Family owned since 1927
About the Williamson Group
The Williamson family have been in the metal recycling business since 1927. We have five yards throughout Scotland and are on our third and fourth generation of taking the business forward, with current management holding more than 150 years of combined experience. John Williamson 1988 is the trading name in the North East of Scotland for Rosefield Salvage Ltd, part of the Williamson Group of companies.
Our history
Heritage
The Williamson family bought the Fraserburgh based, long established firm of John Williamson scrap merchants in 1988 and formed the current business. For over 30 years we have served the North East of Scotland from our Fraserburgh and Peterhead bases, providing scrap metal, waste management, recycling and skip hire services.
Initially based in Denmark Street, Fraserburgh, the firm expanded to deal with rising demand from the oil and gas sector. As the business grew, focus turned to re-use as well as recycling, and to up-cycling as part of the circular economy. Our larger sites give us the capacity to process more metal and the space to store and promote reusable materials — plate, beams, angle, channel and chain. Moving to the purpose built site in the Westshore Industrial Estate allowed us to operate as a hub for oversized loads, pipe, and more specialist segregation of non-ferrous metals.
Our staff have a wealth of knowledge and experience in the waste industry, with many members of the team having worked with us for over a decade — some for a quarter of a century.
1927
Thomas Williamson starts the family metal recycling business in Elgin.
1988
The Williamson family buy the long established Fraserburgh firm of John Williamson, scrap merchants, and form the current business on Denmark Street.
1992
A small site opens at Peterhead harbour.
2004
Our fully cemented 1.5 acre waste management facility opens on the Dales Industrial Estate, Peterhead.
2016
The Natdian Recycling Centre opens on the Westshore Industrial Estate, Fraserburgh — licensed for scrap metal, general waste, ELVs, WEEE and offshore decommissioning.
Present
Third and fourth generation Williamsons run five Scottish facilities, with continued investment in specialist plant for decommissioning and recycling.
Our people
Management
Mark Williamson
Group Managing Director
Mark joined the group full time in 1979 but had been working in the family business since a young age. He has a wide range of knowledge and enormous experience in metal trading and export, and is our specialist on the nickel alloys used extensively in the oil and gas industry. Mark is also responsible for most of the group's export sales and works closely with the Sales Director.
Paul Williamson
Group Financial Director
After a degree in microbiology and a postgrad in accounting at Aberdeen University (1981-1985), Paul worked as an offshore accountant for the American drilling firm Loffland Brothers. He returned to the family business in 1988 to run the newly acquired John Williamson 1988 in Fraserburgh, and oversaw the expansion into Peterhead and the opening of our two purpose built facilities.
Scott Williamson
Operations Director
Scott joined the group in 2007 in the Forres and Elgin operations, with later spells at the Uddingston and Dumfries sites learning how all the group operations worked. He came to Peterhead in 2008, and after a year travelling returned as Assistant Operations Manager before being promoted to Operations Director running the Peterhead site.
Lewis Williamson
Sales Director
Lewis joined the group straight from school, working out of D & S Metals in Forres. Specialising in non-ferrous trading, he oversees export operations and handles UK sales and purchasing for the group, setting the group buying parameters and liaising with all group members.
Ciara Williamson
Office Manager
Callum Williamson
Assistant Operations Manager
Jed McGowan
Assistant Operations Manager
