Elliot Robertson

The family-owned group commissioned a report by the Fraser of Allander Institute (FAI) to understand and improve its impact on the Scottish economy following the consequences of the first national Covid-19 lockdown.

The report was commissioned in order that Robertson has a greater understanding of the role that it plays in the Scottish economy and where it can focus efforts to help Build Back Better, economically, environmentally, and socially.

Elliot Robertson, chief operating officer, Robertson Group, said: “The construction sector in Scotland was significantly impacted during the first lockdown with many sites across our entire industry brought to a complete standstill for a period of 13 weeks.

“As the 8th largest sector in the Scottish economy, contributing around 6% of Scottish GVA and 5% of Scottish employment it was essential that we found a way to return to work safely, protecting the workforce and the communities where we operate.

“The sector showed great resilience and adaptability during the pandemic and has been the first main sector to recover, with performance returning to above pre-pandemic levels.”

Robertson’s spend from 2018/19 – 2020/21 was within 29 of Scotland’s local authorities, with only Clackmannanshire, Inverclyde and North Ayrshire not included. Of that, around £39.5m was spent in postcode districts which contain the top 20 most deprived postcodes in Scotland.

Robertson said it is committed to sourcing services and goods from local suppliers and supply chain to help tackle inequalities in Scotland’s most deprived local authorities, and to providing positive employment opportunities and added social impact.

Elliot added: “As a responsible business our commitment extends beyond economic benefits, we aim to leave a lasting community impact and legacy in the communities where we work, through employment and training opportunities, working with residents and local community groups surrounding our projects, to listen and understand their needs, to then design and implement initiatives which support their aspirations for their community.

“The social impact that Robertson has on communities should not be underestimated and at a time when our industry is facing skills shortages, we need to be doing all that we can to encourage trainees into the sector. Inequalities across Scotland need to be addressed and businesses like ours are in a position to help to do exactly that.”

During 2020, Robertson launched its 2030 Responsible Business Strategy with the objective of enhancing the lives of others, positively contributing towards communities, and becoming a ‘climate positive’ business. The findings from the FAI report show that Robertson is well progressed in its journey of meeting its objectives as it continues to move beyond carbon neutral to climate positive having actively taken responsibility for climate change, and supporting several commitments that support the fight against the climate crisis.

Mairi Spowage, director of the Institute, said: “The construction sector has been a strong driver of growth in the Scottish economy throughout the Coronavirus pandemic, and construction firms have a significant role to play in supporting Scotland’s economic recovery from COVID-19.

“Robertson is an important contributor to the construction sector in Scotland and across the UK. However, the contribution of Robertson extends beyond this sector, as its investment and day-to-day operations supports jobs and economic growth across the whole economy.

“Whilst COVID-19 currently presents an unprecedented challenge for the Scottish economy, there are longer-term challenges that have been exacerbated due to the pandemic. One of these long-term challenges is tackling inequalities. Our latest findings highlight that Robertson is in a strong position to help support Scotland in its efforts to tackle these grand challenges.”