BUSINESSES in Dunfermline have been left on a "knife edge" due to increasing supply chain issues.

That's the view of Adam Robertson, one of the founders and directors of Kalopsia Collective, a textile manufacturing firm which moved to the city's Gardeners Street recently.

"I would say a lot of businesses will close this year," he told the Press.

"There are so many variables, it is demolishing any cash flow places have left, businesses are on a knife edge and can't make decisions."

He says that shortages were completely "random", with no way to prepare for which products would be unavailable.

"It is a really tricky one," he continued.

"For example, the tape for our zips was delayed recently – suddenly there is not a supply coming in so you are having to buy stock in advance.

"The next week it will be fabric delayed getting into the country, it is the randomness that is causing uncertainty."

They have been forced to push back some orders which were placed near the start of the year, with influxes of backdated supplies causing difficulty for their small team.

"They will all end up coming through at once and we end up just not having the staff to handle it," he added.

"Everything has been more challenging, this year more businesses have been opening up again after the pandemic and more demand has been causing uncertainty."

Adam also said that price hikes due to Brexit had been causing headaches, with European customs charges often amounting to as much as a quarter of the total item price.

However, support from their new neighbours in the Kingdom after their December 2021 move from Leith had been "brilliant" in keeping morale high.

"Dunfermline has been great, Fife in general has been great," Adam said.

"The small businesses, family businesses, I think we have had more support than we have ever had and feel really welcomed.

"We have loads in the pipeline – we will be launching new products over the next two years, clothing and outerwear.

"We are looking to expand the team quickly, there are nine of us just now, the space could hold more than 25 members of staff, as a social enterprise we want to see more high-skilled, well-paid workers in the textile industry."

The firm also value renewable working practices, with plans to apply for a grant which they hope will allow them to reduce waste by reusing old products.