A BOOMING Hawick mill has announced a 28 per cent rise in sales and profits before tax of almost £4m.

After two difficult years the luxury fine wool and cashmere manufacturer Johnstons of Elgin now has more employees compared to pre-pandemic levels.

The firm, which was founded in 1797, has two mills, at Eastfield Mills in Mansfield Road and in Elgin, with staff of more than one thousand across both sites.

Chief executive Chris Gaffney said: “2021 was a year of recovery for Johnstons and we are pleased to have bounced back so strongly, with full order books for the next 18 months.

“The skill of our craftspeople and the creativity of our design team allows us to manufacture beautiful products that live a long time in our customers wardrobes, whilst our use of natural fibres and control of our supply chain, through our mills in Scotland, enables us to better manage our environmental and social footprint.

“This combination makes us a strong partner for the luxury brands we work with and an engaging consumer brand in our own right. The future is therefore positive, and we expect to continue to recruit staff and invest in additional capacity in coming years.”

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In results filed earlier this month, the company disclosed a profit of £3.9m on sales that were up 28 per cent on the previous year, at £66.4m.

As a result of the success, a new recruitment drive is also ongoing.

Julie McGlashan, people director at Johnstons, said: “Our team’s dedication, and love for their craft allows Johnstons to lead the world in producing cashmere and fine woollens.

“There is a great pride in learning skills that have been handed down through the generations. When you marry this up with our continuous investment in technology, it keeps roles fresh and exciting.

“The way of life and beautiful coastline and countryside around Elgin and Hawick means that people don’t want to leave. Therefore, we get a lot of applicants looking for careers with us because they can get the balance of fulfilling, skilled, long-term job prospects and a great lifestyle.

“Over 30 per cent of our staff have worked at Johnstons for more than ten years, and that’s tribute to the wide-ranging roles and opportunities for progression we offer.”

To find out more about working and current vacancies at Johnstons of Elgin go to http://careers.johnstonsof elgin.com/jobs/hawick