Wilsons Pet Food managing director Craig Wallace with head of operations Kamil Skrzeszowski
Dog food manufacturer Wilsons Pet Foods is set for further expansion following the acquisition of Dunbia’s meat processing plant at Drongan, South Ayrshire.
The three-acre site includes a 25,000 sq ft production facility enabling Wilsons, which currently operates out of two separate units in Perthshire, to operate with greater efficiency to fuel future growth.
Established in 1861, Wilsons became a household name for the production of muesli-based dog food, but following periods of ownership by SmithKline Beecham, Armitage Pet Care and the original Wilson family, current managing director Craig Wallace rescued the firm from administration three years ago and refocused the business on raw frozen and cold pressed food.
Three separate income streams have been established – retail, branded own label, and online – with the latter witnessing month-on-month sales increases above 10%. After the acquisition, cold-pressed dog food will continue to be manufactured at a factory near Blairgowrie, with all production of raw frozen moved to Drongan.
The new facility offers Wilsons a “plug-and-play’” operation, according to Wallace.
He said: “The extensive chilled production areas, cold and ambient stores, plus packaging and storage sections are ideal for our ambitious future plans. The massive canteen alone is bigger than our entire operation at Perth!
“Brexit wasn’t exactly ideal for our overseas sales, but on the plus side we are now selling in over 250 retail outlets and getting regular calls for own-branded labels. The extra capacity at Drongan means that we will no longer be turning away customers.”
