16 Sep Industry Legend — James Jack | G&J Jack
Gray & Adams interviews industry legend James Jack, as he delves into the story of G&J Jack.
Tell me a little bit about yourself
“I started as a fisherman and spent six years at sea after an initial four-month stint with the family firm. When I came ashore, I rejoined the company as a fish worker, filleting and skinning dogfish and skate wings. From there, I worked my way up to become a truck driver, market man-buyer, eventually stepping into a management role alongside my two brothers. Together, we helped build and grow the business.”
Tell me a little bit about the story of G&J Jack
“The roots of G&J Jack go back to the 1930s with my grandmother, Granny Bessie. She would buy fish at the market, fillet and smoke them at home, then carry them in a creel on her back from her home in St Combs around the countryside, sometimes walking up to 20 miles. She would then sell the barter goods in the village, which allowed her to buy another box of fish to process and support her family of seven children through sheer hard work.
My father, George Jack served on H.M.S. Belfast during WWII, rising from Able Bodied Seaman to Chief Petty Officer, eventually earning his wings and flying reconnaissance missions over the Italian planes from Malta. After being demobbed from the RAF at the end of WW2, George accepted my grandmother’s offer to take over her fish round, though she kept one day a week, as her rural customers had become close friends. George bought a second-hand van (more expensive than a new one at the time due to long waiting lists). When his brother James was demobbed, their mother encouraged him to buy another van and expand. Together, George and James formed G&J Jack. Tragically, James passed away in 1970 at just 51, which deeply affected my father. That moment marked the start of my brothers and me taking on more responsibility in the business.
From those humble beginnings, the company expanded, employing more staff, running five lorries, buying fish from all over Scotland, and processing it in Fraserburgh. My father’s proudest achievement was moving the operation from a Nissen hut into a purpose-built factory on Harbour Road. Our success has always been built on three core values: top quality, trust, and deep knowledge of the trade, all of which have grown with the business.”
What was your greatest success at G&J Jack?
“One of my proudest achievements was forming a partnership with a French company. That venture grew rapidly — at its peak, we were selling up to 16 Arctic lorries a week, filled to the roof with top-quality fish. ‘QUALITY ASSURED’ was my father’s logo, and we lived by it.”
When and how did the partnership begin with Gray & Adams? & why has the partnership lasted so long?
“The partnership with Gray & Adams began in the early 1960s, when they first floored a lorry for my father — RAV 898. Then, in the early 1970s, they built our first refrigerated articulated trailer, OLS 247P, paired with our first DAF truck.
G&J Jack was the first customer to receive the 33-foot Gray & Adams van, built with a one-piece, full five-element panel, which is very familiar to customers today. This trailer was the first of its kind and contained a new and experimental Petter refrigeration unit.
Beyond the great professional relationship and friendship with Gray & Adams, Jimmy Adams married my eldest sister, Margaret. Gray & Adams are second to none, true leaders in refrigerated vehicle manufacturing, and our business relationship continues to this day.”
What does the future look like for G&J Jack? Do you still keep up to date with the goings-on within the business?
“The business is now in the hands of the fourth and fifth generations — my son and two grandsons — and employs around 150 staff. The future looks bright, with trading now stretching across Europe and into the Far East. I’m kept up to date weekly with regular updates from my son and grandsons. My youngest sister Pamela is still working in the office, keeping her finger firmly on the pulse!”
What are you up to now? What are you enjoying in your retirement? Do you miss working?
“I’m now happily retired, confident that the business is in good hands. I enjoy river fishing and, most importantly, spending quality time with the family.”
From the very first collaboration in the 1960s to the projects we work on today, Gray & Adams and G&J Jack have built a partnership that has stood the test of time. More than fifty years on, the relationship remains as strong as ever, driven by a shared commitment to innovation and the creation of bespoke solutions built to last.