Scottish engineering sector ‘performing well’

"The first quarter of 2014 has seen small companies performing well with the level of UK and export orders improving over the final quarter of last year. Improvements are also being reported for output volumes which have increased yet again," it reported. Bryan Buchan, chief executive of Scottish Engineering, said: "The much-vaunted efforts to support smaller businesses on the part of the government and the banks appears to be yielding results. Smaller companies are reporting continued improved performances with a commensurate increase in optimism." He added: "It is to be hoped that recent attention to Scotland's Mittelstand [small and medium-sized firms] will bear similar fruit." Staffing levels continue to be positive (27% up, 55% same, 18% down) across the industry with medium companies (30% up, 57% same, 13% down) taking on more employees than either small or large companies.