The Inverurie-based company is receiving finance from Lloyds Bank Corporate Markets in Aberdeen to build a new fulfilment facility in Kintore.

The £5.2 million facility is expected to open in June this year and will allow the meat business to grow its e-commerce offering, as well as create new jobs in the local area, said a statement from the bank.

Richard McKay, relationship manager at Lloyds Bank Corporate Markets in Aberdeen, says, ‘Donald Russell has seen a great deal of changes not only in the meat production industry but also in the types of customer they supply to.

‘The boom in online sales has led to a new sales model and this new funding will ensure the business can benefit from new markets.’

‘There is huge potential for growth in this sector and our current facilities are literally bursting at the seams,’ says Ian Morrison, Donald Russell’s business development director, adding, ‘there is no point in having a great product or idea if you do not have the infrastructure in place to support it’.

The mail order meat supplier is run by founders William Donald and John Stone and currently employs 190 staff.

Donald Russell’s annual turnover is £25 million.