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MRS wins accolade at first Courier Business Awards
The technical expertise and business direction of Mylnefield Research Services (MRS) Ltd[1], a commercial affiliate of the James Hutton Institute, has been recognised at the first Courier Business Awards. The Awards took place at the Fairmont St Andrews on 1 November 2013.
In front of almost 500 attendees from the business world of Tayside, Fife, Stirling and Clackmannanshire and the Mearns, Dr Nigel Kerby, managing director, accepted the award of Agriculture Business of the Year on behalf of MRS.
Dr Jonathan Snape, Commercial Director of MRS, said: "We are delighted to receive this award and would like to thank all the staff of MRS and the James Hutton Institute for their hard work and support over many years."
MRS specialises in crop research, analytical services and plant breeding. From its base at the James Hutton Institute in Dundee it licenses plant varieties worldwide. Around 50% of blackcurrants and around of 15% of the raspberries grown worldwide are varieties bred by MRS. The company is also a leading breeder of potatoes, with varieties accounting for approximately 5% of the UK seed potato production.
MRS started life in 1989 as a subsidiary of the former Scottish Crop Research Institute (SCRI). Its ownership transferred to the James Hutton Institute in 2011 following the merger of SCRI with the Macaulay Land Use Research Institute in Aberdeen.
The customer base of MRS ranges from multinational companies such as PepsiCo, GlaxoSmithKline and McCain to local companies including Angus Soft Fruits. Iconic British drink Ribena only uses blackcurrant varieties bred by MRS.