Farmer Autocare expands with takeover of 83-year-old West Lothian firm
“This acquisition is a significant milestone as we begin our expansion” – Norman Kerr
Farmer Autocare, the Scottish tyre fitting and servicing firm recently bought by a Northern Irish peer, has kicked off an expansion drive with the acquisition of the long-established Hunters of Linlithgow business.
In early April, it emerged that Belfast-based Kerr’s Tyres Group had bought Farmer Autocare - set up in 2003 by the late Kwik Fit founder Sir Tom Farmer - for an undisclosed amount. Hunters of Linlithgow will now join 21 Farmer Autocare centres across Scotland.
Hunters was founded in 1943 and some eight decades later it has 20 professionals offering a range of bespoke diagnostic services. The team will continue to be led by general manager Alistair Brailey.
Kerr’s Tyres Group was founded in 2002 by Norman Kerr in Antrim and has grown to be a business with 53 points of sale, a large commercial tyre business and a tyre distribution group. It plans to expand to 250 sites throughout the UK and Ireland.
Colin McNeill, managing director of Farmer Autocare, said: “Since joining Kerr’s Tyre Group three months ago, we’ve worked hard to develop a strong expansion pipeline - today’s announcement is the first of many.
“As we expand across Scotland and beyond we’re building a network of centres that take real pride in their work, so Alistair and his team are the perfect fit for that.”
Norman Kerr said: “Three months ago, Farmer Autocare joined Kerr’s Tyres Group and we said we’d expand fast. This acquisition is a significant milestone as we begin our expansion and welcome more great local businesses to our growing team.
“Hunters of Linlithgow is exactly the kind of business we want to bring into our group. It has skilled people, a loyal customer base and a commitment to doing things to the highest standards.”
Brailey added: “Since 1943 we’ve built a really special business in Hunters and our community knows it can rely on our brilliant team. We’ve seen great growth over the last few years under the ownership of John and Mairi Hunter.
“Joining Farmer Autocare is a really exciting opportunity for our team and our customers. Being part of a growing national network means we can keep delivering that high quality service while creating more prospects for our team.”
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