Queens Cross helps Glasgow cycle firm peddle its way to international expansion

A specialised cycle manufacturer has broken into international markets from its base in northwest Glasgow thanks to help from Queens Cross Workspace, part of the Queens Cross Group which also manages around 4500 houses in the area through its housing association.

Queens Cross helps Glasgow cycle firm peddle its way to international expansion

Ben Cooper

Kinetics builds high end tailored folding bikes, recumbent horizontal bikes, electric and cargo bikes from a small workshop in Firhill and sells to customers from Hong Kong to California.

Owner Ben Cooper has been working in the area for seven years and currently builds around 100 bikes every year for clients across the globe.

‘Ben Cooper said: “Queens Cross can be overlooked as place to do business, but it is ideally situated, it has great communications links with the city centre and with the motorway network, it couldn’t be better placed for me.”

Now his landlord, Queens Cross Workspace, is looking for more companies to follow Ben’s cycleway to success.

Queens Cross helps Glasgow cycle firm peddle its way to international expansion

The local economic development company currently rents out around 80 affordable workshops, offices and retail units. They are now looking to increase this significantly over the next five years to help boost employment opportunities in the area.

Queens Cross Workspace is setting out its plans for growth in a new Business Plan, which launches this month.

Shone Stephen, chief executive of Queens Cross Group, added: “Queens Cross Workspace has been helping to bring jobs to the area since 1986 and its Business Plan 2025 outlines how it can continue to build on this success. 

“Helping to facilitate employment opportunities locally has never been more important as we come out of pandemic lockdown. We have a crucial role to play in helping sustain and create jobs as our community unlocks and starts to recover from the constraints it has been under for the past 12 months.”

A key part of the plan is an outline strategy to identify empty or underused property that can be converted into office, workshop or retail units, the company will also be looking at vacant land sites for potential new build units.

Ian MacLean, Queens Cross Workspace chair, commented: “Over the next five years we are committed to expanding our portfolio of properties to attract even more businesses to help address some of the economic inequality the area currently suffers.”

The plan also makes a commitment to invest in the quality and range of commercial property, to improve environmental standards and provide better connectivity for modern business needs.

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