The Scottish First Minister visited Fraserburgh''s largest employer, Macrae, this week to mark completion of the first phase of a £2 million investment programme to upgrade its fish processing factory.
The company has now finished the £1 million refurbishment to its smoked fish facilities with a new kiln built on site and the addition of new loading bays. A further £1 million of upgrades to the site will be made over the next two years.
First Minister Alex Salmond said:
"Macrae Fraserburgh has a vital role within the local economy. The company's continued growth, investment and employment in Fraserburgh brings significant benefits to the North East economy. It is the area's largest employer and contributes more than £9 million to the Scottish economy.
"The £2 million upgrade of the factory will provide better facilities for the 800 staff working at the seafood factory and enable even greater outturn of produce.
"The Fraserburgh factory produces 3.4 million packs of fish, largely salmon, every month. I am particularly impressed to hear that the 2.6 million salmon processed each year, 99 per cent of which comes from Scotland, were laid end to end it would span 1,250 miles, proving the global reach of the Fraserburgh company!"
The 220,000 sq ft factory sells retailer brands to the UK's key supermarket chains.
It contributes £9 million to the local economy and buys around £43 million worth of fish every year from Scotland. This rises to £125 million across its parent company, The Seafood Company.
