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There is shock in Grantown after the closure was confirmed of a branch of the UK’s largest builders’ merchant.
Travis Perkins on the town’s Woodlands Industrial Estate is to shut its doors soon.
Less than two years ago the Strathspey outfit was winning accolades as the company’s sub-regional branch of the year award for North Scotland for ‘thinking big’.
A spokesperson for Travis Perkins told the Strathy: “We have taken the decision not to renew the lease at our Grantown-on-Spey Travis Perkins branch.
“Our colleagues are aware of this decision, and we’ve entered into a consultation process with them.
“We remain committed to our customers and the local community and hope to welcome them at our Elgin or Inverness branches for all their building supplies and materials.”
It is not yet clear how many staff will be affected.
Saturday will see a farewell party for employees.
A social media post said the awesome team from Travis Perkins was holding a farewell party.
It will take place at the Ben Mhor Hotel starting at 7pm on Saturdays.
A general invite stated: “We would love all our customers past and present to join us to raise a glass and share some memories before the signs come down for good!”
The Grantown branch was picked out for its performance at the company’s awards made at the firm’s conference in 2022.
At the time a spokesperson for the company, the UK’s largest distributor of materials to the construction sector, said: “The prestigious award was presented to the team due to their great work.
“The team was recognised for their outstanding customer service, their ability to win new customers, and for the successful implementation of a new Local Delivery Tracking Service which allows customers to book a two-hour delivery window and track their delivery in real-time.
“They also offer a rapid one hour click and collect turnaround proposition enabled by the app, which helps customers to save time and work smarter with the ability to check stock on the go, all of which has resulted in outstanding sales and satisfied customers.”
Patricia Hendry, regional director for Travis Perkins, noted at the time: “The team has what must be one of the most challenging builders merchants yards in Travis Perkins.
“They had to clear snow from that yard every day last winter until early March while facing the usual challenges of working on a small and multi-cambered yard with sloping gradients.
“Despite the challenges of the site and the climate, they remain cheerful and proactive.
“Over the course of the year, the team acquired new customers, introduced new renewable products, and raised their safety standards while revamping the branch and yard.
“For a small branch in the middle of the mountains – they thought big.”
At one time the company boasted a network of 560 branches and 300 tool-hire outlets, supplying thousands of product lines to trade professionals and self-builders across the nation.
Travis Perkins plc’s HQ is in Northampton.
It is listed on the London Stock Exchange, and is a constituent of the FTSE 250 Index. Through its Toolstation subsidiary, the group also has operations in mainland Europe.