The Scottish Plant Owners Association (SPOA) has released its Annual Review for 2025, detailing the major successes of the past year and emphasising the Scottish plant industry's £6.4 billion economic contribution to the wider UK economy.

Reflecting on the publication, SPOA President David Jarvie expressed his gratitude to the organisation’s leadership: "Compiling the Annual Review, I am proud and incredibly grateful to the Executive Committee for everything the SPOA achieved in 2025. All members of the Executive Committee are volunteers with a shared commitment to drive innovation and growth and maintain Scotland's position as a leader in the plant industry.

"We are publishing this Annual Review shortly after ScotPlant 2026 where informal discussions with members and non-members alike only served to highlight the challenges the industry continues to face, not least in addressing the skills shortage with an estimated 18,000 additional workers needed within the next five years to meet demand. The SPOA will continue to promote the plant industry as a career path and work with CITB to raise the standards of apprenticeships and funding for apprenticeships."

Creation of Sub-committee Working Groups

In an effort to improve member representation on critical industry matters, the SPOA established several specialised sub-committee working groups during 2025. Each group operates under a designated chairperson with a defined set of targets.

These include the Training and Skills Development group, led by John Sibbald, which focuses on providing applicable training opportunities to members throughout the year. The Research and Digitisation group, chaired by Gail McEwen, is tasked with analyzing digital transformation trends within the sector and sharing these insights with members.

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Mark Anderson chairs the Policy, Sustainability and Decarbonisation group, which ensures the SPOA represents its membership and the broader Scottish plant sector before both the UK and Scottish Governments. This group monitors legislative amendments, sustainability initiatives, and decarbonisation advancements. Additionally, Gail McEwen chairs the CITB working group, which collaborates with the CITB to improve apprenticeship standards and secure better funding.

Campaigning Against Business and Agricultural Property Relief Changes

Following the October 2024 Budget announcement, which took place without prior industry consultation, changes to Business Property Relief (BPR) and Agricultural Property Relief (APR) exposed family-run plant businesses to a 20 per cent inheritance tax on assets valued over £1 million starting in April 2026.

Throughout 2025, the SPOA actively engaged with HMRC consultations, responded to enquiries from MPs and MSPs, participated in political lobbying, and utilized media platforms to highlight the impact of the legislation. The association continues to lobby for specific amendments, including:

• Aligning the inheritance tax liability with a cash crystallisation event, such as a sale or disposal, occurring within a seven-year transfer window.

• Eliminating the Capital Gains Tax (CGT) uplift on the transfer of privately held shares so that any subsequent sale of the business triggers an increased tax liability.

Success of the Youth Sponsorship Initiative

The SPOA Youth Sports Sponsorship programme, designed to assist under-16s sports clubs across Scotland, achieved significant success in 2025. Six youth sports teams throughout the country each received a £1,000 grant to purchase new training tops or team strips.

The initiative was introduced by David Jarvie during his first week as President. Speaking on its progress, he noted: "The Youth Sports Sponsorship programme is entering year two. Many of our members are involved in youth sports in their local communities in lots of different ways, from coaching to providing transport to games or providing financial support. It's often a talking point when we get together along with the lack of support for grassroots sport for young people in Scotland.

"The SPOA is ideally placed to help. We have members from Shetland to Selkirk and everywhere in between. We are asking our members to get the word out and encourage youth sports clubs in their communities to apply for funding. It can be any sport from basketball to ballet, football to ultimate frisbee. All applications will be considered."

Insights from the Membership Survey

The 2025 Annual Review also delivers the findings of a membership survey conducted during the year. The data reveals that more than 60% of respondents would recommend joining the SPOA to other companies operating within the plant sector. The Executive Committee will review additional feedback and proposed member benefits for potential rollout during the 2026/27 period.