Building Social Value Through Our Supply Chain
In July 2026, representatives from Wills Bros visited Scotland’s Bravest Manufacturing Company’s (SBMC) factory in Veterans Village, Erskine. Procurement Officers Darren Cooke and Mark Crombie were joined by Procurement Assistant Manager Lewis Campbell, Trainee Buyer Joe Finan, and Community Liaison Assistant Chloe Rhinds. The team were given a tour of the factory, led by Operations Manager Ian Allan, and chatted with Assistant Director Robert Lappin, along with Head of Sales Karen Ravenscroft and Training Manager Julie Scott, to learn more about the social enterprise and its values.
SBMC’s mission is “to enable veterans and others with disabilities to regain their independence through personal development involving employment and skills while providing a professional service and high-quality product.” Early in our conversation, Robert emphasised that opportunity is foundational to SBMC. He explained that, through both long- and short-term employment opportunities, SBMC gives people the chance to return to work after a period of unemployment and enables individuals to stay busy with purpose. In doing so, the organisation values the skills and knowledge of people who are often overlooked.
Robert shared two of SBMC’s success stories with us.
The first concerned an individual who went on to work as a call handler for the police force after spending a year at SBMC, where they regained the confidence to return to work. The second concerned an individual whom we met during our tour, a qualified maths teacher from Fiji, who struggled to find work after moving to Scotland with her husband, a British Army veteran, and discovering that her qualifications were not transferrable to the UK. SBMC offered her employment, and she is now an integral part of the team, often found zooming around the factory on the forklift, busily preparing dispatch paperwork, or ordering more materials.
SBMC’s values of integrity, motivation, ‘people first’, accountability, community, and teamwork (IMPACT) became evident as we toured its grounds.
The management office is cosy, with senior and junior members working together in a shared space, creating a notably welcoming atmosphere. In reception, a large collage of images shows SBMC colleagues laughing and working together, engaging in activities outside of work, and proudly accepting awards. Particularly noteworthy is the King’s Award for Enterprise, mounted at the centre of the collage. Awarded in 2023 and valid for five years, this award recognises SBMC as an enterprise that promotes opportunity, further supporting Robert’s comments. The factory also boasts a sizeable training room where employees gain accredited qualifications for both new and existing skills. As a Qualifications Scotland approved training centre, SBMC strives to continuously develop the knowledge of their workforce, with at least one to two hours of training allocated each week to learning & development. A final noteworthy point is SBMC’s commitment to sustainable practices. Ian Allan shared that waste from SBMC’s printing projects are reused wherever possible or recycled; nothing goes to landfill and they source all electricity from renewables.
As a registered charity, SBMC relies on the generosity of its funders to continue its production work and support the evolution of its mission.
Robert shared that around 12% of the social enterprise’s turnover comes from third party funders who value what the organisation is delivering. As a result, SBMC must undertake thorough internal and external audits to ensure that it is operating to its fullest potential and is always compliant with funders’ conditions.
We first became aware of Scotland’s Bravest Manufacturing Company through online research and engagement at several ‘Meet the Buyer’ events. Since then, we have worked with SBMC across several of our projects for the supply of site signage. As with all suppliers, they were assessed against key criteria including quality, service, lead times, and cost.
SBMC has invested in modern manufacturing equipment and has consistently demonstrated their ability to deliver high-quality products at competitive rates, with reliable lead times and excellent customer service.
They have also shown a willingness to go above and beyond when we require bespoke signage solutions or when urgent requirements arise, providing a flexible and dependable service that supports our project needs.
While our decision to work with SBMC is based on their ability to deliver the quality, service, and value we require, their wider social impact is an added benefit of the partnership. Knowing that our spend also supports an organisation to provide meaningful employment and skills development opportunities for veterans and people with disabilities, reinforces Wills Bros’ commitment to delivering positive social value through our supply chain. We are proud to support SBMC’s endeavours through our partnership.
