Garriock Brothers Ltd One of the largest privately owned businesses in Shetland by Dave Flanagan
Head office at Lerwick
Independent, resourceful and entrepreneurially minded, Shetlanders have always had a talent for diversification and an ability to weather the storm, both in a meteorological and economic sense. And nor do they see themselves as isolated, despite the fact the islands are closer to Bergen in Norway than they are to Edinburgh. This is a lively, industrious and thriving community, one that thinks big and likes a challenge. If you were looking for a business that epitomises the can-do ethos of the Shetland islanders, then Garriock Bros. Ltd would seem to fit the bill perfectly. Founded in 1975 as a small family joinery firm, Garriock Bros. Ltd has steadily grown into one of the largest privately owned companies in Shetland. Arguably, it’s also one of the most diverse businesses in Scotland, providing a mind26
boggling range of services – everything from civil engineering, plant hire and house building, to contract crushing, machine sales and window manufacturing. Headquartered in the Shetland capital of Lerwick, Garriock Bros. Ltd now has depots in Orkney, Edinburgh and Coventry, employing over 120 people across its four bases and seven different divisions. “We’ve always looked out for potential new opportunities, but the development of the company has been a gradual and carefully considered process,” says managing director George Garriock, who started the company with his brother. “Whilst the services we now offer are indeed diverse, our business philosophy remains the same across all our divisions. Whatever we do, we try to do it to a very high standard and always strive to build and
George Garriock, Managing Director
maintain good, long lasting relationships with our customers. That’ll never change, regardless of how much we expand and diversify.” It was a move into plant hire that really set the wheels in motion for Garriock Bros. Ltd. In 1994 the company bought over what was the Hewden Plant Hire depot in Shetland, developing the business into the biggest plant and equipment hirer in the islands. Now with depots in Lerwick - managed by regional director John Strmsek, who has an extensive knowledge of plant and equipment - and Brae, managed by depot manager, Robin Leslie, Garriock Bros. Ltd Plant Hire has a vast range of machinery available to
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the commercial and domestic markets, all of it maintained to the highest standards. The company also operates a large retail facility in Lerwick, supplying more than 10,000 product lines to compliment its hire equipment. “Plant hire was a logical move for us,” explains George. “As craftsmen involved in the construction industry, we felt there was a need to boost the range and quality of the equipment that was available locally. Being an island community, it’s extremely important that trade and DIY customers have quick access to the equipment they need. Having to wait until items can be delivered from the mainland