Fifty years in business is remarkable. Fifty years in business with your best year yet still ahead of you? That's something else entirely.
The Astute Group, the Forfar-based brand and marketing agency founded in 1976, is marking half a century in style, a record 12 months of client growth, a 17-strong team firing on all cylinders, and a brand-new visual identity that signals exactly where this business is heading next.
Over 50 new clients joined in the past year alone. Turnover is projected to grow 15% year on year, and the client roster now stretches from Angus right across the UK, spanning energy, construction, healthcare, legal, hospitality and sport. National Gas Service, Clancy Group, P&J Live, Norco Energy, the names keep coming.
Not bad for a company that started out trading from a former farm shed.
Navigating Challenges and Seizing Opportunity
Joint MD Barry Sellars is the first to acknowledge the journey hasn't always been straightforward. When Covid hit in 2020, turnover fell from £1.9 million to £1.2 million, and the team went from 29 people to five almost overnight. Most businesses would have battened down the hatches, but The Astute Group chose a different path.
"We knew this was our moment for a reset," says Barry. "We were already transitioning into digital print, and we doubled down, repositioning ourselves as a full-service brand and marketing company. By doing that, we've brought the team back to 17 people and hit £1.9 million in turnover in 2024/25, and that will propel beyond £2.2 million this year.
It's a pivot that has paid off spectacularly. Where The Astute Group was once best known for print and office essentails, it now offers everything a growing business needs under one roof: brand identity, logo design, website development, email marketing, digital print, litho print, large format, signage, branded merchandise, workwear, and interior branding.
Built on Approachability
Joint Managing Director Paula Muir, who has been with the business for 25 years, puts the loyalty of The Astute Group's client base down to something refreshingly simple.
"I think people come to us because we're approachable. If someone's thinking about how their business looks, how they present themselves, or how they want to grow, they know they can pick up the phone. We'll help them figure it out, whether they know exactly what they need or not."
That approachability has been a constant across five decades of change. So has the quality of the people around the table. Paula and Barry bring over 48 years of combined service to the business and more than 30 years as shareholders, the kind of continuity that gives clients and colleagues alike real confidence.
The 50th also marks the retirement of Senior Director Andy Price, who retired at the end of April after 25 years with the business. Andy was instrumental in the 2003 management buyout that shaped The Astute Group into what it is today.
"What a journey the last 25 years have been," he said. "Along the way, I've had the privilege of meeting and working with some truly amazing people. Our success has been down to their support, energy, and dedication."
The business moves forward in safe hands, and with a bold new look to match.
The Astute Group
At The Astute Group, we bring strategy and creativity together to move businesses forward. Based in Forfar, we’re a full-service branding and marketing agency with over 30 years of experience, now boldly evolving into the digital space.
