NEW DENTURE VENTURE IN CAITHNESS A
Caithness-based dental technician has plenty to smile about after being
awarded a grant to start his own business.
Qualified dental technician, Allan Young
has been awarded a financial package from Caithness and Sutherland
Enterprise (CASE) via the HIE-Starts programme. HIE-Starts is a
Network-wide initiative designed to help new businesses by providing a
regular income for the first twelve months of trading, usually the most
difficult time for fledgling businesses.
Allan is setting up his new business -
AKL Dental Laboratory - at The Bridges Dental Clinic in Wick, where he has
leased a room from dental surgeon Neil Erridge. He initially plans to
concentrate on denture work
from The Bridges Clinic but could eventually provide his services to
clinics in the wider community, as well as offering a denture repair
service direct to the public.
Commenting on his new venture, Allan
said: "I have been living in Caithness since 2001 and working at BT.
However, on a recent trip to the dentist and after discussing the
situation with Neil Erridge, I was made aware of the shortage of dental
technicians in the area, with all denture work being sent out with the
county.
"It seemed a great chance to fill this
gap in the market, considering that when I lived in the Central Belt I was
employed by the Appin Dental Laboratory as a dental technician prior to my
move north."
Allan added: "After close consultation
with Appin proprietor Graham Wood, further talks with Neil Erridge and
some market research, which staff at the Bridges Clinic helped me with, it
seem an opportunity not to be missed. It was at this point I
approached CASE, who I would like to thank for their help in making this
new venture possible and getting the ball rolling so quickly."
Ian Thomson, a business counsellor at
CASE said: "We are able to help a variety of new business starts through
the HIE-Starts programme. "In the case of Allan, his new venture is
set to provide a valuable service to the people of Caithness and we wish
him every success."
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