UA buy-out gets a grip on three further sites

Published on Tuesday 9 February 2010 18:04

UNITED Auctions, one of Scotland's main auction companies, has continued its management buy-out policy, taking control of three of their operational sites in the north, North-east and west of Scotland.

The acquisitions of Huntly and Lairg auction markets and lairage facilities at Oban are the culmination of the company's three-year plan, marking the third anniversary of the management buy-out of the business from property development company Elphinstone.

Lairg mart in Sutherland hosts three important sales each year, including the famous August sale of North Country Cheviot lambs, which is one of the largest in Europe. Although it is very much a seasonal market, UA's management team are exploring options for a potential upgrade.

Huntly auction mart, which is well situated in the heart of stock-rich Aberdeenshire, offers a service to farmers in North-east Scotland and has seen its sale team strengthened in the past two years with the addition of three members of staff. It has already benefited from a 350,000 investment in 2006 that included an extension to the mart building for new offices and a 70-seat caf as well as new IT equipment and electronic display boards.

The area office and lairage facility at Oban provide an essential link in serving the west of Scotland, including livestock trailers to ferry animals to and from the sales at Dalmally mart and the Western Isles. Its sales team has also been extended with the appointment of Gaelic-speaking Niall McKinnon in 2008.

The new acquisitions add to the outright purchase of Dalmally auction mart in 2008 and its subsequent 250,000 upgrade last year.

Speaking from the Stirling Agricultural Centre which forms the main base of the company, David Leggat MBE, executive chairman of UA, said the purchase of the three sites would ensure their long-term future.