One of Forfar”s oldest businesses is celebrating a milestone, just as it is witnessing the struggle facing the town’s high street.
The Angus town last week saw the unwelcome demise of the Poundmart store that had occupied the site of the former Woolworths.
However, across the road in Castle Street, David Irons & Sons Ltd is celebrating a century in its three-storey building and will mark the anniversary with this weekend’s opening of a garden showroom.
The seedsman and ironmongers business dates from 1840, when the business was established in East High Street.
It moved to Petrie’s Temperance Hotel, the subject of a two-year conversion in 1908, and has been there since. Five years ago, the business was sold to the Earl of Strathmore and Kinghorne.
The firm will open a garden store on the building’s top floor, in what Lord Strathmore said was a continuing attempt to keep trade in the town.
“Trade has held up well and I am delighted that we can continue to play our part in a successful Forfar high street, because that is what is so important to towns such as this,” he said.
“Irons is an important part of Forfar’s economy, and this latest development of the business is an attempt to keep shoppers in the town and ensure the continuing fightback of the town centre against the problems which have hit many places.
“The history of the company is well-known and, particularly after the last couple of years, to celebrate the centenary of Irons in this premises is quite something.
“It also coincides with the launch of our website, www.davidirons.co.uk, which is a great step forward for us,” he said, adding. “It was put together by CASWeb Solutions here in Forfar, and keeping business local is as important now as when this firm was founded.”