Family-run dealership to open first Dundee site thanks to £3m funding boost – Scottish Business News

A family-owned and operated Ford dealership group has expanded into Dundee with Dundee Ford Centre thanks to a £3m investment from Royal Bank of Scotland.

Dalkeith Retail Centre Ltd T/A Your Ford Centre will use the funding to purchase its fifth site which will see the firm become Dundee’s main Ford franchise, highlighting its commitment to delivering exceptional automotive services to a growing customer base across Scotland.

The family-run business is headed up by founders William and Janina Short who are supported by their sons David, Ian and Marek, grandson Ben, Sales Director Derek Thomson and Aftersales Director Graeme Salmond. Under the Short family’s leadership, Your Ford Centre has outlets in Cupar, Peebles, Dalkeith and Kirkcaldy and employs over 100 staff, with the new site in Dundee creating an additional 20 jobs.

The investment will facilitate the purchase and refit of the Dundee premises ahead of its opening in 2024. Dundee Ford Centre will sell new and used cars, used commercial vans as well as offering full workshop facilities.

As a business with strong community values at its core, Your Ford Centre recently ran a fundraising drive for the My Name’5 Doddie foundation, raising over £5000 for the charity by cycling 3000km in the space of 7 days with the help of staff, customers and the community.

David Short, Managing Director of Dalkeith Retail Centre, said: “We are incredibly proud to expand our presence in Scotland with the launch of our new Dundee dealership, which is testament to the hard work and dedication of our entire team.

“As a family business, we’re built on trust – something which has been central to our longstanding history with Royal Bank of Scotland since the early days of W&J Short. We’ve worked together for over five decades now and their support and advice has played an integral part in our growth so far.”

Mark Goodall, Relationship Manager at Royal Bank of Scotland, added: “David and the rest of the team have built a hugely successful business from the ground up and it’s been a privilege to help them on that journey. 

“With a reputation for offering exceptional customer service across their other four dealerships, this new site marks an exciting new chapter in the growth of Dalkeith Retail Group by enabling them to become Dundee’s main Ford franchise.”

To find out more about the support Royal Bank of Scotland provides to businesses to grow and scale, click here.