Borders knitwear firm back in business

UP TO 60 workers are to be taken on at a collapsed Scots knitwear company under new ownership.

Duffle coat specialist Gloverall hopes to take on 50 per cent of the workforce of Peter Scott & Co in Hawick, Roxburghshire, which went bust in May after 130 years in the town.

Administrators made 119 of the 140-strong workforce redundant, with the remainder being kept on to wind up the firm.

However, Gloverall wants to restart production in Hawick by September and is advertising for staff.

Finance director Walter Goulding says it is continuing to employ 18 people from Peter Scott and is looking to take on up to 60 workers.

He said: "The administrators had more or less decimated the workforce. There were no knitters or production staff left.

"But the Peter Scott brand is an excellent product and we want to get production up and running again.

"We are targeting September to start production again. For that to happen, we need to take on staff and we are looking in the region of up to 60 initially.

"We are looking at the production facility because the building is old and not ideal, but the Made in Scotland label is very important so we will be staying in Hawick."

Gloverall intends taking on 50 per cent of the previous Peter Scott workforce for now with possible expansion next year. Mr Goulding said: "Our firm is pretty big in the Far East and we want to develop new markets.

"The plan is to get the production going again at Hawick and next year, as the business grows hopefully, we will be in a position to expand."

Borders MP Michael Moore, the Secretary of State for Scotland, said: "It is good news that this vital local company will now restart production and, hopefully, will have a strong future."