Article - January 2012

What’s in a name? The history of Forsyth teaches us a lot about the importance of this well-known phrase

Forsyth operates a growing network of serviced offices all across the UK, including key regional centres such as London, Manchester, Leeds and Edinburgh, but it was one city in particular that gave birth to the Forsyth name and is where the very first Forsyth offices within the UK were formed – Glasgow.

Forsyth is unique in the way it was originally named.  It is a common trend for modern companies of the last century to opt for a dynamic name, often with overtones of Greek and Roman legend or throwbacks to Latin phrases. Nike is a perfect example as their name fully represents their products, however there are some notable exceptions such as Royal Mail’s ill-fated attempt to change names to ‘Consignia’ in the year 2000.

The Founders of Forsyth Business Centres understood not only the importance a name can convey within the industry that a company is situated, but also the perception of trust that the history of a well renowned name can bring.  This is exactly why, when they took those offices on Renfield Street back in 1991, they instantly knew that the right thing to do was name the business according to the building they were setting up in: R.W.F House.

R.W.F refers to R.W Forsyth, a well-known businessman in Glasgow during the Victorian era with a glowing reputation for quality.  Originally born in the Lothians, Forsyth moved to Glasgow as a nineteen year old and gained experience working in clothing retail with a number of firms within the city.  He eventually set up his own business in 1872, on Renfield Street, specialising as a Hosier, Glover and Shirt maker.

As he worked hard and built up a solid reputation success soon followed and this inevitably led to expansion, where he slowly acquired all the properties on the corner of Renfield Street and Gordon Street.  He demolished these and built a department store on the site in 1897 and it is this building which now bears his name and is living on in the name of Forsyth Business Centres.

The building was state of the art for the time with wide staircases, six floors and electric lifts.  The building itself was designed by J J Burnet, a well-respected architect, at a cost of £25,000 (needless to say a princely sum in those days).  It is the success of this new store which allowed R W Forsyth to expand the business further, eventually opening both a new store on Princes Street in Edinburgh and a clothing manufacturing factory.

The store remained in the Forsyth building up until 1983 when the firm, which still remained within the Forsyth family, relocated to premises formerly occupied by the Trerons department store in Sauchiehall Street.

Forsyth then continued the legacy of the proud name when they came along in 1991 and established their business providing Serviced Offices and proving beyond doubt that there is indeed a lot to be found in just a name.