City Region Deal investment grows garden pod business

This article is more than 1 year old

Innovative, original garden rooms manufactured and designed in Glenrothes, Fife, by RUMIPOD, offer a new, environmentally friendly way of working and relaxing.

RUMIPOD is housed within new business units at Queensway Technology and Business Park, Glenrothes, built as part of Fife Council's Edinburgh and South East Scotland’s City Region Deal (ESESCRD) Industrial Innovation Investment programme.

RUMIPOD is part of a new hub for innovative and future focused businesses, where a diverse range of businesses are now thriving in their new premises.

Fife's Industrial Innovation Investment programme forms part of the £1.3 billion ESESCRD, a partnership of the Scottish and UK Governments, the region's local authorities and universities that is transforming the regional economy.

A RUMIPOD offers a resolution to the problem many people are facing in a new hybrid work environment – how do you work effectively from home when work and family needs compete with each other.

Designed and built by local architect Alasdair Baird and project manager Stewart Thomson, all components and materials are UK sourced. The garden rooms offer 365 day comfort for homeworkers looking to balance their work and home life, or to those seeking an inspiring space for creative or leisure pursuits.

RUMIPOD Co-founder Stewart Thomson said: “Our business location offers a quality, clean new unit sized to our needs and is good value. Our company ethos is to source and manufacture a product that employs part-recycled materials without compromising looks or performance. The connection to a combined heat and power system further complements the company’s eco-credentials.

“Our Fife design and manufacturing facility allows us to create precision made components, which, in turn, improves quality and reduces on-site installation time. With innovative engineering, featuring a highly insulated twin shell design, energy consumption is correspondingly very low.”

Cllr. David Ross, Fife Council Leader, said: “Fife’s ten-year £50m Industrial Innovation Investment programme is being delivered as part of the City Region Deal’s innovation theme, and is providing much-needed serviced employment land and new industrial, office and business space.  Our focus in Fife is on fairer economic growth, where everyone benefits from good employment opportunities and regional investments.

“The programme is creating 1,000 new skilled permanent jobs and almost 600 short-term construction jobs over the 15-year lifetime of the City Region Deal. Joint working between the region’s universities, Fife businesses and Fife Council means more high value, better paid, skilled jobs locally.”

As part of Fife's Industrial Innovation Investment programme, seven single storey business units on land at Mitchelston Industrial Estate, Dunnikier Business Park, Kirkcaldy were recently completed. The cutting-edge buildings include solar panels and are located to key transport links including public transport.  A few units are still available for local small enterprises Dunnikier Business Park (investfife.co.uk)

The latest development due for completion in late summer is at West Way, Hillend, featuring 8 units. Visit Westway, Dalgety Bay (investfife.co.uk)

To find out more visit  https://www.investfife.co.uk Leasing enquiries can be made to fifemeansbusiness@fife.gov.uk