Written by John Swire
Longevity in agriculture demands adaptability says leading nutrition company
Recent years have proved to be challenging times for businesses in the farming sector, but successfully adapting to current conditions has proven to be a winning formula for livestock nutritional supplement specialists, Scotmin Nutrition, who recentlycelebrated their 40th anniversary at their Ayrshire head office with current and former staff members.
Scotmin Nutrition, which has been part of the Carrs Group plc since 2010, is the manufacturer of many of the UK’s leading ranges of livestock nutritional supplements and currently has a plant capacity of over 30,000 tonnes per annum at their headquarters in Ayr, regularly exporting throughout Europe and most recently to New Zealand. Employing a team of 39, Scotmin Nutrition brands include MEGASTART, MEGALIX, ProPlus and Biosprint.
Having started in 1979 as a family firm supplying to local farmers, Scotmin Nutrition has since grown to become one of the largest supplement businesses in the UK. Today, its nutritional experts have over 100 years combined experience in dairy, beef and sheep nutrition.
Guest of honour during the celebrations was Scotmin Nutrition founder Peter Robertson, who formed the business in Maybole,South Ayrshire. With a modest £4,000 of initial collateral, Mr Robertson borrowed an additional £2,000 from the bank in order help him reach his goal of setting up Scotmin.
“I had for a long time seen a gap in the market, and I made it my ambition to set up on my own,” recalled Mr Robertson, “I can still remember applying for the loan and being told that the interest I would be paying on it was 17.5%!”
Mr Robertson was joined on the day by his son Andrew, who became instrumental to the success of the company, taking over the reins in June 1990 as Managing Director.
“I worked with some incredibly hardworking people over the years, none more so than my son Andrew. He was the one that really lit the touch paper and propelled Scotmin to become the success that it is today,” added Mr Robertson.
“That success was built on a strong ethos of developing solutions based on the philosophy that every farm is different, be it soil type, forage quality or forage availability. The primary focus has always been to listen to the requirements of our customers and custom our products to meet their needs. This is a continually changing environment and it has been vital in our history that we have paid attention to the varying demands of our marketplace. Research has also been a crucial element of our success and underpins the strong product portfolio, which includes some of the most recognisable brands in the UK.”
As part of the Carr’s Group plc since 2010, having been sold to Buccleuch in 2005, Scotmin has benefitted from huge investment in infrastructure, research and product development.
Mr Robertson concluded proceedings by thanking his guests, explaining, “I planted an acorn many years ago and since then it has grown into a mighty tree, I’m delighted to see so many people here today and I’m immensely proud of just how much the company has grown.”
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