The Courier & Advertiser (Fife Edition)
Profits soar for Mackie’s as firm bucks market trend
Food brand targeting further expansion in London and the south-east
Major food brand Mackie’s of Scotland has bucked market trends to deliver a 20% increase in annual turnover.
The Aberdeenshire-based firm saw turnover soar to £16.7 million with a 60% rise in operating profits to £2.1m, for the financial year ending May 2019.
A key driver for the soaring figures included sales of chocolate, which grew 63% on the previous year following recipe refinement, with growth within Scotland and surging orders in key export markets boosted further by the introduction of a smaller 35g bar across its four flavours.
Ice cream sales also grew, with its traditional flavour remaining Scotland’s top selling ice cream product while rising to the fourth throughout the entire UK, against a total market decline of 1.8%.
The firm is now targeting further market expansion in London and the south east.
Across the entire business, current investment by the firm includes the creation of a £4.5m environmentallyfriendly refrigeration system that will reduce both energy use and CO2 emissions by 80%.
Mac Mackie, managing director and one of three sibling owners, described the results as “extraordinary”, but pointed to efforts to cut costs and diversify the business across products and markets as background to the success.
He said: “This past year’s success is enabling us to make a serious investment in improving our operations, which will in the longer term increase our sustainability and secure job opportunities for more staff in our native Aberdeenshire and beyond.”
The company’s net assets were up by 12.2% and operating profit continued to rise, standing at £2.1m.
Across the entire business, revenues from exports increased by 72%, with the US and Far East markets developing at pace.
Staff numbers at the firm also increased by seven to 83.