Thorburn Group: A Legacy of Entrepreneurship In The Borders Of Scotland

Nestled in the picturesque Borders of Scotland, Thorburn Group has established itself as a prominent name in the construction and civil engineering sectors, delivering quality steel frame buildings and fabrication services to agricultural, industrial, and commercial industries.

Paul Andrews spoke to Euan Thorburn to find out more.

Thorburn Group has a rich history spanning several decades, the company has not only contributed to the development of the region but has also demonstrated a commitment to quality, sustainability, and community engagement. It all began back in 1947 when John Thorburn Snr purchased the blacksmiths business at Newtown Street, Duns. His son, John Thorburn served here as an apprentice and the business continued to grow until John took over the reins in 1957.

In 1968 new premises at Station Road, Duns were purchased due to an increasing workload. With a larger workshop and a growing team, the business expanded into fabricating machinery as well as sales/repairs of farm machinery.

As Euan explains, “The business continued to grow and was always looking for ways to expand and by the 1970’s we were already getting a good reputation for building fabrication and erection and this resulted in agricultural, commercial and industrial buildings being built and erected throughout the Borders, Northumberland and East Lothian.”

“It was in the late 1970’s that my father Alistair Thorburn joined his Dad, starting in the workshop welding and fabricating before moving on to making and erecting sheds in the early 1980’s,” he continues.

During the 1980’s the business began to manufacture and retail their own products, including livestock feeding equipment and trailers built to individual customer specifications. This period also saw the expansion into grain handling and drying plan installation and the introduction of a successful crane hire business. The business successfully grew and diversified further.

As Euan continues, “I joined the team in the early 2000’s and began working in different areas of the business to my father before becoming a director in 2012 and has been actively involved ever since.”

With the next generation on board the business continued to focus on the future with family values at their core. A rebrand from John Thorburn & Sons Ltd in 2021to Thorburn Group following the retirement of directors John and Stuart Thorburn saw the business planning for the next chapter in their journey with Alistair Thorburn and his son Euan managing the business.”

The entrepreneurial nature of the business continued and with family values at their core, a good team and a commitment to building a business for the future further expansion followed.

In 2022 Thorburn Group acquired the well established business, Premier Livestock Handling, from George Clark which added a collection of well renowned and award winning Cattle Crushes to their services.

The subsequent acquisition of SWP Engineering in 2023 added further to their capabilities.

Committed to being a Borders based business they took on their own construction project which was completed in 2023 when they moved into their new £5.3 million purpose-built premises in Duns Industrial Estate. This marked a new chapter for the company giving them the opportunity to eventually quadruple production and is something that the family are immensely proud of.

As Euan continues, “Duns is where our journey began and it is from where we have built our reputation for what we do, and as a significant employer locally."

"Duns is important to us and remains a key part of our culture too. Building the new head office in Duns has secured us the opportunity for further growth, enables us to support the community b y way of employment and career opportunities and shows that we are committed locally too."

"It was a big project but one that now it is complete and we have moved in remains my proudest achievement to date.”

As Thorburn Group continue to grow and evolve, it remains a cornerstone of the Borders community, contributing to the region's development and prosperity.

Its legacy of excellence, sustainability, and commitment to local engagement ensures that the company will remain a vital force in the construction industry for years to come and with the next generation now actively involved will hopefully remain a family business for generations to come.