Scotland Office minister Kirsty McNeill used a factory visit to Scotland’s Bravest Manufacturing Company in Bishopton to make a simple point: contracts create careers. In a 10 November government release, the minister met veterans on the shopfloor ahead of Remembrance and Armistice commemorations.

SBMC, run by Royal British Legion Industries, is Scotland’s only signage-focused social enterprise. Established in 2018 and officially opened in 2019, it has since collected The King’s Award for Enterprise for Promoting Opportunity (April 2023) - formal recognition of an employment-first model.

For buyers, the proposition is straightforward: SBMC manufactures road, rail and commercial signs at industrial scale, and is the principal signage supplier to BEAR Scotland. It also holds contracts with Forestry and Land Scotland, Scottish Canals and Scottish Water, and supplies Tier 1 contractors including Amey, Balfour Beatty and RJ MacLeod.

Behind the output is a workforce that is primarily veterans and family members. RBLI says more than 70% of its social enterprise employees are veterans or people with disabilities. SBMC couples paid work with nationally recognised training, and reinvests all profits into mental health and accommodation support for vulnerable veterans and families.

RBLI reports SBMC generates around £1.8m in annual turnover. At an April 2024 King’s Award celebration, customers pledged further spend, with BEAR Scotland committing £1m and Scottish Canals £250,000 - useful forward visibility in a sector defined by framework call‑offs and maintenance cycles.

McNeill put it plainly: it was “a privilege to visit” and veterans “enrich our economy and our communities” - remarks that carry more weight when set beside confirmed purchase orders rather than photo ops.

The minister also met 35‑year‑old Royal Artillery veteran Anton Docherty from Paisley, who joined through SBMC’s traineeship after a difficult period for his mental health. Now a manufacturing operative, he describes the workplace as structured, purposeful and - in his words - “like a family”.

For public bodies and Tier 1 contractors, SBMC offers more than a tick‑box on social value statements; it builds those outcomes into the supply chain while maintaining quality and pace. For SMEs, the lesson is that credible accreditation, steady fulfilment and evidenced impact can open doors to frameworks that once felt out of reach.

The visit sat alongside a Remembrance reception hosted by the minister at Queen Elizabeth House in Edinburgh, bringing together MPs, cadets, veterans’ organisations and Armed Forces representatives - a reminder that commemoration and employability can, and should, move in step.

One trend worth watching is capability breadth. SBMC now spans signage, print and fulfilment, and bespoke engineering with water‑jet cutting - the kind of diversification that smooths revenue across the year and deepens training for new starters.