Nostalgia 1971: Irn Bru makers stay true to Falkirk roots

Provost William Fenney accompanied by his daughter (left) declares the new factory open. Mr Robert Barr and his wife look on.

Barrs, Falkirk’s famous soft drinks firm, opened a new £500,000 factory at Camelon this week.

And, with this important step, the company has placed firm faith in Falkirk for its future.

Speaking at the opening of the 60,000 sq. ft. factory at Hopedale, Camelon, Provost William Fenney said: ‘‘It was one of my happiest moments when Barr’s decided to stay in Camelon.

‘‘Many firms have pressure put on them to move elsewhere when considering expansion and I am truly thrilled that Barr’s has decided to stick to its birthplace.’’

The plaque commemorating the opening of the factory was unveiled by Mrs Robert Barr, wife of the Barr Group’s chairman.

Mr Barr told guests: ‘‘Ours is an established firm thanks to the hard work of my family predecessors.

‘‘The aim of the firm now is to be better tomorrow than we are today.

‘‘With this new factory we will be able to meet the increasing demand for soft drinks in the future.’’

The factory, one of the biggest of its kind in Scotland, has the capacity to produce three million gallons a year.