West Lothian firm wins £1 million-plus deal to supply PPE and workwear for Scottish college

A West Lothian company has secured a deal worth more than £1 million to supply Scotland’s Rural College with personal protective equipment and workwear.

Guthrie Group said it had won a competitive national tender to supply the gear to students and employees over the next four years.

The Livingston-based firm has more than 30 years’ experience in the industry and describes itself as a supply chain expert in addition to being one of the largest independent distributors of health and safety equipment and facilities supplies in Scotland.

Cynthia Guthrie, chief executive of Guthrie Group, said: “As an SME [small and medium-sized enterprise], we are delighted to have won this national tender and been appointed by such an excellent and prestigious institution as SRUC. We very much look forward to continuing to work in partnership with them.”

Cynthia Guthrie, chief executive of Guthrie Group, which is based in Livingston.

SRUC was formed out of the merger with Barony, Elmwood and Oatridge Colleges and the Scottish Agricultural College, delivering skills, education and business support for Scotland’s land-based industries.

Claire Lorimer, purchasing manager at SRUC, said: “We were impressed with the professionalism of Guthrie’s tender submission and delighted with the quality of their products and exceptional customer service.”

The college is set to benefit from a bespoke inventory management system designed and developed by Guthrie Group, which has provided customers with continuous supplies of equipment throughout the pandemic.

As well as being chief executive of the business that bears her name, Guthrie serves on the court of Queen Margaret University and is a trustee of the Scottish Flag Trust.

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