Johnstons of Elgin is embarking on a massive recruitment drive to fill 300 new jobs by the end of the year as the Moray textiles firm cashes in on soaring sales.
Pent-up demand fuelled by the lean pandemic years is driving interest in luxury fine wool and cashmere, according to Johnstons.
The company is planning a near-30% uptick in staff numbers, adding hundreds of new roles to its current workforce tally of almost 1,100 people.
New positions will be company-wide, ranging from marketing to jobs in Johnstons’ textile mills and shops, while others will be for chefs, weavers and website developers.
Johnstons did not break down the new jobs by location but many of them are likely to be in its home town.
The company recently announced pre-tax profits of £3.9 million for 2021, while sales surged 28% to £66.4m – sparking a need for a major increase in workers in its Elgin and Hawick mills.
Celebrating its 225th anniversary this year, family-owned Johnstons is one of the largest manufacturing employers in Scotland and its current headcount is its highest to date.
The soaring sales – to fulfill direct orders but also to satisfy demand from luxury brands – will see the company mount a recruitment campaign highlighting the attraction of living in the north.
But the December deadline to fill 300 posts may be seen by some people as ambitious, given the major recruitment difficulties currently affecting myriad industries.
Long-standing partnerships with luxury brands
A spokeswoman for Johnstons told The Press and Journal there were “a lot of jobs to fill” and the firm aimed to recruit locally, but it was confident its goal would be met by the end of the year.
Johnstons has long-standing partnerships with some of the world’s largest luxury brands.
Cost-of-living challenges do not seem to be affecting demand for items such as cashmere in the same way as for other products.
Company now has 10% more staff, compared to pre-pandemic
Like most businesses, Covid did impact Johnstons but the business has seen continued growth during the past year, with the mills now employing 10% more people than before the pandemic.
The company highlighted career progression progression opportunities – citing the example of general manager Michael Morrison, who joined the firm as an apprentice.
Mr Morrison said: “I started out at Johnstons as a spinning apprentice in 1996 and have worked my way up through various roles, including spinning chargehand and yarn manufacturing manager.”
Johnstons people director Julia McGlashan said: “For over 200 years we have been providing great jobs for our communities around Elgin and Hawick.
“Our commitment to our people is our pledge to continue to improve and build the business, thereby providing careers for future generations to come.
“At Johnstons there is a real culture of continuous learning, supported by our onboarding and training programmes and apprenticeships for all ages.
“The way of life, beautiful coastline and countryside in and around Elgin and Hawick means people don’t want to leave.
“We get lots of applicants looking for careers with us because they can get the balance of fulfilling, skilled, long-term job prospects and a great lifestyle.
“Over 30% of our staff have worked at Johnstons for more than 10 years, and that’s tribute to the wide-ranging roles and opportunities for progression we offer.”
Conversation