Glasgow businessman
Glasgow businessman
Born: March 22, 1930; Died: July 20, 2014
James (Hamish) McBeath Neill, who has died aged 84, was the third of the five children of James Neill and Jean Cameron.
In 1950 after National Service in the Royal Horse Artillery he joined his late brother Livi in running the well-known Glasgow family fish merchants business SL Neill Ltd, which originated in 1870.
He married Ruby (Haddow) in 1955 with whom he had three daughters. The family moved to Newlands in 1961, which is still the family home.
Hamish and his brother, through hard work and determination developed a retail fishmonger business in Duke Street, Mitchell Street and Glassford Street.
There was a processing factory in Shamrock Street and when the business outgrew this, they moved to a larger production unit in Balmore Industrial Estate where they ran the large scale wholesale business, as Scottish salmon smokers and factors, fish merchants and processors, charcuterie and delicatessen suppliers. The company was both an exporter and importer from these premises.
SL Neill Ltd also supplied the top hotels at home including Gleneagles and Turnberry and the 21 Club in New York. As part of his efforts to develop the export side of the business, he visited many overseas fish markets in the United States, Australia, Canada, Bermuda and Hong Kong. Many of the export trips were not just on behalf of S L Neill.
He was a prominent member of the Scottish Council for Development and Industry, leading trade missions overseas and lending his experience to other Scottish exporters.
He was also a life member of the Glasgow Fish Merchants' Company and served concurrently as the president of both the Glasgow Retail Fish Merchants Association and the Glasgow Wholesale Fish Merchants Association. He was interested in climbing, curling and gardening and also loved gadgets.
He is survived by his wife Ruby, his daughters Susan, Fiona and Jennifer and their families.
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