The new Ingram Enterprise Centre has been officially opened in Kilmarnock town centre.

CCG Scotland performed extensive restoration works on the John Finnie Street development, named after its architect Robert S Ingram.

The £4.8m centre caters to start-up and expanding businesses, offering serviced accommodation, meeting rooms, breakout spaces, and training facilities with a reception facility during core office hours. An all-inclusive rental cost including heating, lighting and superfast broadband allows businesses to budget for occupancy costs in the early stages of their growth. Business Gateway's office on the ground floor also offers onsite support.

At the official opening of the building, Councillor Douglas Reid, Leader of East Ayrshire Council said: "Some years ago we recognised that town centre regeneration was vital to the future of our area. We're very fortunate in East Ayrshire to have so many magnificent Victorian buildings, but some of these were in dire need of expert restoration. At the same time, we have a wealth of forward thinking, talented individuals, with great business ideas. By bringing those two elements together with this project, helping protect our built heritage and support the birth and growth of new businesses we're helping create a very positive future for our local economy and beyond."

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Colin McNally, Managing Director, CJM Project Financial Management Ltd, added: "We are accountants, business advisers and financial management accountants. We were looking for an East Ayrshire office that was central to our client base, fully serviced, modern, and delivered the professional office environment for both ourselves and our clients. We chose the Ingram Enterprise Centre because it met all those criteria. IT works really well, our clients have found the location accessible, the rooms are the right size, and there are options to change office as the business grows. It's great working in an environment with other like-minded businesses and the collaborative nature of the building is still developing its potential. As I run courses on behalf of Business Gateway the training suite works really well for us. It's spacious and has really good communication media. We're sure this will prove a truly worthwhile and enterprising centre in the coming months and years."

The Ingram Enterprise Centre is the latest in a series of 25 buildings in Kilmarnock's historic quarter to undergo a comprehensive programme of restoration and refurbishment funded jointly by the Council's £5m Kilmarnock Town Centre Fund, the Scottish Government's Regeneration Capital Grant Fund and the Heritage Lottery Fund through the Kilmarnock Townscape Heritage Initiative.

(CM/MH)