NFU Scotland visit new Selkirk depot

NFU Scotland visit new Selkirk depot.

British Wool was delighted to welcome the NFU Scotland Livestock Policy Advisor, Lisa Hislop, to see work in progress on its new British Wool Borders depot located in Selkirk. 

The British Wool Borders depot, which is set to commence grading operations in the next couple of weeks, represents a major investment for British Wool.  The move underscores British Wool’s long-term commitment to its members in Scotland and Northern England and will enable the collective marketing organisation to offer an improved service, whilst also delivering further operational efficiencies. 

The British Wool team will be relocating to Selkirk from their current base in nearby Galashiels.  The set up in Galashiels was split over two sites with warehousing and grading in two premises.  The poor layout and condition of the buildings also presented significant operational challenges which hampered efficiency. 

The new British Wool Borders site will locate all the operations on one site, offers improved access, and will allow for further efficiency gains.  New packing machines are already in place, re-roofing work is largely complete, and the construction of additional storage is well underway. The Selkirk site has far better access for members, will have the space to host visits by groups of farmers and a show room to showcase the best of Scottish wool products. The building will also be fitted with solar panels to minimize energy costs.,

Andrew Hogley, British Wool CEO commented.  “I welcomed the opportunity to show Lisa from NFUS around our site in Selkirk.  The visit also provided an opportunity to discuss the challenges faced by the wool industry and highlight the progress that British Wool has made over the past 18 months in delivering traceability and developing the British wool brand.”

Jim Robertson, Board member for Southern Scotland and British Wool Chair, commented.   “The relocation of our operations in the Scottish Borders is long overdue.  I’m delighted with the progress that has been made to date and look forward to welcoming our members to the new site in Selkirk in the next few weeks.”

Lisa Hislop, NFU Scotland Livestock Policy Advisor, “It was great to visit the British Wool team last week and see the investment they are making in infrastructure in Scotland. The changes on the ground and development of the brand are key to delivering value, we look forward to working together to illustrate the challenges facing the wider sheep sector. “