Having started in 1979 as a family firm supplying local farmers, Scotmin Nutrition has since grown to be on of the largest animal supplementation businesses in the UK.
To mark the last 40 years, staff both old and new were invited to the Ayr manafacturing site to celebrate this important milestone. Guest of honour on the day was Peter Robertson who founded the company in Maybole, South Ayrshire.
With a modest £4,000 of initial collateral, Mr Robertson borrows an additional £2,000 from the bank in order to 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 is it today,” added Mr Robertson.
“The 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 customise our products to meet their needs.”
Mr Robertson concluded proceedings by thanks all those present, “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.”
As part of the Carrs Group plc since 2010, having been sold to Buccleuch in 2005, Scotmin has benefited from huge investments in infrastructure, research and product development. Commercial and Operation Director Ken Gay comments on the future of the business,
“We look forward to the next 40 years with great optimism and owe a debt of gratitude to the Robertson family, our staff and our customers. The core values of Scotmin remains the same today as they were when Mr Robertson founded the company and we will continue working with and listening to our customers to provide the best possible products that meet their business needs”.