Mayne's look down road to brighter future as investment package unveiled
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A BUCKIE coach firm has nailed its colours to the mast of a brighter future ahead after unveiling a major investment package.
Family-run Mayne's Coaches has announced a support package from the Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS) with an eye to meeting an anticipated increase demand later this year.
The firm, which was formed in 1947, boasts a sizeable fleet of 44 coaches.
It provides wide-ranging travel services including school and contract work throughout the Highlands and north-east, and Continental travel from departure points all over the UK.
The business usually enters a period of reduced capacity every winter, however, the Covid pandemic has seen the suspension of much of its holiday and leisure travel services.
Support from Royal Bank of Scotland via the Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme (CBILS) means the company can continue to invest in vehicles with lower emissions and to build a new bookings website for travel in 2021 and beyond.
Mayne's Coaches director David Mayne said: “This has been a challenging period for our industry, especially around tourism, event travel and sports team transport.
"We are looking to the future now where domestic tourism will hopefully begin to increase and international travellers will start to make bookings again.
“We’ve been through difficult times in the past with the 2008 recession and the 2010 ash cloud, but we’ll continue to persevere through this crisis where we’ve still managed to win new contracts for taking oil workers to airports and to collect factory staff.
"We’re confident the financial support from Royal Bank of Scotland will help us weather the storm.”
News of the deal was also welcomed by Gary Summers, senior relationship manager at RBS
“Mayne's Coaches is an important employer in the north-east and it has been a pleasure to work with the team there," he continued.
“I wish them every success, especially for this year when the business will hopefully start seeing a return to pre-pandemic levels of activity.”
Mayne's Coaches, along with others across the country, have been vocal advocates for a government-backed support package for the coach industry.
