Five-generation Dundee family business Kerr’s Dairy has added 5,000 customers after making deals with milk delivery rivals.
Kerr’s purchased Muller Wiseman’s database of 780 Aberdeen customers last month.
And it has now completed a deal to acquire more than 4,000 Aberdeen clients from Thomson Dairies.
Doorstep delivery boom
Kerr’s capitalised during the Covid lockdowns by aggressively expanding its home delivery services.
After gaining thousands of customers in Tayside, it ventured north to Aberdeen in June 2020.
Director Kelvin Kerr said he is keen to keep growing the business and would consider other opportunities.
The new deals follow the acquisition of North Street Dairy in Forfar a year ago.
The business has a combined 80 staff and 60 vans between its locations in Dundee and Aberdeen.
It has a total of 25,000 customers between the two locations. Around 14,000 of this total is now served from Aberdeen.
Mr Kerr added: “The fact we now have more customers in Aberdeen than Dundee is really quite astonishing. I would never have believed that a few years ago.
“What’s really important to us is delivering a quality, reliable services to our customers.”
Thomson opportunity
A total of 15 members of staff from Thomson have transferred to Kerr’s as part of the transaction.
The deal, for an undisclosed sum, does not include the Thomson depot at East Tullos Industrial Estate.
Mr Kerr said the Dundee firm will continue to look for expansion opportunities.
“We were approached by Thomson Dairies and happy to grasp the opportunity,” he said.
“I’m delighted to get the deal over the line which gives us a real foothold in Aberdeen.
“We are still expanding in the area and it’s important to me that we create more local jobs, as well as making sure that people keep their jobs.”
“We will certainly look at other opportunities as they come along.”
Muller closed its milk processing facilities in 2016 and its Aberdeen depot in 2019 but retained its doorstep delivery customers.
Thomson Dairies has its main headquarters in Shotts and also has a Perth location.
