Peoples Ford sales rise 22% 06 | 05 | 2014

SCOTLAND'S LARGEST FORD dealership group, Edinburgh-based Peoples, has reported a 22% rise in sales. As a result the company, led by chairman Brian Gilda (pictured), is on course breakthrough the £200 million turnover barrier this year.

Peoples employs more than 400 people at seven dealerships in Scotland and the north-west of England, at Edinburgh, Falkirk, Livingston, Bootle, Prescot, Liverpool and Accrington.

And after reporting a doubling of profits — they rose to £4.047 million on turnover which grew by £39.16m to £185.9m (26.7%) — in his last full 12-months accounts issued on July 31 last year, the most recent six months has seen the family-owned company continue to grow.

However, Gilda was quick to emphasise that despite the growth in sales and turnover, profit is expected 'to remain flat".

"Fortunately we have continued to grow our shares in the markets we operate in," Gilda, who admitted models such as the Fiesta and Focus had done particularly well, explained.

And while he detailed that that sales of both new and older used cars were "going well", he also admitted that sales of used cars less than 12-months old were slower.

But as construction activity continues to rise across the UK, and companies such as builders continue to gain more confidence in the economy's recovery, Gilda stated: "We're seeing a significant increase in commercial vehicles sales."

Related: New higher-specced Fiesta ST on-sale

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Jim McGill