TNAG-0938-FCO40-1157-Visit-of-John-Nott--Secretary-of-State-for-Trade--to-Hong-Ko-1980 — Page 35

BRIEF 3 PART III

JAMES JOHNSTON & CO OF ELGIN LTD (MR HARRISON)

1

Johnstons of Elgin is an independently owned limited company which commenced trading in 1798, although the present company was formed in 1943. Johnstons currently employ about 200 people.

2

The company specialises in the manufacture of a range of top quality clothing fabrics in luxury fibres-cashmere, camelhair, vicuna etc together with a range of scarves, stoles and travelling rugs in these fabrics.

3

The company operates vertically, obtaining supplies of cashmere from China, and carries out all production processes from scouring through to weaving and finishing at the factory in Elgin.

4

Annual turnover in 1978 (latest available figures) was in the region of £2.7m of which £1.3m was for export sales. A high proportion of output is exported to markets such as the USA, Japan, Hong Kong, the Federal Republic of Germany, France and Italy. The USA is the company's largest market, followed by Japan, where sales are steadily increasing. The company was awarded the Queen's Award for Export Achievement in 1978.