THE Scottish Wholesale Association has relaunched its website with a fresh, new design that is user-friendly, easy to navigate and instantly highlights the leading trade body's key services, its role and responsibilities.

Kate Salmon, executive director of the Association, explained: "As a professional and increasingly high-profile trade association, it is important that our members, suppliers and colleagues are able to access information about us and our activities at any time - having an online presence is very much the way forward as we strive to strengthen our lines of communication.

"The SWA also works closely with other trade associations in key areas such as lobbying and legislation, and increasingly we are commenting and contributing to government discussions on the important issues affecting our members - licensing and tobacco legislation, for example.

"Having a professional website sends out an important message to the Scottish Government and others involved in these debates that we are a trade association with considerable clout, and can make a relevant and useful contribution to key debates and issues affecting our members and the wider wholesale industry."

The SWA operates within six key pillars covering its main functions of liaison between our members, suppliers and the wider food and drink trade; lobbying; legislation; training; and its two annual main events - the much-lauded industry awards initiative, Scottish Wholesale Achievers, presented in Edinburgh this week (Thursday, 9th February) and the long-established Annual Conference, which will be held at Crieff Hydro this summer (14th-17th June).

"As well as providing up-to-date information about the Association and news about forthcoming events, our training programme and other activities, our website also lists members of the SWA Council along with full details of our members and associate members," said Salmon.