Kerr’s Tyres & Auto creates 20 new jobs in £2.5 million investment

Northern Ireland’s Kerr’s Tyres & Auto is investing£2.5 million in a new company HQ, featuring a distribution centre and retail centres. According to the company, the expansion project will create 20 jobs, bringing the total number of employees in the company to over 100.

The new facility, which is scheduled to be completed in August, will span 36,000 square feet, more than three-times the size of the company’s current headquarters. It will feature a purpose-built training facility to tackle growing skills shortages within the automotive industry, with emphasis on tyre fitting and light mechanical work.

Owned and managed by managing director Norman Kerr, the family-run business, which was established in 2002, operates nine tyre and auto services centres throughout Ireland. These include four in the Republic of Ireland following the acquisition of the Dublin-based Auto Tyre Services – previously owned by the Maher family – earlier this year and the opening of two additional centres in Donabate and Ballymount.

In late 2018, the firm acquired M&S Tyres in Enniskillen to increase its coverage in the west of the province.

“Our recent acquisitions and continued reinvestment in the company is part of an on-going growth strategy to operate from 20 sites throughout the UK and Ireland by 2022,” explained Norman Kerr.

“The development of our new headquarters will provide us with a suitable base from which we can continue to work towards these ambitious growth plans. As we continue to grow, so too does our need for suitably qualified and skilled staff. A major part of this investment is creating a site where we can recruit and train staff with the skills required to address the needs of our rapidly expanding business.”

Ryan Mawhinney, senior relationship Manager, Commercial Banking NI at Ulster Bank, said:

“While Kerr’s Tyres & Auto has been in business for almost two decades, it has expanded rapidly in recent years following sound investment and strategic acquisitions. Ulster Bank is pleased to have supported Norman and his team on this journey as the business continues to build on a reputation 17 years in the making.

“The new green-field site will provide the necessary infrastructure that will enable the business to maintain its growth in years to come. As one of the UK and Ireland’s largest tyre retail and distribution centres, and one that is committed to training and upskilling its own personnel, Kerr’s Tyres & Auto is well-positioned to attract new business throughout the UK, Ireland and further afield.”