AVC PR Partnership

Aberdeen Motoring Solutions (AMS) business has joined the John Clark Motor Group, as the result of a deal concluded by the Aberdeen-based motor group. As a specialist in corporate and internet sales, AMS will strengthen the group’s position in this growing sector of the market.

AMS was established by Andy Smith in 2000 and provides vehicle supply and management services to a broad base of both local and national customers. It has also developed a range of vehicle finance packages which are marketed throughout the UK on the internet.

Commenting on the deal, John Clark, Chairman and Managing Director of the John Clark Motor Group, said:

“Having spent the last few years personally developing the AMS business, Andy’s specialist knowledge in corporate and internet sales, along with contract hire and fleet management services, are unrivalled in the East of Scotland.

“That is why I am delighted that we have reached agreement for him to rejoin the group and use his skills to develop this sector of our business. He will also be able use the group’s strength of resources to take AMS to the next level.

“The AMS brand and experience in this market place will help us to achieve our growth targets. This is part of a wider strategy to strengthen our corporate vehicle sales, finance and management business. The intention is to grow our business by more than 500 vehicles in the coming year and, thereby, to increase our turnover by £10 million.

“We are currently an East of Scotland group, which predominantly sells to private buyers. With AMS on board we will be looking to expand our operations, in terms of both geography and customer base.”

Andy Smith (45), founder and Managing Director of AMS, rejoins the John Clark Motor Group as Group Corporate Sales Manager. He started his career in the motor trade in 1979, initially serving his time as a workshop technician, before working with dealerships in the Aberdeen area as a specialist in corporate vehicle sales. He founded AMS in 2000.

In his new role he will take on multi-franchise support and sales alongside his responsibility for the AMS business and co-ordination of the John Clark Motor Group-branded vehicle leasing operation.

The John Clark Motor Group recently announced record results for its 2007 financial year (ended December 31, 2007), with turnover up 17% on the previous record at £258 million with new and use vehicle sales close to 12,000. Now with 12 sites stretching from Edinburgh to Aberdeen, the group is established as Scotland’s fourth largest motor trade group and within the top 30 across the UK.

Andy Smith & John Clark

CAPTION: Andy Smith of AMS (left) with John Clark, Chairman and Managing Director of the John Clark Motor Group.

Forfar-based Balhousie Care Group has recently received an order of 15 Minis for its care managers and other key staff.
The cars, 14 manual Mini Cooper Diesels and one automatic Mini Cooper Diesel, were chosen due to their suitability for the group’s managers, who cover many miles a day as the Group’s homes are situated across Scotland.
Also important in the choice of fleet car is the Mini’s efficiency, as Balhousie Care Group Director Andrew Morgan comments,
“There are many issues to consider when choosing a fleet car and the Mini proved the most suitable option for our managers for a number of reasons. Not only does it suit in and out of town driving and is easy to manoeuvre, it is also a very environmentally friendly car.”
The Mini Diesel is one of the greenest cars currently on the market benefiting from a significant improvement in both fuel consumption and emissions. 72.4mpg is achievable from the Cooper 1.6-litre, 4 cylinder, 16V engine, with CO2 emissions now 104g/km.

“We have looked into various ways of developing a more environmentally friendly work ethic and due to the wide geographical spread of our homes, fuel efficiency is important.  The nature of our work means we have to be able to cover a number of miles a day and in some cases we have to react quickly to incidents – for that reason the Mini again proved to be the best option for us,” continues Andrew.
With the Mini becoming a more popular fleet car, Colin Gourlay of John Clark BMW, Tayside adds,
“The Mini is an excellent fleet car. Not only is it practical and fuel efficient, it’s also a really attractive car that our clients’ employees love to drive. Also, the servicing and maintenance that is offered with Mini means it is a cost effective choice which does not leave the customer out of pocket when it comes time to change, update or upgrade vehicles.”
“The Mini Clubman is also becoming a more popular choice for a fleet car as it is still very efficient but with the extra space is a far more flexible car.”
John Clark Tayside is currently expanding with a dedicated Mini Dealership due to open at its Rutherford Road site later this year.

The John Clark Motor Group has bucked the recent motortrade trend by announcing record results for its 2007 financial year (ended December 31, 2007). The announcement comes just weeks after the group’s Chairman and Managing Director John Clark received a Scottish Autotrader lifetime achievement award.

The all-time record turnover of £258 million represents a 17% year-on-year growth with sales of new and used vehicles close to 12,000. The profit figure will be finalised after the year-end audit, but the group expects a figure approaching £2 million.

Against a UK background of near-static sales volumes and falling profitability, the John Clark Motor Group achieved a 6% growth in new car sales. A particular focus on used car sales resulted in a 17% growth compared to 2006. Service department sales grew by 13% to £10 million, while the vehicle parts business increased by 18% to £15.5 million.

Commenting on the results, John Clark, Chairman and Managing Director of the John Clark Motor Group said:

“While the on-going strength of the oil sector within the Grampian economy was a key factor, all of our operations in Aberdeen, Dundee, Kirkcaldy and Edinburgh made progress. The fourth quarter did show some signs of an economic slowdown, due to reduced consumer confidence, but our results held up well overall.

“The strong results were helped by major investments in 2006, with new state-of-the-art facilities for our Aberdeen Audi and Dundee Audi dealerships. We also added Specialist Cars SEAT to our dealerships during the year, giving us the full line up of Volkswagen mainstream brands in Aberdeen.

“This programme of investment, combined with a strengthened management team at both operational and financial levels, contributed to the 2007 results. Despite a slowdown in April, the first four months of 2008 show that we are in line with our budget. Overall results continue to be ahead of those for 2007.

“During 2008 we are committed to making further substantial investments at our John Clark BMW and Mini dealerships in Aberdeen and Dundee, as well as expanding our Pentland Land Rover dealership in Edinburgh. We are also planning to develop our Volkswagen van business in Edinburgh and Dundee and our Volkswagen car franchise in Fife.

“At the same time, we are progressing a couple of potential acquisitions, meaning that we are looking at another busy year for the group, which is established as Scotland’s fourth largest motor trade group and within the top 30 across the UK.

“As a wholly family-owned company, we believe that turnover means nothing in itself. We operate a management structure that allows each of our dealer principals to run the day-to-day aspects of the business autonomously. This helps to ensure that they focus on meeting the needs of their customers.”

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For further information:

Ken McEwen
AVC PR Partnership
Tel 01224 248007
DD 01224 216067
Mobile 07768 105449
ken@prpartnership.co.uk

ISSUED ON BEHALF OF THE JOHN CLARK MOTOR GROUP BY
AVC  PR PARTNERSHIP LTD

NOTES FOR EDITORS:

John Clark (60) started his first motortrade business in 1968 with a business partnership in Edinburgh, expanding into Aberdeen in 1972. In 1977, he bought out the Aberdeen business and opened the first John Clark BMW dealership.

John Clark (Holdings) Limited is wholly owned by John Clark and Deidre Clark, along with their son, Christopher, and daughter, Victoria Reid – who both work within the business.

From twelve sites, the group’s current dealerships are:

BMW Aberdeen and Dundee
Mini Aberdeen and Dundee
BMW Motorcycles Aberdeen and Dundee
Volkswagen cars Aberdeen and Kirkcaldy
Volkswagen vans Aberdeen and Edinburgh
Audi Aberdeen and Dundee
Skoda Aberdeen
SEAT Aberdeen
Land Rover Edinburgh

The John Clark Motor Group also operates White Flag Assistance, a vehicle rental company associated with accident damage repairs, and a specialised mini-bus division, which trades as Commercial Vehicle Innovation (CVI). CVI is a UK wide operation, which is attracting growing business, particularly from local councils, but also from some major vehicle rental companies.

AVC Media Enterprises will see its sports production team travel to Birmingham’s NEC as the official filming partner for the Grass Roots Football LIVE event from Friday, May 30 to Sunday, June 1.

AVC’s sports production team will film top football names at the event throughout coaching seminars, presentations and skills zones. Famous attendees include former England managers Steve McLaren and Graham Taylor and recent FA Cup winning manager Harry Redknapp. AVC will primarily be responsible for the creation of an educational and promotional Grass Roots DVD and the filming of other exhibitors at the event.

AVC Media Enterprises will host a stand at the event, giving attendees the opportunity to find out about services offered by the sports production team and their innovative TactFOOT technology. This coaching software allows football coaches to develop drills, set plays, exercises and analyse game situations.

Matthew Liddell, sports production manager at AVC achieved official filming partnership for the event:

“This is a significant opportunity for AVC Media Enterprises as we join big name exhibitors at one of the largest grass roots football events in the UK. Our sports production team will work together with Grass Roots Football LIVE to create an inspirational DVD which will create further exposure and promote next years event.

“AVC’s sports productions team has worked with a variety of sporting organisations and has over 25 years experience in the industry, including behind the scenes and tactical filming at the last four World Cup football tournaments. We understand the needs and demands of filming an exhibition of this nature, having provided productions and programming at major sporting events. AVC’s sports production team is looking forward to working alongside some of football’s top names at the event.”

Bob Rosen, managing director for Grass Roots Football LIVE comments:

“There will be a wealth of activity throughout the weekend’s event, with many iconic figures sharing skills and knowledge with attending football enthusiasts. It is essential that we capture every activity, including professional interview footage and knew we needed a team capable to do just this.

“We selected AVC Media Enterprises as the official filming partner as they have a fresh and innovative approach to professional sports productions and have a vast portfolio of professional filming experience. We look forward to meeting the full team and to their contributions at the event.”

AVC Media Enterprises will film exhibitors such as The FA, Man Utd Soccer Schools, Arsenal Ladies and Nike as demonstrations, interviews, coaching sessions and other entertainment takes place.

For more information on AVC’s sports productions and TactFOOT technology visit www.avcmedia.com or call 01224 248007.

View full details of the Grass Roots Football LIVE event at www.grassrootsfootball.co.uk

John Clark, Chairman and Managing Director of Scotland’s John Clark Motor Group has been named as winner of the lifetime achievement award in the Scottish Autotrader Awards.

The lifetime achievement award recognises John Clark’s successes over more than 40 years in the motor trade in Scotland:

• starting as a management trainee with Ford
• establishing his first car sales business initially operating from an Edinburgh flat
• building the John Clark Motor Group to a projected turnover of £300 million, with 13 dealerships and 600 employees.

The John Clark Motor Group is now established as one of Scotland’s top three motor dealership groups and in the top 30 across the UK. It operates businesses from Edinburgh, through Kirkcaldy and Dundee to Aberdeen.

Commenting on the lifetime achievement award, John Clark said:

“It really is a great honour to receive this award from the industry that I have been in all my working life.

“From the beginning of my career with Ford, then developing and growing my own business, I have maintained a belief in a simple formula for success. If we have the right products, combined with high levels of customer satisfaction, we will stand out in a hard-fought market.”

The award was collected, on behalf of John Clark, by his daughter Victoria Reid who, along with her brother Christopher Clark, represents the next generation working in the family business.

It was during his school days at Stewart’s Melville College in Edinburgh that John Clark developed his vision. In an era when garage businesses were often sparse and dingy, John dreamt of immaculate premises, where uniformed staff courteously dealt with customers, attending to all their motoring needs.

It was also at this time that he developed his enthusiasm for motor sport. He was brought up just a few hundred yards from the premises of Scotland’s famous Ecurie Ecosse racing team and was used to drivers like Jim Clark, Jackie Stewart and Ron Flockhart as the team prepared for their next races.

At the age of 17, John Clark joined Ford’s management trainee programme. Then, in 1967 he took the first major step towards his own motor trade business with the establishment of Lothian Sports Cars. Initially operating from his business partner’s flat, the business expanded, acquiring the franchise for Reliant Scimitar sports cars, Lotus, then Aston Martin, before opening a branch in Aberdeen in 1972.

In 1977, realising the entrepreneur’s desire to be in control, John Clark bought out his partner’s interest in Aberdeen and, with the BMW franchise secured, the first John Clark BMW dealership opened its doors.

Over the years the BMW franchise – which the John Clark Motor Group represents in Aberdeen and Dundee – has been joined by Volkswagen, Audi, Skoda, Seat, Mini and Land Rover. The John Clark Motor Group companies now also include Commercial Vehicle Innovations, producers of specially adapted buses to meet the latest disabled access regulations.

John Clark’s motor sport career has run in parallel with the motor trade. Regular saloon car races built up to a first full season driving in the prestigious British Touring Car Championship in 1988. More recently he has switched to compete in classic and historic car races at circuits such as Spa-Francorchamps, Monaco and Macao.

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Attached Image 1

CAPTION: John Clark (right), Chairman and Managing Director of the John Clark Motor Group, with son Christopher (left) and daughter Victoria Reid, in front of the John Clark BMW dealership in Aberdeen.

Pentland Land Rover, Lanark Road, Edinburgh is to hand over a four wheel drive Land Rover Discovery to the Scottish SPCA, specifically intended to pull the charity’s horse ambulance.

The partnership between Pentland Land Rover and the SSPCA sees the charity receive an ex-demonstrator, 2.7 litre TDV6 vehicle, important to the registered charity who receives no government or lottery funding. Without such partnerships, the charity would struggle to provide fast and immediate care to horses throughout Scotland.

Pentland Land Rover’s Dealer Principle, Keith Hamilton comments,

“The Scottish SPCA work tirelessly to rescue, treat and re-home a variety of animals across Scotland. Here at Pentland Land Rover we recognised the charity’s need for a strong robust vehicle that was practical on the road, as well as off. The Land Rover Discovery fits this remit perfectly.”

“Land Rover provides sponsorship for a variety of horsing events throughout Britain and Pentland Land Rover is pleased to be able to help with the treatment of sick or injured horses in our area.”

Ranked as a top ten Scottish charity by the Scottish Charity Engagement Monitor, the SSPCA depends on public donations, corporate sponsorship and fundraising events to continue to care, treat, re-home and release thousands of animals every year.

Sarah-Jane Friedman, Corporate Partnership Executive for the SSPCA comments on Pentland Land Rover’s donation,

“Pentland Land Rover’s support continues to make it possible for us to rescue and transport sick or injured horses throughout Scotland. The ambulance, fitted with specialist equipment, enables Scottish SPCA Inspectors to safely move horses that are still able to travel. The unit is an essential facility, attending many events involving horses such as racing days and the Edinburgh Military Tattoo.

“We often have to act quickly to save a horses life and with our new Land Rover, we can rely on its ability to safely pull our horse ambulance. We rescue horses, often from remote locations that are notoriously difficult to access. Without a reliable vehicle, built to pull heavy loads and that can drive off-road with ease, rescue is often very difficult. We would like to express our appreciation to Pentland Land Rover and we look forward to saving the lives of more horses thanks to their kind donation.”

The Scottish SPCA, established in 1839 now responds to over 100,000 calls a year, reporting forms of animal cruelty. The charity exists to prevent cruelty to animals, large and small, promoting kindness and humanity in their treatment. The charity has ten rescue and re-homing centres across Scotland caring for wildlife as well as domestic pets.

The Discovery, branded with two Pentland Land Rover logos is equipped with Land Rover’s Terrain Response System, providing the driver with expert settings for all driving conditions.

The Edinburgh dealership offers a range of new and approved used Land Rovers as well as demonstrators. A wide range of genuine Land Rover accessories including toys and clothing are also available.

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Aberdeen based AVC Media Enterprises has successfully supplied over £2,300 Audiovisual equipment free of charge to students of The Robert Gordon University (RGU), in support of an innovative campaign to raise funds for local cancer support charity CLAN.

AVC’s Audiovisual team worked closely with students of RGU’s Business School for three months on an ongoing basis in preparation of the carnival themed fashion show, with skilled technicians helping to plan, create, install and manage the project to a professional standard. Culminating in excess of £6,450 being raised, the fashion show was an astounding success, and underlined the materials, equipment and technical expertise available at AVC.

Daniel Baker, AVC Audiovisual Technician comments: “We were approached by the university to supply and install equipment for the event and decided instantly it was something we wanted to get involved in. CLAN is an independent charity which offers invaluable support to those affected by cancer in the North of Scotland, and we were thrilled to be offered the chance to help raise funds and awareness for such an important cause. Continuing Daniel explained:

“Initially I met with the students to discuss their thoughts and ideas, and was able to quickly establish the type of equipment and technology that would be required, and would work best. At AVC we don’t believe in off-the-shelf solutions. We know that each job requires a tailored solution, and time was taken to establish which services would deliver the best result for the students. A high impact, carnival style display was the brief, and to achieve this, we provided a variety of cutting edge sound and vision equipment, as well as technical support and mentoring in the lead up and during the event. Our event manager also got involved, overseeing the technical aspect for the event whilst ensuring all health and safely procedures were followed.”

Jo Royle, Subject Leader for the Department of Communication & Media at RGU comments:

“The ongoing mentoring and support kindly offered by the professionals at AVC was invaluable and gave the students a real insight into the technical elements of an event. A number of students were given the added responsibility of assisting with the operation of Plasma Screens, cameras and sound equipment on the night, giving them unique hands on experience which will be hugely beneficial as they progress in the future.”

AVC recently received the accreditation from SAFEcontractor, a programme which recognises very high standards of health and safety practice amongst UK contractors. With over 20 years experience in all aspects of audiovisual provision, AVC has built a credible reputation, providing the best audiovisual equipment to clients throughout the UK onshore and offshore.

AVC Media Enterprises is set to build on its recent growth in 2008 with a £3 million extension underway at its Altens-based facility, due for completion in summer.

Aberdeen-based Specialist Cars Volkswagen has been short-listed by the Motor Trader Industry Awards for most improved business 2008.

The Motor Trader Awards recognise and reward excellence and innovation in and around the industry, fast becoming one of the ‘must have’ awards since they began 18 years ago. The most improved business award will be presented to the retailer or repairer that can prove clear management driven change over the past two years. Specialist Cars Volkswagen is enthusiastic towards its short-listed status for the award.

Martin Shaw, Managing Director of John Clark Motor Group’s Specialist Cars division comments:

“Specialist Cars Volkswagen has achieved considerable success over the past two years, increasing volumes and profits across our sales, after-sales and parts departments. This has lead to the dealership becoming the leading Volkswagen outlet in the Northeast of Scotland – a significant achievement in itself. We have also seen significant improvement within our Volkswagen Van Centre, achieving considerable sales figures for vans and light commercial vehicles in Aberdeen and Edinburgh.

“We are delighted to have been short-listed for such an important award which is recognised across the UK’s motor industry. Our short-listing for this award signifies that the dealership is being recognised for its hard work and initiative by some of the leading figures in the industry. To achieve an award for the dealerships’ efforts would be a great reward to all those who have worked to improve Aberdeen’s only Volkswagen outlet – we look forward to the night.”

The award, sponsored by Autoprotect will be presented to the winning outlet at a gala dinner on Wednesday, July 16 at London’s Grosvenor House Hotel. With over 1,300 professionals from the motor industry the awards are one of the largest awards events in the automotive retailing calendar.

The John Clark Motor Group operates the BMW and Mini dealerships in Aberdeen and Dundee. It also has all five mainstream Volkswagen Group brands – Audi, SEAT, Skoda Volkswagen and Volkswagen Vans with dealerships in Aberdeen, Dundee and Kirkcaldy. In Edinburgh the group has Pentland Land Rover and the Edinburgh Van Centre dealership for Volkswagen light commercial vehicles.

A city centre bar and restaurant which was once one of Aberdeen’s most popular venues is set to return to its heyday after being purchased by new owners.

The new premises, to be named Society Bar & Restaurant, are located on Union Street at its junction with Diamond Street. The bar and night spot which formerly traded as Café Ici, was owned and operated by local businessmen and was one of the city’s busiest venues in the 1980s and early 1990s.

Over the last decade Café Ici was operated on behalf of a national brewery chain, but the building has been purchased in its entirety from S&N Enterprises and following a comprehensive refurbishment, it will once again be run on a local basis.

The new owners are investing a substantial amount in the building to create a high quality bar and restaurant which will open its doors with a completely new look and style this summer. A high quality nightclub is planned for later this year.

This is a first venture into the leisure market for Kirk Harrison, Andy Bird and Steve Donnelly, who are successful business people in their own right, in the residential mortgage, computer software and property development markets.

“This was once a destination venue which set the standard in the pub & leisure scene in Aberdeen,” commented Kirk Harrison. “It was extremely popular and much admired in its early days for its flair and style. We intend to bring it back to those glory days, and have gone to great lengths to ensure that it will be high quality, yet contemporary, with a high standard of venue and gourmet bistro menu.”

Refurbishment work is already under way, as is recruitment of good quality staff. Society bar & restaurant is expected to open in June this year.

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For further information:

Neil Robertson
PR Partnership
Tel 01224 248007
neil@prpartnership.co.uk

ISSUED ON BEHALF OF SOCIETY BY
THE PR PARTNERSHIP (SCOTLAND) LTD

Note to Editors

Café Ici was opened in 1986 by George Tester and George Stewart, who established a number of leisure venues in Aberdeen, all of a quality nature.

Proserv’s Scottish-based Abandonment and Decommissioning strategic business unit (SBU), has been awarded a US$7 million contract for platform decommissioning projects in the Gulf of Mexico. The contract involves the abandonment of two platforms along with associated wells, plus the removal of pipelines and subsea tie-ins for a major independent oil and gas company based in the Gulf of Mexico.

Following Proserv’s recent acquisition of leading well abandonment and decommissioning specialist, Twachtman Snyder and Byrd (TSB), it is significant for Proserv that this contract includes project management, in addition to contracting capacity. TSB has specialist knowledge in these areas, accumulated over 20 years, and its services will complement the decommissioning capabilities already on offer by Proserv’s newly formed Abandonment and Decommissioning division.

Commenting on the contract, Huey Kliebert, Vice President of Abandonment Services at Proserv said: “This contract underlines the added strength that Proserv Abandonment and Decommissioning SBU can bring to such projects, following the acquisition of TSB.

“The added dimension of TSB means we can now offer market-leading project management services to Proserv’s already established contracting capacity. Working as one team, this combination of expertise and resource is focussed on managing any abandonment and decommissioning project safely, on time and within budget.

“This unique ability, combined with strategically placed geographical bases, positions Proserv Abandonment and Decommissioning as not only as a leader in the Gulf of Mexico, but around the world.”

The Gulf of Mexico contracts are due to take place concurrently in both the Ship Shoal and High Island blocks, where water depths are 37 feet (11 metres) and 194 feet (59 metres) respectively.

Proserv Abandonment and Decommissioning will provide full marine management of the project. This includes simultaneously mobilising the appropriate lift boats, the well abandonment personnel and the required equipment to carry out decommissioning and structural removal at both locations.

Once these stages are complete, Proserv will co-ordinate the use of a 1,300-ton derrick barge, diving crew and dive support vessel for the removal of the platform and for the abandonment of the pipeline and associated subsea tie-in.
Once all the removal and abandonment works are complete, the project will be concluded with a comprehensive site clearance programme.