The Press and Journal (Inverness, Highlands, and Islands)
Aquascot moves to reward its workers
An Easter Ross salmon and trout processing company has rewarded staff with bonuses after demand for its products from its main customer leapt during the Covid-19 crisis.
Employee-owned Aquascot, based in Alness, said it broke yearly, weekly and daily records to keep up with rising orders.
The company has also invested in new equipment at its plant to enable it to process greater quantities of fish.
Aquascot has been operating since 1987 and, having traded with them since 1993, established a dedicated partnership with UK supermarket chain Waitrose, which remains its primary customer.
As a result of the majority of UK residents suddenly having to live and work at home because of the pandemic, Waitrose demand for Scottish salmon from the Highland firm in 2020 jumped by 16% on the previous year.
As a food producer, Aquascot’s employees had “key worker” status and the company took swift steps to ensure production was not halted, particularly during the uncertain early weeks of the crisis.
New layouts and robust controls were introduced at the plant to ensure distancing and safety for staff and the management set up a dedicated Covid-19 resilience team.
The early response was followed by investment in equipment for the firm’s primary, secondary and “value-added” processing facilities, including machinery to fillet, trim, freeze and package fish on a larger scale than before.
The company has also worked closely with external agencies, such as Scotland Food and Drink, Food Standards Scotland and Health Protection Scotland, to keep it connected to Scotland’s wider food production chain and ensure it remains up to date with any changes to guidelines, particularly regarding food safety.
Aquascot operations director Craig Douglas said: “There is no single answer to how we managed record volumes while controlling Covid-19.
“We could consider the volume and Covid-19 impact separately, but they were intrinsically linked during 2020 and were influenced by three main factors – sound investment in new equipment and processes; strong leadership across the business; and the great response of our partners in following guidance, working hard and showing flexibility.
“We have never been complacent, and will continue to focus on keeping all partners safe and well while we strive to meet the increasing demands of Waitrose and their customers.”
After breaking its production records last year, Aquascot revealed that it has continued to “operate a high level” as the
second begins.
The firm added that, while the falling number of Covid-19 cases and the vaccination roll-out across the Highlands is a “source of optimism”, it has established critical contingency plans “for any conceivable emergencies”.
It also said the efforts of its workers in 2020 have been recognised with bonus salary payments and a “recognition and reward” (R&R) system, which offers both financial rewards and new opportunities for staff who want to develop further, introduce new initiatives and help the company grow.
Aquascot managing director John Housego said: “The main purpose of R&R is to reinforce the expectation of living our core values and recognise the top contributors that make a difference to our business. There’s a mechanism there – it has to be internally fair and quarter of 2021
consistent, and it needs to be externally competitive in all aspects of what’s competitive.
“It’s not just about how much money you get paid, it’s also about opportunity to grow and develop.
“One of my mindsets is to remove any barriers that prevent individual partners following a passion or a desire to contribute. What we need to do as a group is to help each other grow and be more capable – and if we could all grow and do a little bit more, then not only do we get more done and more value added, but we’re all growing and developing each other.”
Aquascot became fully employee-owned in 2016 and has a workforce of around 190.
Last year the company signed a the deal with FusionFSM to start supplying fresh and frozen salmon and trout products to clients in sectors including hospitality, catering and healthcare.