Dicksons of Inverness has accomplished a administration buy-out and is now concentrating on turnover to double to £100 million inside 5 years.
The corporate is presently based mostly at Telford Retail Park in Inverness though its origins lie in Perth. The Dicksons Motor Firm was based there by Tommy Dickson in 1957, working a number of dealerships from Dunblane to Forres.
Alistair Scrimgeour joined the group within the Nineteen Seventies and, together with colleague Hugh Bryce, led the group by means of numerous franchise appointments and acquisitions. Scrimgeour and colleague Jimmy Gibson purchased the Forres enterprise from the Dickson household to type Dicksons of Forres within the late Nineteen Eighties.
Jim Mackenzie moved to Inverness within the Nineteen Nineties as Honda gross sales supervisor and have become gross sales director of the Dicksons group in 2008 whereas Fraser Bryce turned managing director in 2018 and commenced to plan the agency’s development technique along with his fellow administrators. Following the sale, Alistair Scrimgeour introduced his retirement.
“Ally, Jimmy and Hugh have been the spine of Dicksons for over three a long time,” stated Bryce. “Over the previous 5 years now we have achieved enormous milestones, together with including the MG model, buying Duncans and RM Browns, giving us 5 dealerships and creating our very personal new model CARZAR.
“We launched Dicksons Components Direct, including Peugeot, Citroen, DS and lots of different elements producers making Dicksons the most important privately-owned real elements provider within the Highlands.”
The corporate can be transferring ahead with a dedication to youthful drivers. It launched its £1m CARZAR showroom final 12 months, with the intention of creating vehicles extra inexpensive for younger folks.
This 12 months it introduced it had chosen 12 younger drivers all through the Highlands, aged between 17 and 24, that the corporate would put by means of their checks and pay for his or her driving classes.
“We have now elevated our workshop capability from 12 to 21 ramps and our gross sales workforce now sells over 2,000 vehicles a 12 months,” stated Bryce. “We additionally make use of greater than 80 folks throughout 30 totally different roles.
“Our 4 franchised manufacturers of KIA, Nissan, Suzuki and MG give us a incredible depth of selection to supply, and I’d haven’t any hesitation in saying now we have the perfect franchises providing our clients the only option within the Highlands.”
The MBO has been within the offing for a while and the corporate appointed Linda MacPhee, Jamie Dunlop and Douglas Laird to the board in late 2022, because it ready to take the following step.
“I’m happy to verify that on March 15, Jim, Linda, Jamie, Dougie and I accomplished the acquisition of the corporate from the Scrimgeour household,” stated Bryce. “Though it is a important occasion for the corporate, it cements our plans to stay in personal possession whereas increasing additional throughout the Highlands automotive panorama. Hugh Bryce will proceed to help the board going ahead.”
The five-dealership motor group presently turns over about £50m, though Bryce stated the corporate deliberate to double this earlier than 2030.
“We have now a five-year technique to develop to 100 workers and £100m turnover, with extra premises already chosen to deal with the extra websites.”
Pictured is (again row): Jim Mackenzie, Jamie Dunlop, Douglas Laird and Linda MacPhee. Fraser Bryce (entrance row).
