Economy
Major businesses within the town include Barrhead Travel, Kelburn Brewing Company, and JM Murdoch & Son, Lunday Electrical Contractors, among others. The town's largest employer remains East Renfrewshire Council and the public sector. In 2002, part of the administration of East Renfrewshire Council relocated from Eastwood Park to Barrhead Main Street.
There is a very limited range of retail goods available within Barrhead, and residents must rely on nearby Paisley and Glasgow for the bulk of their purchases. The town's main supermarket, Tesco, is located outside the town centre.
There is also a lack of dedicated business space for service businesses. To address this, East Renfrewshire Council has committed nearly £100 million to a masterplan which will redevelop and modernise Barrhead's economy between 2007 and 2017. The Glasgow Road corridor is being redeveloped into a dedicated business district which includes Crossmill Business Park, Blackbyres Court, and the former Bowerwalls housing area.
There are four industrial estates: Robertson Street Industrial Estate, Levern Industrial Estate at Cogan Street, Muriel Street, and the Barrhead Cargo Centre and Shanks Industrial Park, located on the former site of the Armitage Shanks factory.
In 2005 local businesses created the Barrhead Business Forum, which liaises with East Renfrewshire Council, Barrhead Community Council, and East Renfrewshire Chamber of Commerce.
The administration and collection of business rates for Barrhead is undertaken by Renfrewshire Council. The national rate for business rates set by the Scottish Executive for 2007-2008 is 44.1p per pound.
East Renfrewshire Credit Union is based in Barrhead.
The town is part of the NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde Health Board. The nearest A&E unit is located at the Royal Alexandra Hospital in Paisley.
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