Established in 1892, Joseph Robertson of Aberdeen is Scotland’s oldest seafood processing company.
The family business is now in its fourth generation, owned and operated by Simon Robertson and his brothers James and Michael, with the bulk of its fish still haddock and whiting caught locally.
From being purely a fresh fish supplier, Joseph Robertson has moved into the value-added sector over the last 20 years and is now the largest independent secondary seafood processor in Scotland with a turnover of more than £10m. Some 70% of its business is in the food service sector, supplying restaurants, schools and hospitals with a variety of coated fish products and fish-based meals. The remaining 30% is accounted for by Swankies – Robertson's own regional retail brand – private label packs and exports to Europe.
In May 2008, Robertson launched a new venture, supplying chilled fish products in to the retail sector.
AEW Delford labelling installation
The new business has created a demand for the fast, efficient application of wrap-around labels. As a result, Joseph Robertson has installed an AEW Delford C3 Panel Labelling System on the private label packing line.
As all the current packs are fixed weight, the C3 Labeller is used to apply pre-printed labels to the top, side and base of each pack. However, the unit also has the facility to provide variably printed labels through a second print head if required.
Angie Berry, Joseph Robertson's Factory Manager, was responsible for selecting the C Labelling system.
She explains, “We looked at a number of C Labelling units before deciding on the Delford. It was not the cheapest but in this business you can't afford unreliable kit. During my career in the food processing industry, I have had extensive experience with AEW Delford weighing and labelling systems and consider them to be the “Rolls Royces” in their field. “
She adds, “Ease of use is also very important, especially as we use largely unskilled labour on the factory floor. My staff had never seen C labels or coding but were able to operate the AEW Delford C Labeller with very little training.”
Following the successful operation of the C3 System, Joseph Robertson has invested in a second AEW Delford Labeller for the same line. Fitted to the outfeed conveyor prior to the final packing station, the LS40 Label Applicator will be used for the automatic application of secondary product description and promotional labels.
