Liz Hoggarth of Buitelaar with a dairy calf at the new Scottish Collection Centre Demand for dairy calves has grown from strength to strength at Buitelaar’s first Scottish Calf Collection Centre, in Castle Douglas, which aims to open on a weekly basis. The centre, which is one of four Buitelaar collection units, which also operates out of Wrexham, Frome, and Haddiport, is based at Wallet’s Mart, Castle Douglas, and is headed up by Liz Hoggarth and a team of six. Currently open every fortnight, on alternate Mondays, the plan is to operate on a weekly basis. Liz explains “When we opened, we initially were receiving about 30 calves every fortnight, but the word about the centre has got out and we are currently taking in the region of 200-250 calves from more than 30 farms in the area. Our forward plan is to receive more than 300 calves a week.
Billy worked for Alta AFTER 53 years in the dairy industry, Billy Campbell has retired. After a brief period at Lockerbie Ice Rink as assistant ice master, Billy joined SMMB AI Centre at Lockerbie in 1967 where he worked as an AI technician for 12 years. Billy moved on to his first sales position to sell Dairy Genetics for Select Sires in 1979, based initially at Royston, Hertfordshire where he secured the post of salesperson for Scotland. He became lifelong friends with Pete Gornall who joined the company at the same time. He then moved on to Semex UK in 1990 under the watchful eye of long time boss and friend Drew Sloan, who often commented that Billy was a great salesperson because “he had the gift to develop trust with his clients, in other words, people buy from people”.