Here are the business stories making the headlines across Scotland and the UK this morning.
BrewDog refreshes can branding
BrewDog has unveiled a series of updates to the packaging designs for its core range of beers.
Punk IPA, Hazy Jane, Lost Lager and Elvis Juice have all been refreshed with new branding that aims to “provide each beer with more of an individual visual identity“.
BrewDog last changed its packaging in 2020, and many of the key components from those designs remain, such as the colour palette and banding across the cans, while the BrewDog brandmark remains unchanged.
The packaging changes follow recent leadership appointments, with BrewDog James Taylor being named the new chief executive and Lauren Carrol the new chief operating officer in March.
Click here to read more
Ministers to get power to force pension funds to invest in UK
Ministers will be handed a “reserve power” that will allow them to force pension funds to invest in British assets in a move that is likely to cause alarm in the retirement industry.
The government will on Thursday give details of a series of reforms that will be implemented through the Pension Schemes Bill, as it steps up its efforts to harness the firepower of Britons’ retirement pots to bolster the UK economy.
It comes just weeks after 17 of the country’s biggest defined contribution workplace pension providers agreed with the Treasury to boost their investments in UK private assets such as infrastructure and start-ups by an estimated £25 billion by 2030.
Click here to read more.
Immigration plans a ‘ticking time bomb’ for Scottish construction
The UK Government's new immigration proposals are “a ticking time bomb” for Scottish construction which could cause an exodus of workers and leave the sector with a skills gap.
Trade association SELECT stated that the proposals to raise the qualification standards for foreign workers is likely to see a significant number abandoning the UK and returning home, with Scottish construction workers moving south to fill the resulting shortage.
SELECT managing director Alan Wilson raised the concerns with First Minister John Swinney during a meeting of Scottish business leaders last week, during which he relayed apprehensions from across the construction sector.
Click here to read more.
UK car production falls sharply in April
The number of vehicles manufactured in the UK fell sharply last month, as tariffs and the timing of Easter hit production.
The 59,203 vehicles made was the lowest April output for more than 70 years, with the exception of 2020, when production effectively stopped during the Covid lockdown.
The Society for Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) said a wider change in the industry as it shifts from petrol cars to electric vehicles (EVs) had also temporarily reduced output.
However, new trade deals with the US, EU and India may help boost upcoming production, the industry group said.
Click here to read more.