Long running Aviemore firm nears end of the road
ONE of Badenoch and Strathspey’s best known and longest running businesses is expected to close in the near future with the loss of 12 jobs.
Grants of Aviemore is understood to be under offer although a deal has not been concluded.
Hopes that the Ford car dealership and workshop could be sold as a going concern were dashed when a prospective buyer from the car industry had to pull out at the last-minute for financial reasons.
The company’s bosses had been keen that the family business be bought by a motor dealer so that the firm could continue and current jobs be safeguarded.
However, the site on Dalfaber Industrial Estate at the north end of the village is now expected to go to a business outwth the industry if the deal goes through as expected.
The name of the prospective buyer is not known.
Staff including four motor technicians, three after-sales staff and admin staff were served with notice on Thursday that they are due to be made redundant.
Managing director Alistair Grant said: "We are in discussions with a prospective buyer for the site but as yet no legal agreement has been reached.
"Despite this and in respect to our staff, we have advised them of the risk of redundancy so as to provide as much information as possible.
"Clearly if the sale does not proceed, we are able to withdraw any notices subsequently issued.
"In addition, I can confirm that we are not intending to close on the 30th September as has been reported."
He added: "There is very little to say other than we are in discussions with a party."
Mr Grant said he hoped to be in a position by the end of September to say more.
Grants of Aviemore was put on the market earlier this year for offers in excess of £650,000.
The company can claim to be one of the longest serving Ford dealers in Scotland with a history of selling the marque dating back to 1960.
The business established that year by Mr Grant’s parents, Lewis and his wife, Marjory Sarah, was put on the market through selling agents Inverness-based Graham & Sibbald earlier this year.
The business is now run by Mr Alistair Grant with the other directors being his parents and Mr David S. Neck.
Mr Grant has planning permission for a shopping precinct in the centre of Aviemore expected to cost around £20 million as well as housing by Milton Wood and the now gone Osprey Filling Station by the former tourist information centre at the south end of the village. None of the projects have come to fruition yet.
A motor industry expert said that new vehicle sales in the UK were down 18 to 19 per cent year on year and the end of the scrappage scheme which boosted new car sales for several years had been a blow for car dealers.
He added: "VAT is at its highest rate ever in the UK at 20 per cent and that amount on a big ticket item like a car accounts for a lot of money.
"People are either holding onto their cars for longer or buying a used car."
He said that as a result garage repair shops were still doing good business as owners held onto their vehicles for longer and more MoTs were required.
There is a very competitive car sales industry in Inverness where many of the country’s big dealers operate along Harbour Road as well as online rivals.
The expert said: "I am still surprised that none of these dealers in the city showed interest in buying the site – but that must tell its own story for the state of the car sales industry at this time."
The Grants of Aviemore site comprises a modern showroom and workshop premises contained within a steel portal frame building with concrete block wall up to two metres in height with profile metal insulated sheeting above.
The company used to operate three filling stations in the strath at Grantown, Aviemore and Newtonmore, but sold these in 2008 to Malhurst, the UK’s largest independent operator.
