Farmer Autocare sale: Scottish tyre chain employing 200 people bought by expanding Northern Irish group

Kerr’s Tyres Group has bought Farmer Autocare, which operates 21 sites across Scotland, employing almost 200 people, for an undisclosed amount.

Farmer Autocare will continue to operate in Scotland under its existing management team, led by managing director Colin McNeill, its new owner confirmed.

Kerr’s Tyres Group was founded in 2002 by Norman Kerr in Antrim and has grown into a business with 27 retail sites, a large commercial tyre business and a tyre distribution operation. The retail side has a strong customer service focus providing tyres, services, maintenance and repair across Ireland.

Over the next five years, Kerr’s plans to expand to 250 sites throughout the UK. Backed by its investor, Chiltern Capital, this expansion will be achieved by acquiring “industry leading” businesses such as Farmer Autocare, to create a national chain of centres.

A spokesperson for the Farmer family said: “The Farmer Autocare business has been built and grown on the key principles that Sir Tom Farmer brought to the car maintenance and servicing sector over his 60 years in the business. Look after your customers by offering good value with excellent customer service and look after your people by giving them quality jobs and great opportunities.

“When Kerr’s Tyres Group approached us we quickly recognised a shared belief in how our businesses should operate and a natural fit between the two organisations. We also saw an opportunity to accelerate the expansion plans that were already in place for Farmer Autocare.

“There are tremendous prospects ahead for Farmer Autocare under the guidance of an experienced owner such as Norman Kerr with ambitious plans. This will be good for Scottish motorists and good for all colleagues at Farmer Autocare.”

Norman Kerr, founder and chief executive of Kerr’s Tyres Group, said: “Farmer Autocare is an exceptional business, built on genuine care for customers and colleagues, values that very much mirror our own.

“We aim to continue delivering what makes Farmer Autocare so successful and share those best practices across Kerr’s Tyres Group, while providing operational scale to both businesses.

“Having worked for Sir Tom Farmer much earlier in my career, it is an absolute privilege to build on what he created and help the team thrive for decades to come.

“Community matters to both of us and we understand the responsibility that comes with serving customers who rely on us every day.”

McNeill added: “This is an incredibly exciting day for us all in Farmer Autocare. The Kerr’s Tyres Group investment creates tremendous opportunities for our people.

“Their ambitious growth plans for our already successful business will mean we expand our centres even faster and offer our great value for money service to even more Scottish customers.”

Sir Tom Farmer passed away last year. The Edinburgh-born businessman Kwik Fit into the world’s largest independent tyre and automotive chain, selling it to Ford for some £1 billion in 1999.