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Dicksons of Inverness boss on driving firm’s turnover to £50 million

Fraser Bryce has been managing director of the motor group for the past six years.

New directors, l-r, Jim Mackenzie, Jamie Dunlop, Fraser Bryce, Douglas Laird and Linda MacPhee.
Dicksond of Inverness directors, l-r, Jim Mackenzie, Jamie Dunlop, Fraser Bryce, Douglas Laird and Linda MacPhee. Image: Dicksons of Inverness

Motor group Dicksons of Inverness has doubled its turnover in just four years and its boss wants it to do the same again.

The firm owns five dealerships across the Highland capital, including its £1 million affordable second hand car showroom Carzar.

It also has its own parts franchise and services around 15,000 vehicles annually.

Managing director Fraser Bryce, who joined the firm six years ago, expects to report turnover of £50 million for this year.

That is more than double the £23m total achieved four years ago.

Mr Bryce told The Press and Journal he wants the business to double its turnover again in the next four years.

And he also aims to grow Dicksons’ 82-strong workforce and add more franchises.

Its five showrooms, Kia, MG, Nissan, Suzuki and Carzar, are all on Carsegate Road.

Route to the top for motor group boss

Mr Bryce has had a passion for cars as long as he remembers, with his dad, Hugh, running a showroom when he was young.

He said: “My dad had numerous roles from selling to manager, a director and an owner.

“From five onwards I’d be in his showroom making customers coffees every Saturday.

“I started selling cars for a Toyota dealership in Falkirk in 1996 as a 17-yer-old. It was different to nowadays – we were all in three-piece suits, with shiny shoes.”

Mr Bryce’s apprenticeship earned him £100 a week and he found himself loving every minute.

After a string of roles in the industry he co-founded a training consultancy, in 2012.

Dicksons managing director Fraser Bryce. Image: Milestone Media

Six years later an opportunity came about when Alistair Scrimgeour, who owned Dicksons at the time, decided to head towards retirement.

Mr Bryce added: “Ali decided he wanted a staged exit.

“I came up to Aviemore to meet him. We talked about how I would buy the company off him and over how much time.

“I bought a little over 25% initially, with the intention of buying the other 75% over a five-year period.”

In March this year, directors Jim Mackenzie, Jamie Dunlop, Douglas Laird, Linda MacPhee and Mr Bryce completed a management buyout.

Driving Dicksons of Inverness forward

The motor group is expected to sell around 2,500 cars this year.

According to Mr Bryce, Dicksons now accounts for one-third of all new care sales in the area.

He said: “We want to make sure people know we’re more than just Nissan on Carsegate Road.

“We’ve put such a strong focus into being hands on. Every day, a director is on site for both customers and staff.

“There are around 3,000 new cars sold each year in our area of responsibility – we sell 1,000 of those.

“We’ve seen a lot of success in the past few years — adding MG and Carzar to the portfolio.

The Inverness affordable showroom, Carzar, is the newest of Dicksons’ five dealerships. Image: Dicksons of Inverness

“We also have our own parts franchise now, Dicksons Parts Direct, which sells £4m-worth of parts a year.

“We’ll edge towards 100 staff soon enough and, of course, in the past four years we’ve doubled our turnover.”

Dicksons is heavily immersed in Highland life, sponsoring more than 10 sports teams and starting initiatives including putting 12 people through driving lessons and tests.

Despite Mr Bryce’s busy schedule, he still has time to be part of a local band, Close E’nuff, and later this month they will take to the stage during Belladrum music festival.

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