Food and drink wholesaler JW Filshill posted an 18.7% rise in operating profit after driving efficiencies in the business and investing in artificial intelligence.
The company, one of Scotland’s oldest independent wholesalers, also expanded its use of other technologies such as data, tracking software, and electronic labelling.
The fifth-generation business, based at Westway Park near Glasgow Airport, supplies KeyStore convenience stores and independent retailers across Scotland and the north of England as well as the Scottish Prison Service.
Operating profit for the year to the end of January 2025 rose to £5m from £4.2m and profit before tax by 22.8% to £4.9m from £4m. Turnover remained stable in line with the overall market trend at £214m.
Keith Geddes, chief financial and operating officer, said: “This improved efficiency is more essential than ever given the increase in costs driven mainly by changes to fuel, living wage and employers’ national insurance costs.
“The company has also invested heavily in the upskilling of many employees to take full advantage of advancements in artificial intelligence and ensure that we make use of these tools across all areas of the business. We also continue to push forward with heavy investment in other areas of technology.”
It took steps to improve its impact on the environment, including switching the delivery fleet fuel from diesel to hydrotreated vegetable oil (HVO) at the Westway site, and it now has two fully electric 19-tonne vehicles delivering every day.
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