The Courier & Advertiser (Perth and Perthshire Edition)
Student’ s love for city led to car firm move
The managing director of a firm bringing 20 jobs in Dundee says his student daughter played a key role in his decision to come to the city.
Carmoney will open its first regional sales and administration office in Dundee in response to rising consumer demand.
The Motherwell company already employs 128 people, up from 71 a year ago.
It will initially bring 20 jobs to Dundee with more growth expected.
Managing director Alastair Grier said he knew that Dundee has a skilled workforce, but what tipped his decision to expand to the city was his student daughter Emmeline.
Mr Grier said: “We have chosen Dundee as our next operational base because we know there is a great workforce there and we want to attract the best to our dynamic operation.
“On a personal note, my daughter, Emmeline, is currently a student in Dundee and is full of enthusiasm for the city and its people.
“I won’t deny that this has had a bearing on my thinking to locate our next operation here.”
Carmoney is a broker which compares UK lenders for car finance.
Its partners include ebay Motors Group, Exchange and Mart, and appears on comparison sites such as Confused.com.
The company added 300 new dealers to its network in 2021 and it oversaw the sale of 3,949 vehicles in the
first three months of the year.
Peter Vardy, the managing director of the motor group, has a financial interest.
He is a person with “significant influence or control”, according to Companies House.
The Dundee Carmoney operation will be based at the Peter Vardy Group’s
Carz site in Dunsinane Industrial Estate.
Mr Grier said: “We are steadily carving out a bigger and bigger share of a strong marketplace throughout the United Kingdom.”
He added: “We continue to disrupt the market by applying technology to take away the discomfort of buying a car.
“We have noticed more and more customers applying for finance before looking specifically at cars in their quest to clarify the monthly payments and how much they can afford to borrow.
“This may be an early manifestation of a developing cost of living awareness,” Mr Grier said.