New buy for Bloods
A NUMBER of Geelong businesses will welcome a new breed of worker into the office to mark International Take Your Dog to Work Day today.
But at the Cotton On Support Centre, canine colleagues are a year-round feature, with more than 1000 dogs visiting the North Geelong site annually.
The science behind fourlegged-friendly workplaces suggests pets’ presence drives down stress levels and boosts mood and morale.
Cotton On Group head of global communications, wellness and workplace Greer McCracken said the pet-friendly policy fitted with the “fun and flexible work environment”.
“The dogs encourage team members to create relationships with people they may not ordinarily interact with and to regularly get away from their desks,” he said.
“Dogs have been visiting our office for over six years now. At the moment we have about 1000 visits each year and we look forward to many more.” THE Blood Motor Group has bought the Winter & Taylor car dealership, with the new owners saying they will operate it as an independent business.
Former Winter & Taylor owner James Morphy retains ownership of the Mercer St property, for which he has development plans over the next two to four years.
He will also keep the Isuzu trucks business in Corio.
Blood Group managing director Sean Blood confirmed the purchase of Winter & Taylor’s Mercer St business, which includes Holden and Kia dealerships and employs about 70 people in sales and service on site.
“It is business as usual for Winter & Taylor. They will continue to operate independently,” Mr Blood said.
“All Winter & Taylor staff are to be retained.”
Winter & Taylor dealer principal Ben Cowan will continue to manage the business.
The Blood Group also operates a separate Holden dealership, having previously acquired Smiths Holden.
Winter & Taylor, which was established in Geelong in 1908, has traded from its Mercer St site since 1974. It has been owned by the Morphy family since 1981 — the past 16 years by James Morphy.
Mr Morphy, who is now heavily involved in property development including the Miramar complex in Cavendish St, said there was an element of emotion in the sale, given a family association with the business dating to the early 1950s, when his grandfather was managing director.
“It just makes sense … everyone saw I was getting into the property side of things,” he said.
He said he was approached by many potential buyers.
“I chose the Bloods for basically staff reasons,” he said. “I thought they were the best fit for our current business.”
He said Winter & Taylor remained one of the top-performing Holden dealers in the state.
Mr Morphy said he had four sites in Mercer St that would be released for sale over the next two to four years.