THE Scottish Plant Owners Association (SPOA) has published its annual review, celebrating key achievements over the last 12 months including the launch of new working groups and a youth sports sponsorship programme.
President David Jarvie said, “Compiling the annual review, I am proud and incredibly grateful to the executive committee for everything the SPOA achieved in 2025. All members of the executive committee are volunteers with a shared commitment to drive innovation and growth and maintain Scotland’s position as a leader in the plant industry.
“We are publishing this annual review shortly after ScotPlant 2026 where informal discussions with members and non-members alike only served to highlight the challenges the industry continues to face, not least in addressing the skills shortage with an estimated 18,000 additional workers needed within the next five years to meet demand. The SPOA will continue to promote the plant industry as a career path and work with CITB to raise the standards of apprenticeships and funding for apprenticeships.”
In a move aimed at better representing members on key issues affecting the plant industry, the SPOA introduced sub committee working groups in 2025, each with a dedicated chairperson and set of objectives. These groups include Training and Skills Development (chaired by John Sibbald); Research and Digitisation (chaired by Gail McEwen); Policy, Sustainability and Decarbonisation (chaired by Mark Anderson); and CITB (chaired by Gail McEwen and set up to engage with CITB to raise the standards and funding of apprenticeships).
One of the issues the SPOA has been focusing on concerns the changes to Business Property Relief (BPR) and Agricultural Property Relief (APR) – a move that left family firms in the plant industry facing inheritance tax of 20% on assets worth over £1 million. During 2025 the SPOA responded to HMRC consultations, MSP and MP requests, attended lobbying meetings, and spoke to the media to raise awareness of the impact of this legislation and lobby for alignment of the IHT liability with a cash crystallisation (sale/disposal) event within a seven-year period of transfer, as well as the removal of the CGT uplift on transfer of privately owned shares so that if the business is sold at a later date, there is an increased tax liability.
One of the highlights of 2025 was the launch of the SPOA Youth Sports Sponsorship programme, designed to support under-16s sports clubs across Scotland. Six sports teams and groups from across the country each received £1,000 towards new strips or training tops.
David Jarvie added, “The Youth Sports Sponsorship programme is entering year two. Many of our members are involved in youth sports in their local communities in lots of different ways, from coaching to providing transport to games or providing financial support. It’s often a talking point when we get together along with the lack of support for grassroots sport for young people in Scotland.
“The SPOA is ideally placed to help. We have members from Shetland to Selkirk and everywhere in between. We are asking our members to get the word out and encourage youth sports clubs in their communities to apply for funding. It can be any sport from basketball to ballet, football to ultimate frisbee. All applications will be considered.”
The annual review also includes the results from a membership survey, which found over 60% of members are likely to recommend SPOA membership to other businesses in the plant industry. Other feedback, including suggested initiatives or benefits will be considered by the executive committee for potential introduction in 2026/27.
You can read the annual review in full here.
