Salmon firm set to create jobs after netting ASDA deal

Edinburgh Smoked Salmon Company (Essco), based in Dingwall, revealed the expansion moves on Friday – just a month after rival Strathaird Salmon closed its base in Inverness, with the loss of more than 300 jobs, the Aberdeen Press and Journal reported.

Essco managing director Colin Burke told the newspaper that employee numbers at the business between 2006 and 2008 had almost doubled from 165 to 300 as a result of sales to Asda quadrupling to £16.5million.

The extra jobs stem from an ongoing investment programme, which will a see further £2million ploughed into the business and new sales it expects to win from Britain’s second largest retailer.

Burke told the Press and Journal that they were looking for sales of £20million-plus with Asda, and expected that the company would be adding another 50-60 employees by the end of 2010, if things all go to plan.