1st February 2012

BRIDPORT: New era for Bridport garage

By Paul Crompton

EIGHT new jobs have been secured after a Bridport garage rose from the ashes of a former business.

Motorwell Limited is celebrating its first month in operation after opening on the Southgate car dealership site.

The new business has re-employed six of the 11 staff that lost their jobs when the previous car dealership company went into administration last November.

A further two jobs have also been created by new owners Adrian Haylett and Graham Elliott, who run a similar car dealership in Yeovil.

But despite familiar faces manager David Thompson said it was important to understand the new dealership was a completely different business.

Former Southgate employee Mr Thompson was taken on at the new business as dealer principle.

He said: “Everybody was given the opportunity to come back, it was just whether they excepted the terms on the table.

“There was also a little bit of nervousness as well; one individual had been with us 17 years and to have their livelihood taken away was a shock. There was a feeling of from the frying pan into the fire.

“But from personal experience the new owners have done everything I’ve asked of them and are fully supportive and given us a new opportunity and that needs to be emphasised.

“Equally the people of Bridport should know the new owners’ vision is to turn it into the local garage for people to come to when they are looking for a brand new car, a second hand one or a service.”

The owners of Motorwell Ltd moved quickly to secure the site ahead of two other competitors when administrators stepped in last October, with a deal being struck within a week of the old business folding, said Mr Thompson.

He said: “Bridport always hit sales targets and is in such a prominent site in the area, it really was a no brainer. There were three parties interested in acquiring the site but Adrian and Graham were quickest of the mark.”

He added: “I’m very conscious of the situation; the last business was lost so we are starting afresh. We want to bring customers back and re-build confidence with them because they saw the previous business close before their eyes.”

The previous dealership was part of the Southgate Motor Group, which went under in November 2011.

Bournemouth-based corporate recovery specialists Begbies Traynor were appointed administrators.

Motorwell Ltd agreed a new lease with the landlord and bought the company assets on the site from the administrators.

PICTURE: SME FACE, NEW BUSINESS - Dealer principle David Thompson is leading his team at Motorwell Ltd into a new era