Business that flourished by keeping it in family

Robert Wiseman Snr founded the eponymous company in 1947 in the then new town of East Kilbride, when milk was sold in cans and delivered by horse and cart.

In 1967, his sons Alan, later chairman, joined the business straight from school followed in 1975 by Robert, later chief executive.

On his 60th birthday in 1976, Robert Wiseman Snr handed over the running of the business to his sons.

The firm built its first bespoke dairy in Bellshill in 1988, allowing it to win its first supermarket and large contract business, and three years later opened its first English distribution site in Manchester, meaning it could supply the north of England.

In 1994, the firm was listed on the London Stock Exchange and the following year opened a dairy in Manchester, its first move into England.

In its 50th anniversary year, Wiseman acquired the liquid milk business from Scottish Pride, adding to a process of growth through acquisitions in Scotland during the 1990s which included Kennerty Farm Dairies, the Scottish fresh milk business from Co-operative, Hamiltons Dairy and the fresh milk business from Mackie’s.

By the end of 1999, it had processed more than 600 million litres in 12 months, increasing its market share to around 12 per cent.

Two years later the firm opened the largest fresh milk dairy in Europe at Droitwich Spa, with a maximum capacity to process 500 million litres per year. The acquisition of the Milk Link liquid milk business in 2006 meant Wiseman’s reach now stretched from Keith to Cornwall.

Two years later it opened the Bridgwater Dairy, considered to be Britain’s most efficient and environmentally advanced fresh milk dairy. By the end of the year the firm was processing 1.5 billion litres of milk – an increase of almost 50 per cent on 2003.

In 2010, Alan stepped down as chairman with younger brother Robert taking on the role of executive chairman.