Lochgilphead pottery boom
Highbank Pottery in Lochgilphead is showing that even in these straightened times business can be booming.
Over the last three months, changes have been taking place within the factory resulting in a 50 per cent increase in output.
The improved efficiency can be attributed to investment and revised methods within the factory rather than an actual extension of floor space.
The company is housed in a Highlands and Islands Development Board building and finds it quite adequate for its needs.
Four new members of staff have been taken on in the last three months bringing the total to 13 and manager, Mr Peter Burrell, feels that they now have the right balance of staff to cope with the production.
The introduction of a new line of pottery looks set to continue the prolific output of Highbank. “Scottish Bluebell” is a new pattern applied to a design of porcelain pieces already produced by them and it is being received with considerable interest by retailers.
Highbank supplies mainly the gifts shops and the tourist trade nationally and internationally.
They deal principally from order to order with no really long-standing arrangements. At present Mr Burrell is delighted to report that demand is outstripping supply.
The company has already supplied customers in Iceland, Greece, Holland, the United States and Canada.
Mr Burrell will be travelling with his sales director Wally Smith to the National Exhibition Centre in Birmingham early in the new year to attend the International Spring Fair where the Lochgilphead firm will have its stand beside the big names in the pottery world like Spode, Royal Worcester and Royal Doulton.