Stuart Laing, Director, Houlden Group and Owner, Laings of Glasgow
As boss of the Houlden Group and the proud owner of a well-respected luxury jeweller in Glasgow’s Argyll Arcade, Stuart Laing is kept nice and busy, meaning he probably spends less time with his golf clubs and Maserati than he would no doubt like you to think.
This year has been one of immense change for Stuart. The death of Tony Ruddell and the retirement of Peter Lunn has left him as the last founding director at the Houlden Group, and at his own retail business Laings of Glasgow he has welcomed his daughter and son in law into the fold, heralding the arrival of a “new energy”, to hijack Stuart’s own words.
While Stuart says he was deeply saddened by the death of Tony and will miss hosting board meetings with his friend Peter, he remains his usually optimistic self and says his is feeling confident about the future.
And so he should be, considering he has just taken over fellow Glaswegian retailer Russell & Binglay, which Stuart plans to turn into a two-floor emporium that he believes will be “the largest jewellery store in Glasgow, if not Scotland”. He adds: “We have been working hard to develop ourselves as the destination for high-end jewellery and watches in Glasgow and the West of Scotland.”
Stuart says that the team at Laings is planning an online and offline offensive next year as the business plots for growth. “In 2012 I am looking forward to expanding the retail business, not only with stores but also the website and social media,” he says.
