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In 1958 local man David Ritchie took the plunge and advertised that he and his truck were available for hire with regard to road haulage transportation.
Now celebrating it's 50th year, the business has moved with the times and blossomed into quarrying, waste recycling, skip hire operations and scrap metal recycling.
However, at it's heart, David Ritchie and Sons Ltd as the business is now known, is still a family operation with David, his wife Florence and sons Robert and Brian serving as Directors. Office manager at the companies Aviemore premises is Brian's partner, Margaret whilst Robert's son David supervises the new purpose built recycling building and waste sorting station.
In addition the business employs a further 12 people through the recycling centre and quarry with local man Garry McKay employed as Waste Manager.
In 2001 realising the ever increasing problems with regard to waste management, the Ritchie's decided to construct a purpose built waste recycling centre. Major investment was put in place to build waste sorting facilities, storage areas, sorting stations, screening, baling, and shredding plants, and although being a very costly investment the Directors feel it is a facility which provides a safe, sensible, cost effective and environmentally friendly solution to the waste disposal problems of every day life.
Recycled wastes such as cardboard, paper, polythene, plastics, metal, wood, concrete and rubble, furniture, textiles and glass are handled within the site. From initial segregation and baling the waste streams are sent all over the world for further processing. Indeed in the last month shipments have been sent to Spain, China, Hong Kong and Mexico.
Recycled wastes such as Carrier Bags and Polythene from the Strath are now essential raw material for the production of waterproof fleeces, tents and wellington boots.
Approximately 2500 tons of wood waste is segregated, shredded and loaded on site annually for the production of MDF, Sterling Board, paper and animal bedding.
Metal wastes are cleaned, segregated and loaded before being sent to customers in Spain and China.
In the past year some 17000 tonnes of waste has been handled by the company and waste recycling return figures show a very impressive 95.33% of all handled waste being fully recycled.
Operating over 500 skips, roll on/off containers and wheelie bins within the Highland Region, the Ritchie's strive to continue the growth within the recycling sector but also remain focussed on the quarry and landscaping aspect of their business. The company supply a large range of sand, gravel and top soil products with customers including Tulloch, Rok Construction, Robertson Construction, Wilburn Homes, McLeod Building, MacDonald AHR, Chris Robinson Construction, Highland Council, and Stewart Milne Group.
"There is no minimum tonnage order on quarry products, from a wheel barrow load to a full tipper load, the Ritchie's are happy to deliver" says Brian. "Should a customer need waste removed and new material put in place we can provide the complete package. The excavated waste can be put through our quarry plant and reprocessed into recycled aggregates which generally become available at discounted rates due to the exemption of Government Aggregate Levy"
From having a look around the operation at David Ritchie and Sons it's easy to agree with the companies logo, "you name it - we reclaim it"
