Scotland’s largest independent dairy company, which this year marks its 70th anniversary and was founded by the grandfather of current managing director Robert Graham, said pre-tax profits for the year to the end of March climbed to £820,959, compared with £721,953 last time.
Turnover increased by 20% to £40m, compared with £33.4m.
Graham said: “Graham’s growth is down to the considered investment we make in the business and the traditional way in which we do business.
“We maintain our traditional values of integrity and excellent service, but we also, importantly, listen. We listen to what our customers want to stock and we listen to what consumers want to purchase.
“All our product development has been based on close conversations we have shared with everyone we work with.”
During the year, the Bridge of Allan-based company said it had also made its debut south of the border with Graham’s Gold Jersey milk, which can now be found on the shelves of Sainsbury’s in London and the south-east.
The company, which employs 300 staff and is partner with more than 50 Scottish farmers, said: “It’s very encouraging to see the commitment retailers continue to place on quality Scottish produce.”
During the year, Graham’s Dairies also launched Graham’s vanilla ice cream and said it plans to add further flavours to the range next year. Graham said: “The commitment we have placed to brand development has played a significant part to our growth and it’s heartening to see the positive recognition the Graham’s brand receives.
“Graham’s is very much a family business. My father, Dr Robert Graham, is an active chairman and committed to maintaining standards within the agricultural profession while my mum, Jean, gets involved with investment decisions.
“My sister, Carol, is our marketing director and involved in all phases of brand development and innovation. We can literally sit round the kitchen table in the dairy to make immediate business decisions and respond quickly to customer needs.”
He added: “Graham’s has always taken a long-term view with business planning. We understand the impact of economic downturns and continue to deal with increased costs. As farmers ourselves, it’s been crucial to support the farmers we work with throughout Scotland to protect their businesses while they support ours.
“We recognise the importance of our loyal workforce in our Bridge of Allan dairy and depots across the country and each play a part in our success – from our sales and office staff to our delivery drivers. The year ahead will see more Graham’s products, more widespread availability and hopefully a few more awards.”
