Former head of industry development with Quality Meat Scotland, Andy McGowan, has been appointed as the new chief executive of the Grampian-based pig marketing co-op, Scottish Pig Producers Ltd (SPP).
He succeeds Gordon McKen who is retiring early next year, having managed the business since its inception in 1979.
“This is a fantastic opportunity to carry on the great work Gordon has done over the past 36 years,” said Mr McGowan. “SPP has always looked for solutions rather than problems and it is an approach which very much appeals to me.”
Prior to joining QMS, Mr McGowan (pictured) spent seven years in a technical sales role with the breeding company, PIC, working in Eastern Europe, Russia and the Balkans until 2002.
He is well known in the Scottish livestock and meat industry for his 11 years co-ordinating the activities of QMS in research, knowledge transfer and assurance schemes, working closely with SPP in the development of the Specially Selected Pork branding scheme which was an industry first and secured endorsement from the Scottish Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. For the past year, he has worked with the Irish food genetics company, IdentiGEN.
Welcoming his new chief executive, SPP chairman, Patrick Stephen, said the co-op was looking forward to further strengthening its marketing service to producers in Scotland and Northern Ireland and meeting the requirements of processors and retailers.
SPP markets 9500 – 10,000 pigs per week on behalf of 110 producers with a turnover of £58 million. The co-op was also instrumental in the recent acquisition by producers of the pig processing plant at Brechin, Angus, where, in conjunction with Tulip, plans are in hand to expand production from 4000 to 8000 pigs per week.