New business continues to flow in. In 12 months, the company has pulled off a coup by striking a supply deal with Sainsbury, the only multiple not on its books, and picked up a clutch of new contracts to supply the middle ground milk market through deals with Booker, Batleys, Makro, Costcutter, Costco, Spar and Londis.
Over 60% of Wiseman's business is now in England and Wales  no mean feat for a Scottish company with no real presence south of the border until the mid-1990s.
Sales and marketing director Sandy Wilkie says Wiseman's USP is clear: it is completely focused on retail liquid milk produced from the biggest, most efficient dairies at the lowest unit cost. And it is well on course to reach target volumes of 1 billion litres by the end of the financial year.
"We're in love with milk," says Wilkie.
More importantly, for the long-term health of the business, Wiseman is in love with the right sort of milk: retail milk, a market showing 2-4% growth compared to a doorstep market in terminal decline. "We feel totally vindicated in Droitwich," he says, "and there's no question that capacity for non-returnables will increase."
So was Wiseman standing at the sidelines waiting to pounce when Arla was circling around Express Dairies earlier in the year? "Everyone talks to everyone in this industry, but we have the luxury of being able to plough on with our own strategy," he responds.
The immediate preoccupation is forging a path into the south-east, a huge but complicated market where Wiseman has so far only dipped its toes. "London presents a whole different set of logistical challenges," says Wilkie. "In central London, there's a labyrinth of foodservice outlets and c-stores  a market serviced by a whole gamut of sub-purchasing dairies buying from the likes of Express and Dairy Crest."
If an acquisition opportunity arises in the London area for a distribution business, however, Wiseman would be first in the queue, he adds.
Last year's main purchase, south-west dairy Lordswood, has been completely transformed, with five sites replaced by two state-of-the-art depots in Taunton and Avonmouth, supplied by Droitwich. A deal still being finalised with Wiseman's biggest supplier First Milk will also drive efficiency in milk collection  an area ripe for rationalisation, says Wilkie. "You almost need a national grid system."
At the moment, there are tankers from different companies going down the same stretch of road to the same destination, he says. "We're working with First Milk to develop a generic White Stuff tanker, so we can reduce the number of lorries on the road and drive efficiency. It's a win-win situation."
One of the most vocal critics of the Dairy Industry Association's decision to pull funding for the White Stuff generic milk campaign, Wilkie is now spearheading initiatives to revive the White Stuff in association with the Milk Development Council (see page 9).
Wiseman is also driving innovation in packaging and sealing technology, with new dome-shaped 250ml snack packs with screw caps and larger packs for organic milk.
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Over 60% of Wiseman's business is now in England and Wales  no mean feat for a Scottish company with no real presence south of the border until the mid-1990s.
Sales and marketing director Sandy Wilkie says Wiseman's USP is clear: it is completely focused on retail liquid milk produced from the biggest, most efficient dairies at the lowest unit cost. And it is well on course to reach target volumes of 1 billion litres by the end of the financial year.
"We're in love with milk," says Wilkie.
More importantly, for the long-term health of the business, Wiseman is in love with the right sort of milk: retail milk, a market showing 2-4% growth compared to a doorstep market in terminal decline. "We feel totally vindicated in Droitwich," he says, "and there's no question that capacity for non-returnables will increase."
So was Wiseman standing at the sidelines waiting to pounce when Arla was circling around Express Dairies earlier in the year? "Everyone talks to everyone in this industry, but we have the luxury of being able to plough on with our own strategy," he responds.
The immediate preoccupation is forging a path into the south-east, a huge but complicated market where Wiseman has so far only dipped its toes. "London presents a whole different set of logistical challenges," says Wilkie. "In central London, there's a labyrinth of foodservice outlets and c-stores  a market serviced by a whole gamut of sub-purchasing dairies buying from the likes of Express and Dairy Crest."
If an acquisition opportunity arises in the London area for a distribution business, however, Wiseman would be first in the queue, he adds.
Last year's main purchase, south-west dairy Lordswood, has been completely transformed, with five sites replaced by two state-of-the-art depots in Taunton and Avonmouth, supplied by Droitwich. A deal still being finalised with Wiseman's biggest supplier First Milk will also drive efficiency in milk collection  an area ripe for rationalisation, says Wilkie. "You almost need a national grid system."
At the moment, there are tankers from different companies going down the same stretch of road to the same destination, he says. "We're working with First Milk to develop a generic White Stuff tanker, so we can reduce the number of lorries on the road and drive efficiency. It's a win-win situation."
One of the most vocal critics of the Dairy Industry Association's decision to pull funding for the White Stuff generic milk campaign, Wilkie is now spearheading initiatives to revive the White Stuff in association with the Milk Development Council (see page 9).
Wiseman is also driving innovation in packaging and sealing technology, with new dome-shaped 250ml snack packs with screw caps and larger packs for organic milk.
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