A family-run Moray furniture business is planning to take on six more staff after it opens a new outlet three times bigger than its current store.
Grampian Furnishers is moving from premises in the centre of Lossiemouth to a purpose-built, 30,000 square foot showroom beside the A96, on the eastern edge of Elgin.
The £3.5 million relocation, which has involved installing an access road, in addition to building the two-storey store on the two-acre site, has been backed by a £2m funding package from Bank of Scotland as well as the firm’s own capital.
The company, which employs 14 people, said it will be looking to recruit a further half dozen staff within six months of opening the new outlet, which is nearing completion.
Grampian Furnishers director, Royce Clark, said: “I took over the company 20 years ago from my father who established the business in Elgin in 1975. I felt it was time to expand our offering as our loyal customer base, and the demand for our products has increased year-on-year.
“Because of this, we had really outgrown our existing premises. However, due to the lack of availability of suitable buildings, the only viable option was to build our own showroom.”
He continued: “Getting planning permission wasn’t straightforward, but all the effort has been worth it.
“Thanks to the Bank of Scotland, we’ve been able to secure the site at the gateway in Elgin which has great visibility and a high volume of traffic on the A96. The road’s easy access will also hopefully lead to attracting more customers.”
Bank of Scotland relationship manager, Michael Thomson, said: “Supporting businesses across all sectors in Scotland is at the core of what we do and we’re proud to be supporting Royce and his team.
“As part of our commitment to helping Scotland prosper, job creation across Moray is always a positive. It’s fantastic to know our support of the new store will benefit local employment.”