DRIVERS at a haulage firm in Angus were left “in tears” after losing their jobs following the closure of the business after almost 40 years.
The owners of David Murray Transport made the “awful” decision to cease trading after 39 years, which has led to all 10 jobs at the firm being lost, according to The Courier.
Based in Carnoustie, the haulage business worked with the likes of Strathmore Water and Mackays jam.
Founded by David Murray in 1987, the company grew from one lorry to 25 over the decades, but has since been wound up following a “number of challenges” over recent years.
David died in a road traffic incident in 2011 at the age of 66, but the business was taken over by his daughter Wendy Devlin and her husband Gary.
Wendy told The Courier the time to close the business felt like the “right” time, but added telling the workforce the decision to cease operations was the “hardest part”.
“We’ve had a number of challenges in the past few years, with Covid and rising fuel costs,” she said.
“We became grandparents last year, and my brother died suddenly in September. It just feels like the time is right.
“It’s been really emotional closing the business. A lot of staff have been here for 20-odd years – it’s like a family.
“The hardest part was sitting them all down and telling them we were closing.
“They were in tears, we were in tears, but they have been very understanding.
“We’ve made sure everything’s been done properly. All the staff received redundancy packages and all our suppliers have been paid.
“Our customers have also been very supportive.”
The company’s yard is now up for sale.
It comes after the family-run haulage and freight firm, JKM Transport Solutions Ltd, based in West Lothian, plunged into administration last week.
George Lafferty, of BTG Begbies Traynor (Central) LLP, has been named as the liquidator overseeing the company.
It is unclear how many jobs are at risk following the company’s collapse.
The business was incorporated in August 2021 and describes itself as a “small family-run haulage contractor” which was responsible for everything from long-distance hauls to local store deliveries.
The firm operated its fleet around the clock, with trucks on the road at all hours to meet the demands of the haulage industry.
