two and will kick off during this year’s Play-Offs.

“Irn Bru has always been a big supporter of football but this landmark deal signals our biggest season yet,” commented Adrian Troy, head of marketing at A.G. Barr.

“We’re delighted to be partnering with The Football League to build on the popularity of our brand in England and to share our passion for football with fans and their communities right across the country.”

Glasgow’s Caledonian University generates nearly £1 billion for the UK economy, according to a new report.

An impact study into the work of ‘Glasgow Caley’ also found it supported 14,000 jobs.

The report by Biggar Economics said that for every £1 the institution, which is one of Scotland’s newer universities, received from funding bodies it returned £14.75 to the UK economy and £13.13 in Scotland.

Highland MP chief Secretary to the Treasury Danny Alexander has announced a £3 million boost to fund projects in Inverness.

Money from the Treasury will be used to help kickstart the Highland Council’s plans to provide high-speed Wi-Fi across the city centre.

The latest grant comes after £100,000 was earmarked for the Highland Council to accelerate its City Deal plans.

The City Deal project will also boost tourism by transforming access to Inverness Castle, in time for the opening of a new visitor viewing platform in Spring 2016.

Mr Alexander, is tipped by many, even some within his own party, to lose his Inverness, Nairn, Badenoch & Strathspey seat which he holds with a 9,000 majority, in May’s election.

Oilfield services company Asco, a major North Sea employer, yesterday announced a £100 million-plus contract to support BP’S North Sea operations over the next five years.

Under the deal, Asco will provide activities including warehouse operations, waste management and freight forwarding services.

The company, owned by private equity outfit Doughty Hanson and members of the management team, already provides a number of services to BP but the new contract brings them together under one agreement.

Difficult trading conditions in the UK and Germany hit profits last year at Glasgow-based retail marketing firm Spaceandpeople.

The company, which manages space in shopping centres used by major brands for promotions, saw sales during 2014 fall by 9.7 per cent to £31.6 million and pretax profits slump 60 per cent to £1m, down from £2.6m a year earlier.