Our History
Linwood Phoenix, the popular retail park we know today, was once the birthplace of the much loved Scottish classic, the Hillman Imp.
As a result of the 1956 oil crisis, automakers raced to build lighter, more fuel-efficient vehicles. Intending to compete with the iconic Mini, The Rootes Group constructed a new manufacturing plant in Linwood thanks to a generous state subsidy. The area at the time was stricken with unemployment. By 1963, the famous Hillman Imp was prepared for distribution after many challenging production setbacks.
St James Business Centre was at the core of the Hillman Imp success as it was formerly the administration building for the iconic site, which employed over 6,000 people at its peak. As of 1981, the factory was demolished to make way for today’s Phoenix Retail Park, which later encouraged the relaunch of St James Business Centre. The restoration programme in 2016 created a high-quality office building which now accommodates more than 50 organisations.
The Business Centre
Today the centre offers a bright and modern working environment boasting an attractive entrance reception, managed by a professional team based-on site who are fully focussed on providing exceptional levels of customer service to building users.
Rooms can accommodate from 2 to 25 people, offering a wide range of office suites that can cater to a variety of businesses. At St James Business Centre, suites are taken on flexible license agreements which is perfect for start-ups and early-stage companies who are looking to get up and running as soon as possible. The building offers excellent transport links and is located within a 5-minute drive to Glasgow International Airport and a 20-minute drive to Glasgow City Centre. There is also an abundance of high-quality amenities in close proximity to the business centre with Phoenix Retail Park located immediately adjacent and Paisley Town Centre nearby.