Meat supplier move secures 300 jobs after blaze shock

Published on Monday 10 August 2009 09:59

A FAMILY-RUN meat supplier has moved to a new base near Linlithgow following a massive blaze at its Broxburn factory earlier this year.

Campbells Prime Meat today opens its doors in a new factory at The Heather Field in Lathallan.

Relocation to the 6 million base near Whitecross, six miles from Falkirk, will save 300 jobs.

The factory is three years old, and is larger than the previous site in Broxburn, which was destroyed by fire in May this year.

Campbells Prime Meat is investing a further 2.5 million to provide the factory with the latest equipment.

Managing director, Christopher Campbell, said: "It was a terrible shock for everyone connected with the company to see our main meat cutting plant go up in flames.

"We are delighted however to have managed to find a suitable location close by so that the staff are not significantly affected. The new facility is 20 per cent larger than before so there is scope for the business to expand.

"To be back in full production just 14 weeks since the fire is a wonderful indication of the efforts of all our staff and suppliers, and our customers have been very sympathetic to our plight."

The move to the Falkirk area has been welcomed by Falkirk Council.

Councillor Craig Martin said: "It's terrible news for any business to see premises destroyed by fire but Falkirk Council is delighted to have been able to play its part in saving 300 jobs at Campbells Prime Meat, and to see such a successful business return to normal trading."

MSP Richard Lochhead, rural affairs and environment secretary, added: "It's a tribute to the management team and staff at Campbells that the company has managed to continue to supply high quality produce to its many customers during such trying circumstances."

The company, which formed in 1971, supplies fresh meat, fish and delicatessen produce to hotels, restaurants and catering firms.

Following the fire, the company had been operating a reduced service from a unit on Broxburn's East Mains Industrial Estate, close to the site of its former production plant, as a temporary measure while bosses tried to secure another factory to relocate to on a long-term basis.

Mr Campbell added that the company was "very confident" about regaining any meat business lost since the fire.

Fire investigators previously revealed that the blaze, which broke out in the early hours of the morning on 5 May, was likely to have been caused by a gas leak, however no-one was injured in the fire.