An Angus couple loved riding a trike so much on holiday they looked to buy their own – but found no dealerships in Scotland.
Gordon Carr and Ellie Whitehead ended up buying their trike – best described as a motorbike with three wheels – from England.
But the germ of a business idea was revving up inside their heads.
Gordon had retired from working in the oil industry for more than 20 years while Ellie is a self-employed investor. They were looking for a new challenge.
Ellie recalls: “We think there’s a gap in the market for a trike dealership in Scotland – we had to go to Derbyshire to buy ours.
“So we have established Rewaco Trikes Scotland in Brechin.
“We also been on trike tours abroad and they are just fantastic. With the scenery of Angus, we just thought they would be ideal.
“And then we thought, if people are coming on a tour, possibly buying a trike, then they’ll need a cup of coffee – so we are opening a snack bar as well.”
£200,000 investment
The Kirriemuir pair, both 59, have been renovating premises on Montrose Road since the end of last year.
Such is interest in the eye-catching trikes on the forecourt, they have even made their first sales before the business officially opens on April 1.
They are awaiting a licence from Angus Council to conduct trike tours and are putting the finishing touches to the café.
They have invested around £200,000 on the venture.
“We’ve been on the project for 12 hours a day since September,” said Gordon.
“The response from people seeing the trikes outside has been unbelievable. We are blown away by the interest.
“There has been so much work on the premises and we’ve used as many local tradespeople as possible.
“We’ve even used Maison Dieu Coffee Roasters to create our own blend of coffee.”
Wide range of customers
Rewaco is working in association with North of England dealer The Trike Guy for its supply of vehicles.
New trikes can cost as much as £36,000 though the business will also sell used models.
“Trikes are larger than motorbikes and much more stable but you’re still in the open air,” Gordon adds.
“There’s a huge variety of potential customers including people looking for something a bit safer than a motorbike and people with restricted mobility.
“A passenger can sit on the back of a trike and the tours are an essential element for us as it gives people the experience.
“We are planning tours to Cairn o’Mount, Braemar, Glen Clova, Stonehaven.”
Hope trikes will benefit Angus
The couple feel Rewaco has the potential to attract customers and visitors from all over Scotland.
Their hope is that other businesses in the area will benefit.
Ellie said: “The most experienced company in the UK is Yorkshire Trike Tours and we had a long chat.
“They stressed the impact they have on the local economy because people do come from a long way away.
“People might book a tour and stay in the locality the night before and night after. It has quite a knock on effect. I think that would be welcome in Brechin.”
