Gleaner Ltd, noted distributor of oil, gas, lubricants and environmentally friendly products including commercial HVO, celebrates its 70th anniversary.
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A history spanning over 70 years
Gleaner, established in 1954, distributes bulk fuels across Scotland from its Elgin, Moray head office. Initially serving agricultural and fishing industries, it now caters to diverse commercial sectors and the domestic heating market, with a network of filling stations.
Now serving communities from dozens of outlets (including owned and branded filling stations), all the way from Thurso in the north to Essex in the south, the owning family has never lost sight of founder Mr Young’s important and original ethos of humility, serving the community and treating its staff with respect.
On 24 April 1954, Robin Young incorporated the then-named Gleaner Oils Limited with the name coming from the verb “to glean”, as in to glean from the sea and to glean from the land.
Robin Young died in 1968, and Gleaner passed 50/50 to his sons Evan and Brian. Evan in particular was revered wherever he went, being the true embodiment of a gentleman. Sadly Evan, who was utterly devoted to his latterly disabled wife, died all too soon at Archerfield Golf Club, in the company of his son in law Stephen Scott in 2010, immediately after having played a round of golf showcasing the very best of his limited skills at the game. His daughter Jane acceded to his 50% ownership, whilst Stephen carried on with his thriving commercial law career in a large Edinburgh partnership. By 2014, Brian wanted to retire, so Jane and Stephen bought out his 50% share and assumed 100% ownership between them.
Gleaner has grown beyond all recognition in the last ten years.
Since then, led by David Todd, who stepped up to become managing director, the changes in the company have been both manifest and manifold – the significance of dropping “Oils” from the name being reflective of the evolving marketplace which Gleaner willingly embrace as everyone moves towards a greener future. Gleaner are not interested in carbon offset but choose instead to focus upon carbon eradication.
Today Gleaner are an approved distributor of Shell Lubricants and Greases, carrying on the partnership which has existed for over 50 years.
Family values and an innovative approach to oil & gas distribution
Remaining family-owned since its inception, Gleaner Ltd is led today by Jane and Stephen Scott, the third generation of the Young family. Committed to quality service, they uphold Gleaner’s legacy of over 65 years, prioritising customer satisfaction and local engagement.
Jane and Stephen have never lost sight of the overarching ethos, and the various lessons from which they both benefitted at her father’s teaching. They are proudly anticipating 1 July, when their son, also named Evan, will become a fourth-generation shareholder in the business. Young Evan has shadowed his parents in the business for many years as they are not prone to blind nepotism, and he is in no doubt about the importance of the ethos, nor of his responsibility towards Gleaner’s many wonderful staff.
In late September 2023, Evan and operations director Garry Reaper accepted a highly prestigious award from Moray Chamber of Commerce, for the most outstanding contribution to the economy of Moray in the preceding year – something of which Jane, as a Lossie girl, and Stephen, as an Elgin boy, are enormously proud. Impressed by the work which MCC does for the area, Gleaner have since enthusiastically signed up to be a Platinum Partner of MCC, both now and in the future.
An unwavering commitment to local community
Gleaner has an unwavering commitment to the local community as seen through its numerous partnerships and sponsorships, including:
The Gleaner Arena in Elgin, the brainchild of the Scotts’ good friend Dave Allen. Like Dave, they see this as being for the benefit not just of Elgin but also outlying towns and villages like Hopeman, Lossie, and also Elgin City FC.
At Junior level, Gleaner are very supportive of the new management behind the Free Staters aka New Elgin.
In the Highland League, four clubs have been individually selected as having close family associations with the Scotts, namely Lossie, Forres Mechanics, Deveronvale and Strathspey Thistle.
At SPFL level, Gleaner sponsors Inverness Caledonian Thistle FC, near neighbours of Gleaner’s highly prized Inverness Depot.
Gleaner enthusiastically supports Moray RFC due to Evan senior, who to this day retains the status of Club Legend. Evan excelled as a loosehead prop for Merchiston, West Of Scotland, North and Midlands and ultimately Moray, where he captained the Club to the Bibby Trophy in its 50th year, 1973.
Recently, when Stephen was seeking another club to benefit from Gleaner’s renowned generosity (he being a self -confessed and unrepentant football nut), it was Young Evan who suggested Moray as a centenary-year tribute to his eponymous grandfather. Thus was born an initial five year, six figure, sponsorship deal, and all associated with Gleaner are truly humbled by the generosity of spirit with which Moray have embraced Gleaner’s outstretched hand of friendship.
Gleaner pays tribute to Robin and Vanessa Hamilton, who for years have represented Team Gleaner with aplomb in motorsport rallying. These races took place in locations as diverse as Mull (home to another much coveted Gleaner Depot), Wales and Penrith in either a Mark 1 Escort, a Lotus Sunbeam or a 6R4. Much to their delight, the car performed to considerable acclaim in the Caribbean’s premier annual motorsport event the SOL Barbados Rally (now the CBIC Rally Barbados), in which they habitually win best in class.
Finally, Gleaner also supports SurfABLE Scotland, who provide surfing therapy to the neurodiverse and disabled community. It gave the Scotts much pleasure to see the inspirational athletes competing in the world championships in California recently.
Gleaner would consider it remiss not to mention its wonderful staff, both past and present, including Billy Laing and Ian Shayer (and not forgetting the inimitable Charlie Lowdon), who have benefitted Gleaner with all their talent, dedication and ambition.
Jane said: “We appreciate all our staff do – from filling stations to people driving tankers and delivering fuel. It’s the staff who keep the business going.”
David Todd said: “Since joining Gleaner 20 years ago, I have always been impressed with our staff and their commitment to our customers. We have shied away from call centres and kept our bases in the communities we supply. Being local goes back to the founding principles of the business, and this won’t change as we move forward. Can I thank everyone who has worked for Gleaner over the last 70 years, and of course a larger thank you to our customers who have supported the business in the past, present and hopefully in the future”.
In conclusion, the Scotts are very much looking forward to leading Gleaner into the next 70 years of its existence, both in Moray and throughout the country.
