The Bottom Line

Sipping a reviving coffee in the comfortable cafe area, the calm atmosphere was interrupted by a dramatic big screen countdown, culminating with a piercing blast from a klaxon.

Turns out it was one of several motivational tools used to gee up staff before the showroom opens.

"We sometimes have a game of tig," a helpful member of said. "But decided not to since you were here."

Short search [picture of Hugh Aitken]

THE Confederation of British Industry (CBI) was perhaps unlikely to have expected Hugh Aitken to respond so quickly when it asked the technology veteran if he could think of anyone who would be interested in applying for its Scotland director post.

Mr Aitken, who himself was unveiled as the successful candidate last week, noted: "I said it's me, you fool!"

Home is where the heart is

RESTORING the reputation of the CBI, which endured a torrid time during last year's independence campaign, was not the only motivation for Hugh Aitken to take up the cudgels for the business lobby group in Scotland.

Mr Aitken told reporters he was determined to change Scotland to the extent people no longer have to leave so readily to expand their careers.

The former Sun Microsystems was working in California before joining the CBI and two of his children are based in Doha, Qatar.

"I don't want that to happen in the future," said Mr Aitken, who also has children aged four and eight. "I want them to have a future in Scotland."

Cars the blood

PETER Vardy has spent his life immersed in the car industry, as he revealed to The Bottom Line this week. The head of the Peter Vardy Group of motor dealerships said he had a box seat as he watched his father, Sir Peter Vardy, build his own business into a publicly quoted company.

Mr Vardy said: "Our house was on the forecourt of a dealership when I grew up in Sunderland. The cars would get parked up against the kitchen window and the customers would quite often come in for tea. I'd get back home from school and there were actually customers in the house having dinner. So you just got used to the way of life - you were part of the family business."

Doing it for CHAS

CHARTERED surveying firm DM Hall has renewed its commitment to The Children's Hospice Association Scotland (CHAS).

The firm has raised more than £13,500 since it began working with CHAS last March staff across its 25 offices in Scotland are keen to beat that total in the coming year.

Last year the surveyor's 230 staff took part in a range of fundraising events, some of which took them well outside their comfort zones. Managing partner Eric Curran even did a bungee jump from the 164-foot Titan Crane at Clydebank - dressed as 1980s cartoon hero Bananaman.

Mr Curran said: "There can be no more worthy community cause in Scotland than CHAS and my colleagues have thrown themselves with enthusiasm into raising the huge sums of money CHAS needs to do its vital work.

"We are delighted to commit to another year of activities and events which we hope will go some small way to contributing to the £9 million a year which CHAS needs to carry on its invaluable work."

Everything is awesome

BREWDOG co-founder James Watt has always insisted the craft brewer would never sell out to a major. And last week he ruled out another form of investment in the fast-growing firm.

Praising Brewdog's loyal arm of craft beer "punks", who have supported successive crowdfunding drives launched by the brewer, he said on Twitter: "Being approached by so many venture capital groups at the moment. We don't need those stupid muppets. We have our awesome equity punks!"