The SWA key pillars, based on engagement with members, will form part of the association’s three-year strategy. This was according to its chief executive Colin Smith, who was speaking at its annual conference in Glasgow.
The pillars of Strengthening member resilience, transforming sector capability and reflecting the strategic pillars of SWA – advocacy and engagement, training and development, sustainability, and data and communication –explored by speakers and panels throughout the event.
Tom Slaven, SWA president, welcomed attendees, thanked them for their support, and set the tone by highlighting how the association has adapted to a changing environment – emphasising that the wider industry must continue to do the same.
Read more: United Wholesale (Scotland) picks up six awards at SWA Achievers
Meanwhile, Professor Colin Campbell, shone a spotlight on climate change in a session titled Planet & the Scottish Supply Chain in 2050: How climate change and global instability will impact food production, sourcing and logistics. The chief executive of the world-leading Scottish scientific research organisation the James Hutton Institute, explain why Scotland could play a vital role in sustainable food security and shared in-depth insight on the likely future impacts on food production and transportation.
Climate change, he pointed out, is the single greatest threat to supply chains and will require structural change – so how do businesses need to operate in this new environment? How will we secure a resilient supply chain? Wholesalers, Professor Campbell said, can be positive about the future and look for opportunities by assessing risks for key commodities.
Other speakers included Martin McCardle, regional operations manager at Brakes Scotland – winner of the 2026 Achievers Great Place to Work award – who shared how practical changes have helped the wholesaler successfully recruit for hard-to-fill roles and improve retention in a presentation titled Building a Great Place to Work. He was joined by David Summerhill, lecturer in people and organisations (HRM) at Glasgow Caledonian University.
