Scottish multi-franchise group Macrae & Dick has posted profits and turnover figures for 2004 well up on the previous year. Turnover at the Inverness-based firm rose £1.5m to £127.2m while pre-tax profits climbed by £150,000 to £2.25m.

Managing director Andy Grzesinski says the performance is down to group-wide cost savings and greater focus on service.

“We’ve adopted a more unified approach,” he says. “We opened a call centre at Inverness with a staff of eight dedicated to customer follow-up. It’s been incredibly successful in easing the strain on busy service departments by taking over the task of reminding people about overdue service dates and the like.”

The group is concentrating on staff development and has employed a human resources manager for the first time. It has also invested £3.5m in new showrooms for Ford in Perth and Jaguar at Inverness, with both achieving increased footfall.

The group has its main presence in Inverness with franchises for Jaguar, Mazda, Land Rover, Honda and MG Rover. Its other Scottish toehold is in Stirling where it owns Menzies BMW.

Grzesinski says car sales in the first two months of 2005 have been slower than last year but the 05 plate arrival in March saw the group achieve budgeted targets.

Macrae & Dick has held a franchise for MG Rover and its predecessors for 89 years. It continues to provide parts and servicing for the failed marque.