10 years of tartan service

10 years ago it is hard to imagine but we only had one employee and a freelance book-keeper. Local girl Donna was our very first member of staff and when she decided she needed more time at home with her family she suggested her friend Ali needed a job. Ali popped down for a chat and I knew straight away she was the right kind of person for us, full of enthusiasm and a desire to learn. 10 years on Ali is just as enthusiastic and always the first to volunteer for new projects.

The company has grown so much since Ali arrived and that has to be a key requisite in working for a small business, you need to be prepared to change and grow with it, go with the flow and take the ups with the downs. Ali has worked with me to make some difficult decisions, adjusted her hours to work round the seasonality and growth of the business and the various children we have produced along the way. We have had a lot of laughs, the odd cry and even the odd heated discussion but I think the support has been mutual as we have built a committed team and a great knowledge of all things tartan.

Many of you will have already spoken to Ali on the phone as she does love to chat to customers and answer all your questions. If you are ordering custom made items Ali looks after the process, making sure the correct amount of cloth is cut for your item, and all your extra details and special requests are catered to. The order then passes to our next long-standing employee, Sarah who, with 7 years of experience, makes sure production runs to schedule, deals with any last minute additions or alterations and quality checks the final product before it leaves us. Your order is in good hands!

On this special day I would like to say a great big thank you to Ali for her outstanding commitment, positive attitude and endless enthusiasm. ScotlandShop would not be what is is without you.