The main dairy in the north – Claymore Dairies – bounced back into the black last year.
The Nairn-based firm, which is owned by Graham’s The Family Dairy, posted pre-tax profits of £95,196 for the year ended March 31, 2015.
This is up from a pre-tax loss of £74,214 the year before and a pre-tax loss of £322,334 in 2013.
According to accounts filed with Companies House, turnover at the firm was down 4.4% to £9.917million, from £10.375million the year before.
Claymore was bought by Graham’s in 2010 from its management team who had managed the business for seven months after taking it on from dairy giant Arla.
Last year the company spent an estimated £1million in specialist yoghurt production facilities at the site. The new range of yoghurts, which launched last year, comes in six different flavours. These are: raspberry, strawberry, summer fruits, peach, toffee and natural.
In his director’s report accompanying the Claymore accounts, Robert Graham said: “A lot of hard work has been required to achieve this positive growth because commercial pressures are still evident and margins remain extremely tight. To continue to succeed in our business we are required to respond quickly and creatively to requests from our customers and provide the high level of service that customers expect.”
In December, parent group Graham’s The Family Dairy hailed a successful year with an increase in both sales and turnover.
Turnover at the Bridge of Allan-based firm was up £1.5million to £86.5million for the year ending March 31, 2015.
Pre-tax profits were also up 21% to £1.6million, from £1.322million previously.
Graham’s said the launch of new product ranges, acquisition of the Glenfield Dairy site in Fife from First Milk and the introduction of the living wage for its staff had boosted company performance.