Johnstons of Elgin celebrate 225 years of existence in 2022, creating a legacy of fine craft and exquisite fabric in Moray.
“We’re unique in Scotland, in that we’re a vertically integrated textile manufacturer and one of the biggest in the UK now,” CEO Chris Gaffney said.
A family company, they’re very strong on family values and sustainability, looking after the environment and the people it employs.
Around 700 of the 1,000 people employed by Johnstons live in Elgin, working in the weaving mill and the retail visitor centre.
“We are here because the water is here – the water powered the mill, but it’s still got relevance to us today. Cashmere is all about how it feels to the touch, and when we wash the product after we’ve woven it, with soft Scottish water, it really helps give that special hand-feel that Scottish Cashmere is renowned for.”
Chris said the company was lucky to be located in Moray because of its strong manufacturing background, with employers all drawing from the same talent pool and skills shared between industries.
“I guess we’ve survived for a long time, as many companies in Moray have, because we didn’t have a big city next door we could trade with. We had to go and export and find markets and be quite entrepreneurial in the way we took product to market and the same could be said for many of the family businesses around here. And that’s what’s probably stood us in good stead, we’re quite well diversified, as we operate across the globe. It’s a good place to do business.”
Employees enjoy Moray’s fantastic natural environment, with hill walking and mountain biking opportunities in the south and the beautiful coastline in the north.
“It’s a very diverse and beautiful part of the world. You’ve got decent sized towns, and Elgin is quite well served for the basics of life. We also want people to experience a fulfilling cultural life in Moray, particularly to keep young people in the area. So, we are pleased that this is something that the Moray Growth Deal also promotes.
“You’ve got a 10-minute commute or a 20-minute commute, rather than an hour commute on the tube, and we’ve got reasonably good connectivity as well – you’re only 45 minutes from Inverness Airport, an hour and a bit from Aberdeen airport.”
There is a good educational offering in Moray too, with a strong state school system, as well as leading independent school Gordonstoun and colleges alongside the UHI campus in Moray too.
“I think we’ve got a fantastic education and skills offer in Moray but it is really important that we continue to sell that offer, talk about it, grow it and make investments in it so that’ll be the situation in the future as well.”
Looking ahead, Johnstons have big ambitions for the area, growing their own brand with more distribution in America and China, while continuing to manufacture for some of the biggest global brands.
“We’re very much optimistic about our future, and we’re grounded in Moray in terms of delivering that growth, in terms of jobs and employment, and contributing strongly to the economy of Moray for the foreseeable future.”
