Super Balivanich business nets the judges’ bonus!

Benbecula company Studio Vans was awarded a highly-competitive funding package from Scottish EDGE, Scotland’s answer to Dragon’s Den, at a formal ceremony in Edinburgh on 9th June.
The competition is aimed at identifying and supporting Scotland’s up-and-coming, innovative, high-growth entrepreneurial talent. Out of a total of 177 businesses from across Scotland, Studio Vans was one of only 22 winners to be awarded with investment.
After celebrating their win in Edinburgh, the team have now returned to the island to create more jobs and grow their pioneering business model.
The judges and audience were wowed by Studio Vans’ drive to be eco-conscious and promote sustainability at every level. Most campervan interiors are typically glued and screwed into the van itself and destined for the dump, along with the van. Studio Vans have endeavoured to create a solution to this, as founder and business owner Robert Hall explained: “Not only do our interiors provide an ever-evolving layout on the road, they are also entirely decoupled from the client’s vehicle, making them transferable to any van, from diesel to electric, extending the fit-out’s life and reducing waste.”
Celebrating local skills, Studio Vans are harnessing a history of island innovation and resourcefulness, whilst flattening traditional hurdles of manufacture. The company recently completed a fit-out for a local couple in Grimsay, in which they utilised locally-spun Harris Tweed cloth, as well as using the talents of Stornoway-based Edris Upholstery and Furnishings.
Another aspect which helped gain Studio Vans funding is their work in helping to break the loop of plastic ending up in our seas. The company has invested in machinery to process and recycle ocean and ocean-bound plastic found on local shorelines into functional new objects. The team have delivered plastic recycling workshops for the local community, including schools, members of the Western Isles Youth Climate Group and participants of Taigh Chearsabhagh’s reFresh programme, developing prototypes for recycled plastic objects that benefit locals and help biodiversity to thrive.
Studio Vans’ creative island hub is thriving. The business has already employed two recent graduates from the Glasgow School of Art: Calum Ferguson, from Hougharry, who returned home in 2021 and is employed as Designer and Maker, and Tara Drummie, who moved to the island in 2021, and is employed in the role of Communications Coordinator and Maker.
Robert added: “Scottish EDGE’s funding will help to expand the team. Being located in a unique culture which values honest work and open, creative, resourceful minds is helping to foster this culture in the business. This team culture is the most important aspect of growing our business in the right way. As we grow, the range of skills needed in the business will broaden to create new opportunities for people to join us and be part of our success.”
As well as making beautiful campervans, the team have also become quietly known for their awesome flat whites: “Well I guess a good coffee has somehow become part of the team!” said Hall, who picked up his love for the stuff while living in Sydney, Australia.
“Our studio is always open to hear new ideas from anyone wanting to pop in and chat over a coffee or cuppa with us.”