Car Dealership Director Discusses Job Losses Following Major Fire

Philip Skinner, joint managing director of Ron Skinner and Sons, a prominent car dealership, has articulated the “heartbreak” associated with implementing staff redundancies for the first time, an action necessitated by a “devastating” fire. He conveyed experiencing “sleepless nights” and “a lot of worry” in the aftermath of the blaze that consumed the company’s premises in Tredegar, Blaenau Gwent, in August. Nevertheless, Mr. Skinner also highlighted his family’s resolve to reconstruct the business, noting that the recent inauguration of a new showroom in the same town signifies a “new era” for the firm. The fire resulted in the destruction of over 350 vehicles, in addition to machinery, with Mr. Skinner estimating the financial losses to be in the millions. This incident led to 18 recent redundancies. The initial report of the fire occurred early on Saturday, 16 August. Mr. Skinner recounted, “By the time I got here, the entire building was totally ablaze and I was just amazed at the scale of it, I couldn’t believe what was going on.” He initially expressed confusion regarding the firefighters’ focus solely on the building’s perimeter, but was informed that the “intensity of the fire due to the stock was so great, [that] to put water on would have caused a bigger fire.” During the subsequent hours, Philip and his brother Mark, who also serves as a managing director, found themselves “in a state of shock.” Despite this, they recognized the necessity of visiting their mother, 88-year-old Rachel Skinner, who co-founded the business with her late husband, Ron Skinner, in 1968. He stated, “Calling in at seven o’clock in the morning, I didn’t want to frighten her but I had to tell her.” He further recounted, “She had a good 10-minute cry. But she is a proper business lady and by about two o’clock that afternoon, sitting around my mother’s dining table with my brother, it was very much: ‘Boys, time to roll up your sleeves, and get it put back up’.” However, Mr. Skinner conceded that the process of achieving that objective and inaugurating a new showroom in Tredegar at the close of last month proved “very difficult.” He elaborated, “Nothing was recoverable – everything completely destroyed, even cars that were outside were burnt to shells.” In the initial weeks following the incident, wages and “large bills” remained outstanding, leading to situations where matters went “down to the wire.” The business received financial contributions from family and friends. The company also operates showrooms in Cardiff, Pembrokeshire, and Carmarthenshire. Discussions with the insurance company ultimately led the brothers to conclude that job losses would be necessary. Mr. Skinner, who commenced his career in the company’s workshop 43 years prior, indicated that this was an unprecedented situation. He remarked, “It was very difficult and I had to stand back.” He added, “It was still heartbreaking to see the people I have worked with for so long take voluntary redundancy and leave.” Prior to the fire, the company employed 164 individuals; 18 employees have accepted redundancy in recent weeks. For the remaining staff, including 32-year-old sales manager Jonathan Robinson, the primary objective has been the opening weekend. Mr. Robinson, who has been with the firm for 12 years, commented, “The response has been immense.” He continued, “We weren’t really expecting the turnout that we got in Storm Bert but it was so refreshing to see the love for the company throughout the community.” The newly opened showroom in Tredegar is smaller than its predecessor, though there are intentions for future expansion. Philip Skinner affirmed, “We are very positive for the future.” He added, “It feels like going back 25 years to one of our oldest sites and kicking off again – this is the start of what will be a new era.”