One-time Aberdeen rag and bone business John Lawrie Group has come a long way since chairman Brian Meldrum staged a management buy-out of the company in 1981. That much is evident in the salary paid to the highest-paid director last year, which saw him climb the league table of top corporate earners in Scotland.

Newly-published accounts for the scrap metal reprocessor and steel trading firm show that this individual - assumed to be Meldrum - was paid over £2.1m in 2006, plus a further £300,000 in contributions to his pension scheme. This compares with a combined figure of £1.6m in 2005. The increase helped swell total directors' remuneration to £3.9m from £2.6m.

Lawrie's recent success has come from shifting its focus away from the oil and gas industry, where lacklustre demand for drilling pipes hit sales, to construction.

Pre-tax profits edged up to £3.65m in 2006 from £3.4m in the previous 12 months, though the increase would have been more significant had it not been for the sharp rise in boardroom pay.

Lawrie employs about 100 staff in the UK. Headquartered in Aberdeen, the firm has a metal recycling centre and dock facility at Montrose.