Forfar firm to pass £2 million sales as it adds 50 new clients

A Forfar firm expects to pass £2 million sales as it celebrates 50 years in business.

Astute Group, based in Forfar, has come a long way from starting out trading in a former pig shed five decades ago. It began selling print and office stationery but now specialises in brand identity and digital application, covering everything from website design and development to email marketing.

Astute has added 50 new clients in the past year in sectors spanning energy, construction, healthcare, legal and sport. Turnover, which was £1.9 million last year, is expected to increase by 15% year-on-year. The business operates from Orchardbank Business Park and has a workforce of 19.

Co-managing director Barry Sellars revealed it had been a “transformational” few years for the business, which was badly impacted by the Covid pandemic.

The former footballer said: “In 2019 our turnover was £1.9 million but when Covid hit, that dropped to £1.2m. We had to scale back from 29 staff to just five people. We were lucky that we had our finger on the pulse and were already transitioning into the world of digital print.

“By pivoting and repositioning ourselves as a full-service brand and marketing company, we’ve been able to bring our team back up to 19 employees and our turnover hit £1.9m in 2024/25. It’s been a transformational few years for the business, as we continue our evolution into a full-service brand and marketing company.”

Astute’s clients include Baker Hughes, Glaxo, Dundee Football Club and Montrose Port Authority, as well as national organisations Altrad Babcock, Spirit Energy, Scottish Gas Network and United Auctions. The client base has seen a surge in recent months from the infrastructure and energy sector, with National Gas Service, Norco Energy and Clancy Group onboarding.

Co-managing director Paula Muir joined the company 25 years ago.

She said: “A lot of people probably thought Barry and I wouldn’t make it working together as we are very different, but we’ve grown through the business side by side. We worked our way up and eventually bought out the previous shareholders through hard work and determination.

“Barry is very much the face of the business. He’s out and about, speaking to customers and driving sales, whereas I’m more internally focused, looking after the finance and the customer service side. We’re both very hands-on day to day with operations and still roll our sleeves up when needed.

“I think people come to us as a business because we’re approachable. If someone’s thinking about how their business looks or how they want to grow, they know they can pick up the phone to us. We’ll help them figure it out.”

Astute Group’s senior director Andy Price has recently retired after 25 years with the Forfar business. He was part of a management buyout in 2003.

Andy added: “What a journey the last 25 years have been. Along the way, I’ve had the privilege of meeting and working with some truly amazing people, some of whom are sadly no longer with us. Our success has been down to their support, energy, and dedication.”

This article appeared in the Courier on 21 May 2026