|
|
AK Stoddart has been providing beef products to its customers for almost half a century, starting out with a stall at Edinburgh?s meat market back in the 1950s. But business growth meant that the company could no longer sustain its original site, and it took the decision to relocate to Broxburn in 1993. There, a state-of-the-art boning and processing plant was constructed on a greenfield site, and AK Stoddart has continued to grow in the face of problems such as foot-and-mouth disease and BSE. ?We acquired an abattoir in December 2000,? explains Financial Controller, Bill Blackwood. ?This has made us self-sufficient from the moment at which we buy cattle to the point our finished product leaves our plant. Over the last four years our staff levels have grown from 110 to around 185, and in 2004 we achieved £33m in turnover.? AK Stoddart was also able to maximise its use of a Regional Selective Assistance grant to the full, covering 20 per cent of a major capital investment and factory extension. ?If we hadn?t had that grant,? says Bill, ?we would have been stagnant. In this industry, your critical mass determines your success, so the expansion has been very important for us.? Boning and processing remains a labour-intensive process even in the 21st century, and Bill is also glad to be able to rely in the main on a good, locally-employed workforce - many of whom need to be operating before 6am. The company deals with a few key customers and third-party hauliers to distribute its beef across the UK. Bill describes the location as "absolutely perfect? for trading. It also has staff travelling frequently to Europe and throughout the UK, and, although Bill suspects they would like a private jet, ?having Edinburgh Airport nearby is just fine in the meantime!? Website: www.akstoddart.co.uk
|
