Bill Duncan has been a familiar face in the north-east motor industry for more than 30 years.
When the opportunity arose to take over Banchory Car Centre he knew it was too good to turn down.
The 55-year-old and his business partner Ritchie Ogston have now been in the driving seat for the past year and are only weeks away from expanding with the opening of a new MOT and service centre.
Mr Duncan, who previously spent 13 years as a director at I & K Motors, said: “Ritchie and I worked together from 1988 to 2000 and have remained friends since then.
“We spent some time during lockdown discussing how the industry has changed over the years with many local businesses either being taken over by large groups or closing.
“We heard that Malcolm Grigor was retiring and looking for someone to take over the business and our first visit to the site gave us an appetite to explore it further.
“We could see the opportunity to create a locally-owned business and to expand the offering to include a service and MOT centre in addition to the successful car sales operation.”
Best level of customer service
The centre, based in Tillybrake Road, displays around 50 cars on site and can also source new and quality used vehicles to order.
The business partners want to make sure their staff offer levels of service they believe can often be missing.
Mr Duncan said: “Having been in the motor industry for over 30 years we have seen how things have changed and not always for the better and we felt that we could bring back levels of service that have been lacking.
“Customer service and communication seems to have dropped and customers aren’t being valued in the way they should be.
“With large staff turnover, customers are passed from pillar to post.
“Sales and service departments operate separately and not always together. Here at Banchory, we work closely as a team and ensure customers are treated properly at all times.”
Recruitment opportunities
Currently eight staff are employed but plans are underway to increase headcount to 10 with an apprentice to be added in the coming weeks and someone for the MOT and service centre.
Mr Duncan, who also worked at the Renault dealership in Aberdeen from 1992-2007, said: “The introduction of our new MOT centre will strengthen the availability of local service in the community.
“We want to provide a first class service and to be the garage of choice in the area.”
Despite opening during Covid-19 business has continue to grow.
“We had to introduce an online selling platform along with click and collect and contactless delivery of vehicles, said Mr Duncan
“In March, during lockdown, we sold over 50 cars which was one of our best months.
“It’s been very successful and our business plan for the first year was exceeded even with two periods of lockdown.
“Word of mouth is gathering momentum and it’s great to have so many people recommending us.”
Mr Duncan has shown his support for the North East Now campaign, which has made it easy for people to support local firms from a wide range of industries during the pandemic.
The initiative is driven by Aberdeen and Grampian Chamber of Commerce and backed by creative agency Hampton and Aberdeen Journals.
He said: “I think it’s nice fresh looking website and a welcome way to market local produce.”
For further information on Banchory Car Centre, visit www.banchorycarcentre.co.uk
To find out more about North-East Now, visit www.northeastnow.scot