Editing Beith (section)

===Regional industries===
Historically in recent times, the major employers in the area were the [[Glengarnock]] Steelworks and the [[Rootes Group|Linwood car manufacturing plant]]. Outwith the furniture industry, a large proportion of the local population were employed within these industries. At its peak, the local ''Steelworks'' had 3,000 employees, but by the time it closed in 1985 it had been reduced to 200.<ref name=Glengarnock_steel>{{cite web|url=http://myweb.tiscali.co.uk/steelworks/Steelworks%20Glengarnock.htm|title=CLYDEBRIDGE STEELWORKS HISTORY}}</ref> The [[Rootes Group|Linwood car plant]] manufactured the [[Hillman Imp]], a competitor to [[British Motor Corporation|BMC's]] [[Mini]], and provided up to 9,000 jobs during peak production but was closed by [[Peugeot-Citroen]] in 1981.<ref name=bbc_linwood>{{Cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/scotland/education/hist/employment/cars/section_a/index.shtml|title=BBC - Education Scotland 14+ History - Social Change: Employment|website=www.bbc.co.uk}}</ref>  It has been estimated that 13,000 workers were left jobless in the region as both direct and indirect consequences of the [[Linwood, Renfrewshire|Linwood]] closure.
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