Jobs boost as 80 roles created
A £10 million expansion at a Perthshire water bottling plant has created 80 new jobs.
Highland Spring, which has a plant in Blackford, has invested in extra capacity and more advanced technology for a new flavoured still water range.
The 80 new jobs, created over the last 12 months, bring the Highland Spring Group’s Blackford workforce up to 350.
It also employs more than 60 people at its Lennoxtown bottling plant near Glasgow.
Highland Spring Group managing director, Simon Oldham, said: “As a local Perthshire employer, we have been pleased to bring over 80 new members of staff into the company in the last 12 months.
“Their skills and experience, alongside those of our existing colleagues, enable us to realise the huge opportunities the growth of our business, brand, and the overall natural source bottled water, continues to offer.
“A £ 10m inv e s t m e n t in manufacturing capability at Blackford has supported the launch of our new flavoured water range, which builds on the strength of the Highland Spring brand as the number one plain water brand in the UK market.”
The group’s main site in Blackford will now provide around 25 per cent – some 100 million litres – of extra growth capability every year.
Mr Oldham added: “Our landmark rail freight facility in Blackford, which was opened in 2022, also underlines our commitment to invest in projects which support our journey to net zero by 2040.
“Over 40 per cent of the water supplied from the group’s main bottling plant in Blackford is now transported by rail to England, removing 8000 HGV movements from the roads, and saving 3000 tonnes of CO2 every year.
“We believe our long-term approach of promoting the provenance of our portfolio, category-leading expertise, commitment to tackling climate change and overall value, along with our talented team, will enable us to deliver further sustained growth into the future.”
Highland Spring Ltd was established in 1979 and, by 2004, it had become the main brand of sparkling water in the UK, currently bottling more than 470 million litres a year with a £100m turnover, according to the company’s website.