Scottish family business sold from administration and all jobs saved

They completed the sale of the business and assets of Christies (Fochabers), a nursery and tree growing operation based at Arradoul near Buckie in Moray, to Alba Trees Limited, a specialist supplier of trees and hedging plants, on February 3.

The sale secures all 32 jobs at the business, which had fallen into administration after experiencing increased cash-flow pressures in recent years.

Mr Smith and Ms Elliot had continued to trade the Christies (Fochabers) business as normal in the wake of their appointment while a buyer was sought.

The administrators said: "For two centuries, Christie’s has been a trusted supplier to customers across Scotland. The family business invested significantly in its operations, including grading facilities, cold store refrigeration and modern agricultural equipment. The Arradoul site comprises a range of agricultural buildings, plant and machinery, tree stocks and associated land.

"The company experienced increasing cash-flow pressures in the period leading up to the appointment, which ultimately led to the decision to enter administration.

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"As part of the transaction, all 32 employees have transferred to the new owner, ensuring continuity for staff, customers and suppliers."

They noted Alba Trees is the UK’s largest producer of cell-grown trees, based in East Lothian.

The administrators added: "The acquisition will allow Alba Trees to supply in-house bare root production alongside its existing cell-grown offering, broaden its presence in restocking, new woodland creation and hedging stock. Alba will have the capability to serve new customers while deepening relationships with existing clients and provide a more resilient, flexible one-stop solution across stock types and planting needs.

Mr Smith said: “Christies is a well-regarded business with deep roots in the local area and a strong reputation for quality. By continuing to trade during the administration, we were able to preserve value and run a structured sale process, which has resulted in a positive outcome for all parties.

 “We’re pleased to have secured a buyer in Alba Trees that has the expertise and scale to build on Christies’ heritage, and we would like to thank the staff and customers for their continued support throughout the process. We wish Alba Trees every success as it takes the business forward.”

The administrators said the acquisition reinforces Alba Trees’ commitment to supporting the UK forest nursery sector and local rural economy in Moray and the north-east of Scotland.

The Christies of Fochabers garden centre was purchased last June by Simpsons Garden Centres.

This sale was handled by property agent Christie & Co, which noted at the time: "Established by Thomas Christie in 1820 and run by the Christie family ever since, the garden centre caters to all the needs of the local community.  Ronald and Christine Christie, the fifth generation of the Christie family, decided to sell the centre to allow them to retire."

This acquisition took the number of garden centres operated by Simpsons in the north of Scotland to three. It also has sites near Inverness and Peterhead.