60 years of Ferguson Transport & Shipping

Ferguson Transport was founded in June 1959 by the late Archie Ferguson with his wife Anne in Ardrishaig, Argyll. Archie’s uncle, Andrew Grindlaw was the first haulage contractor in Ardrishaig formed in 1920 and operated horse-drawn carts and coaches in the early days. Archie worked with his uncle for some years after he completed National Service, before starting out on his own. Agriculture, forestry and general haulage were the typical types of transport carried out in the early 1960s.

Archie Ferguson played a major part in clearing up the large wind blow in the late 1960s in Argyll, and subsequent to this when the forestry work dried up in Argyll, Archie and Anne then moved with the family to Spean Bridge, Lochaber in 1974 to load and unload ships at the Corpach Basin for Wiggins Teape Pulp and Paper Mill as well as transporting Roundwood to Riddoch of Rothemay Sawmill, at Corpach, the sawmill site Ferguson Transport & Shipping now own.

Today, Ferguson Transport and Shipping celebrate the milestone birthday of 60 years within the transport industry! The company has seen dramatic growth over the last decade with the company expanding into shipping, port facilities and rail to name but a few. The fleet has also grown year-on-year with the company now operating throughout the length and breadth of the country, with over 70 trucks, 170+ trailers, 6 shipping vessels and its own port and warehousing facilities.

The company now run by Anne and Archie’s children, Alasdair as Group Managing Director and Carol as Group Company Secretary & Financial Director, Jack as Operations Director and Leslie as Group Director. In recent years, the company has grown to become a large employer in the Lochaber area with 200 staff ranging from HGV drivers and mechanics to marine staff and shore-based engineers to office management and staff.

Please see a few images of the company through the years and today with Anne, the directors, family and staff celebrating this very special achievement – “60 years in business.”