Building for the future

Graham’s managing director Robert Graham, left, with cabinet secretary Richard Lochhead. The dairy has invested £1m to increase spreadable butter production with support from the Scottish Government.
Graham’s managing director Robert Graham, left, with cabinet secretary Richard Lochhead. The dairy has invested £1m to increase spreadable butter production with support from the Scottish Government.

HAVING jumped a place from number eight to seventh in our Top 50 Scottish take-home brands last year, Stirlingshire-based Graham’s The Family Dairy has since continued investing to expand.
The company grew its sales by 25% to £85m in the year to 31 March 2015, with pre-tax profits rising to £1.3m.
In March, the company unveiled plans to build a £20m dairy, research centre and training academy in Stirling, which it says would create 450 jobs including 50 local apprenticeships.
And it forecasts the 150,000 sq ft facility, including production lines for milk, cream, cheese and spreadable butter, would generate an extra £20m each year for Stirling’s economy.
The proposed major dairy and research facility would be in addition to Graham’s existing operations at Airthrey Kerse in Bridge of Allan, its processing plant in Nairn and its depots across Scotland.
Rural affairs secretary Richard Lochhead said: “The level of investment Graham’s has ploughed into its production at its Airthrey Kerse Farm is impressive and I’m delighted some of the funding came from the Scottish Government’s Food Processing, Marketing and Grant Co-operation scheme.
“Graham’s is a great Scottish success story.”