Ortak reopens following £136,000 grant

Ortak has reopened its shop in Kirkwall town centre, Orkney, after receiving a £136,400 grant from the Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE). Earlier this year it was announced that Ortak had gone into administration and manufacturing ceased at the Hatston factory with redundancies made after the company failed to find a buyer. Ortak has since been bought out and is currently undergoing a £506,000 rejuvenation project which has created 14 new jobs, and has the potential to create further employment in the future. The new business is led by majority shareholder and managing director Michael Gardens, ex-production manager of the former Ortak company, and Alison Firth, a finance professional from Castletown. The new partners purchased the brand, including the intellectual property rights, as well as the original designs and patterns of the jewellery moulds and drawings. Production is now being carried out at a former dental surgery on Great Western Road, Kirkwall, which has been temporarily adapted to provide the necessary workstations. Gardens said: “It is exciting taking over the new Ortak business and being able to retain the brand in Orkney. It is very important to be able to keep some of the employees from the old business who have the necessary skills and experience and who will be vital in bringing forward the business. “Everyone involved is excited and about the opening of the former Ortak shop in Kirkwall town centre.” Francesca Couperwhite, HIE’s account manager for the business, said: “This project re-launches the iconic Ortak brand and retains its strong links to Orkney which will provide a significant boost to the sector and will help to maintain the islands’ place in Scotland’s internationally renowned creative industries sector. “The former Ortak business was a significant player within the UK jewellery sector and this will provide the new company an established market.”