A Broughty Ferry industrial supply business set up 15 years ago is being sold as its owner plans to retire.
Iain Horne launched Broughty Industrial Supplies, which supplies welding and industrial equipment across Tayside, Fife and the north-east, in 2008.
Over the years, it has grown to annual sales of more than £250,000.
With the business well-established, Iain says he feels the time is right to hand over to someone else.
He said: “I’ll be 65 at the end of the year, so that’s one factor behind the decision.
“I’ve also got arthritis in my hands and while it doesn’t give me too many problems, it isn’t going to go away or get any better.”
Finding right buyer for Broughty Industrial Supplies
Iain, who had originally planned to retire at 60, said he has been mulling over the decision to sell up for a couple of years.
However, he said he wants to find the right person to take over.
“It would be ideal to find someone who is based in or around Dundee – or Tayside – to take over.
“There’s no point me just taking the money and I find someone can’t do it. That is not what I want.
“It’s not everybody’s cup of tea, but you’ve just got to be able to speak to people. It’s not rocket science.”
If a suitable buyer does not materialise, the 64-year-old hasn’t ruled out closing the business.
He added: “It might be a case of winding it all down in a year or so, but I don’t want to do that.
“There’s a lot of work gone in to get the business to where it is. It would be a shame to just bin it.
“It’s just trying to find the right person to keep it going.”
‘Robust’ sales boosted during Covid
Scottish Business Centre is marketing the business for offers over £60,000.
The sales brochure says trading levels have been “robust” and even saw a boost during Covid.
“We had to work differently,” Iain said.
“The farming sector remained open when everything else stopped, so I was able to order parts and have them delivered direct by the supplier.
“Or people were coming to me and collecting parts.
“It kept things ticking over – if we hadn’t done that it would’ve been a disaster.”
The marketing information also describes Broughty Industrial Supplies as “ideal for larger company as a bolt-on opportunity or single operator”.
It adds: “Typically focusing on the welding sector whilst still catering for other light engineering requirements, our client has built up a sizeable and loyal base of customers who vary greatly in sector.”
