Hopes of hundreds of jobs from Norwegian fish processor Morpol's move into Fife

Fife could be set for another major jobs boost, after the world's largest fish processor revealed its intention to establish a new plant at the former Lexmark factory in Rosyth.

By Craig Smith
Published in the Courier : 13.06.11
Published online : 13.06.11 @ 04.05pm

Norwegian firm Morpol has acquired the former computer printer premises in Admiralty Park for around £3.7 million and says it plans to create a "large-scale value-added processing plant" which will contribute to its expansion in the UK and beyond.

Details of exactly what that will mean for the Fife economy have not yet been divulged but it is anticipated that as many as several hundred jobs could be created. And that would signal yet more good news for west Fife in particular — on the back of online retailer Amazon's move to a new site in Dunfermline.

Morpol has so far been tight-lipped on its proposals, but it did confirm plans for the Rosyth site are likely to be unveiled soon. The Courier understands some sort of announcement on the future of the Lexmark site could come as early as this week.

Tony Martin, chairman of Fife's enterprise, environment and transportation committee, welcomed the potentially positive news for the region and hopes more details will be made public soon.

"It's great that negotiations between the different parties have been successful and this at last will mean the former Lexmark building will be put to good use," he said.

The closure of Lexmark's base in Rosyth in 2006 devastated the local economy, with 700 workers at the inkjet cartridge manufacturing plant eventually laid off. Lexmark International, headquartered in Kentucky, had only started manufacturing at its £26 million base at Admiralty Park 10 years earlier, but management blamed escalating costs at the Fife site for the job losses and suggested investment in new technology to maintain the plant had become too expensive.

Salmon

Morpol employs more than 4200 people worldwide in fish farming and processing. It acquired England-based Brookside Products in September 2010 — a move which approximately doubled Morpol's share of the UK smoked salmon market — and also bought four farming operations in Orkney and Shetland last year. These businesses are being merged and integrated as one company under the name Meridian Salmon Group.

The firm has identified the UK, France and Italy as key markets where further growth is possible and sees the acquisition of its new site at Rosyth as hugely important. Indeed, a presentation to delegates in Oslo on Thursday suggested that Scottish salmon will be key to meeting its goals, with France, the UK and Italy to be specifically "targeted for expansion using Scottish product."

Delegates were also told the USA has a "preference for Scottish salmon," while the German market also offers an additional route for fresh Scottish products.

It is understood the Lexmark site was selected by Morpol due to its modern facilities, its flexibility and its proximity to major transport links.

Alan Russell, chief executive of Fife Chamber of Commerce, said, "These will be good quality jobs in Rosyth, an area with high levels of unemployment. It is testament to the skills and infrastructure of Fife that the area has been chosen for another significant inward investment following those by Amazon in Dunfermline, Diageo in Leven and all the work going on at the Fife Energy Park (in Methil)."

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