A 140 year old Scottish jam and chocolate coatings manufacturer is looking to the future following the maximum award of the Digital Development Loan from the Scottish Government’s new £36m Digital Growth Fund initiative.
Carluke based R&W Scott, which also makes other premium products for the food industry including sauces, speciality icings and confectionery fillings, will invest the money in improving their digital capabilities through improved systems and staff training which will result in improved efficiency and productivity.
The company produces a wide range of quality branded and own-label products for the wholesale and foodservice sectors and an extensive range of premium ingredients to the food manufacture and bakery industries.
Stephen Currie, Commercial Director at R&W Scott said: “Bringing enhanced digital technology into the business will have real and immediate benefits. In particular, the Digital Development Loan will modernise our order capture system, reduce the number of internal processes and result in faster order fulfilment and improved customer experience. In addition, with this investment we will see improvements to our financial reporting, the company’s overall digital security and an increase in staff training.”
The business, which started out as a strawberry harvesting business before moving into jam manufacturing in 1880, employs 90 staff and was subject of a recent management buyout. The business was purchased by the current Directors from Real Good Food plc in in December 2018.
Managed by Lanarkshire Enterprise Services Ltd (LESL) supported by DSL Business Finance (DSL), the Digital Development Loan is the ‘first phase’ of the Scottish Government’s Digital Growth Fund initiative which has the goal of helping Scottish SMEs improve processes and productivity through digital application.
Liz McCutcheon LESL’s Digital Development Loan Project Manager said, ”R&W Scott’s digital project is a great example of a project which achieves the aims of the Scottish Government’s Digital Development in that it will improve the business’s capacity, capability and also their employee’s digital skills.”
Digital Economy Minister Kate Forbes said: “This is a powerful example of the impact that investing in Scotland’s businesses can have. Through pro-active action at a grassroots level, companies and people are being supported to keep up with the pace of the digital world – boosting productivity, skills and ultimately the economy. The Digital Development Loan is just one strand of the Scottish Government’s overall digital strategy and this latest award is fantastic news. I wish R&W Scott every success in the future.”
Could you apply for a loan for your company? Find out more about the Digital Development Loan and how to apply for funding.