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Graham's has secured a GBP20m investment package from RBS |
Scottish dairy firm Graham's The Family Dairy has outlined plans to expand south of the border after receiving GBP20m in funding from RBS.
Graham's said the finance from RBS and its asset finance arm Lombard would allow it to "ramp up" its "ambition for growth".
Graham's is looking at growing "south of the border" where it generates just 15% of its revenue.
A spokesperson for Graham's said the company's branded products were available in England through Sainsbury's but said it wanted to widen its listings.
"It aims to extend availability with extended product lines and new retail partners. It currently works with all the major multiple retailers in Scotland as well as more than 5,000 independent retail customers," she said.
The company also plans to invest more in cream and butter and develop new product ranges under the Graham's brand. It is aiming to introduce "new butter variants in response to the demands of its retail customers and consumers", the spokesperson told just-food.
The business is set to report another year of rising sales. It expects turnover for the year to the end of March to reach over GBP82m (US$138m), up from GBP68m a year earlier.
Robert Graham, the company's MD, said the firm had further ambitions. "Provenance remains at the heart of our business strategy and we have expanded our farm base to support around 80 Scottish dairy farmers, ensuring we have sufficient quality produce. UK dairy product imports are higher than GBP2.5bn each year so we see definite opportunities to focus on and grow the home market."
