Two Inverness companies are under new ownership, with family-run furniture firm Ogilvies and a city centre serviced apartment business changing hands.
Ogilvies has been acquired for an undisclosed sum by Dundee-based furnishers Gillies after being run for more than 60 years by previous owner Michael MacAlistair’s family.
The new owners, who took over yesterday, said Ogilvies’ 12 employees would remain with the company following the sale, which included Westend Furniture, in Dingwall. They plan to refurbish Ogilvies’ Church Street store, in the centre of Inverness, next year.
Also a long-established family firm, Gillies, has a 50,000sq ft flagship store in Broughty Ferry, Dundee, with outlets in Aberdeen, Perth and Montrose and a workforce of 165.
Michael MacAlastair said: “We would like to thank our loyal and valued customers, as well as staff, for their support over the last 62 years.
“I’m pleased to have been able to hand the store over to a responsible company that will continue to grow on the current business and wish them every success in the future.”
Gillies will roll out its stock system to help link the Highland stores to the rest of the business. The firm’s managing director, Ian Philp, said business would continue as usual at Ogilvies.
Mr Philp said: “We are delighted to have completed the purchase of Ogilvies of Inverness and I would like to thank the MacAlistair family and staff of Ogilives for their support during the process.
“The company’s network and reach in the Highlands was very attractive to us and we look forward to introducing our exciting range of home furnishings to a new market in the north of Scotland.”
Founded by James Gillies 1895 as cabinetmakers, upholsterers and removal contractors, Gillies moved by into house furnishing in 1939 and is currently run by the fifth generation of the family.
Another deal announced yesterday has seen London-based luxury serviced apartments company Mansley acquire Highland Apartments, again for an undisclosed price.
Previously owned by husband and wife Robin and Amanda Murray, the business owns or manages 16 one and two-bedroom self catering flats in the former Highlands and Islands Enterprise headquarters building overlooking the River Ness and Inverness Castle.
Mansley also own London properties in Mayfair and Kensington and last year bought 28-apartment apart-hotel The Knight Residence, near Edinburgh Castle.
The firm’s chairman and chief executive, Sir Richard Rowley, said: “This is another important development in our company’s expansion and particularly appropriate that we now have a presence in the main city in the Scottish Highlands to complement our highly successful properties in London and Edinburgh.
“We expect great interest in Inverness too since serviced apartments offer more space and privacy than conventional hotels.”
