Scottish salmon farmer used HSBC GPB 1.2 million investment to buy feed barges from Gael Force.
The vessels supplied to Loch Duart are the SeaMate 150T Concrete Feed Barges, which were designed and built in Inverness.
The new barges will free up Loch Duart’s employees from repetitive manual labour said the press release. This will allow the company to focus on developing of sustainable farming methods endorsed by the RSPCA, such as long-term rotational fallowing and environmental enrichment practises.
Simon Maguire, Financial Director, Loch Duart, said:
“The new barges improve the safety of our staff, which is a priority for us, and enables them to take on more skilled work within the company. The funding from HSBC UK has enabled us to take a natural next step in enhancing our processes as we look for opportunities to grow the business and broaden the supply of our award-winning salmon.”
The investment was part of HSBC UK’s £650 million lending fund to support small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in Scotland. Grant Bett, Relationship Director, HSBC UK in Scotland, said:
“The team at Loch Duart continues to innovate, finding new ways to streamline the business and prioritise its staff as the key employer in the local communities. We’re delighted to support this next step for what is a truly ambitious Scottish business, with an excellent success story, as they continue to deliver world-class, acclaimed premium Salmon which is exported globally and served in various Michelin-starred restaurants around the UK.”
Gael Force Group Sales Director, Jamie Young said: “Having been approached by Loch Duart, we worked in close collaboration with their team to establish their needs relating to improved feeding and site operations, and our SeaMate 150T Concrete Feed Barge with innovative SeaFeed Feeding System met perfectly Loch Duart’s requirements. We worked closely with Loch Duart to assist them with the new system and working with the team at Loch Duart on the projects has been seamless, and exciting.”
