Ice cream firm Mackie’s of Scotland turns green with six-figure investment

Ice cream producer Mackie’s of Scotland is aiming to fatten up its exports after pumping a six-figure sum into new machinery.

Lesley Skene of Mackies, pictured with one of the dairy herd. Picture: Contributed

The firm has spent £250,000 on a state-of-the-art machine that will produce the lids for its two-litre tubs on the same site where it makes its ice cream.

Mackie’s, which manufactured two million of the two-litre tubs last year, will invest a further £50,000 on extending the factory to make room for the new equipment. The investment will further reduce the company’s carbon footprint.

The firm, which is also behind crisps and chocolate bars, expects to see the new machinery pay for itself over the next five years.

The investment in new machinery will further reduce the companys carbon footprint. Picture: Contributed

Gerry Stephens, finance director at Mackie’s, said: “Our two-litre tubs of ‘traditional’ are well established favourites in Scotland and are now becoming increasingly popular in East Asia.

“We do have a machine that makes our two-litre tubs on site, but it had to alternate between moulds for making the tub and then the lid and it just couldn’t keep up.

“Previously we would buy our tubs in from Sweden, but keen to keep emissions low, we invested in our own kit in 2012.”

The firm’s announcement of a new lid machine comes shortly after news of a £4 million project to replace its old freezers with low carbon, power efficient units running on ammonia.