Kwik Match founder Sir Tom Farmer dies aged 84

The founding father of the Kwik Match storage chain, Sir Tom Farmer, has died on the age of 84.

The Edinburgh-born businessman died peacefully at his dwelling within the metropolis on Friday, his household stated.

He constructed the corporate into the world’s largest unbiased tyre and automotive chain, promoting it to Ford for £1bn in 1999.

Sir Tom owned a majority stake in Hibernian FC for 28 years, promoting his curiosity within the membership in 2019.

Sir Tom was born in Leith in 1940 and first opened a tyre enterprise in 1964.

He began Kwik Slot in 1971, finally working in additional than 2,000 areas in 18 international locations.

He was knighted in 1997 for his companies to the automotive trade and was made a Commander of the Royal Victorian Order (CVO) in 2009 for his charitable work.

A press release from his household stated: “Sir Tom’s lengthy and intensive profession touched many elements of Scottish and UK life.

“His enterprise profession is properly documented, as was his dedication to philanthropy, his many public roles and his unwavering assist and appreciation for the communities and people who he lived his life inside.”

Sir Tom’s philanthropic work noticed him awarded the Carnegie Medal and he turned a Knight Commander with Star of the Order of St. Gregory the Nice, an honour bestowed by the Pope, in 1997.

“Sir Tom’s Roman Catholic religion was current all through all areas of his life. He attended mass weekly in Edinburgh and loved the friendship and firm of many individuals with the Catholic group each right here in Scotland and additional afield,” his household stated.

“Sir Tom will probably be remembered by many for his deep dedication to his household, his work and his religion and for being always a proud Scotsman,” they added.

A press release from Hibernian on the social media platform X stated:

“Hibernian FC are devastated to listen to of the passing of former proprietor Sir Tom Farmer, aged 84.

“Thanks for every part, Tom. Relaxation in peace.”

First Minister John Swinney wrote: “Very sorry to listen to of the demise of Sir Tom Farmer, an impressive entrepreneur and such a beneficiant particular person to so many causes in Scotland.

“My condolences to his household.”

Scottish Secretary Ian Murray stated he was a “proud Scot” and a “large contributor” to Edinburgh’s group soccer.

Sir Tom was described as a “household man” within the announcement.

He married Anne in 1966 after they met at their native church and so they have been collectively for 57 years till her demise in 2023.

Their household stated Sir Tom usually credited Anne for his enterprise success: “In later years when requested concerning the secret to his success, he would usually say it was as a result of he ‘married a lady like Anne,'” they stated.

“They lived their entire married life in Edinburgh and are survived by their two kids and 4 grandchildren.”

Sir Tom Farmer turned higher identified in later life for his position at Hibs, his philanthropy and his assist for youthful entrepreneurs.

However his enterprise expertise had an actual impression.

Having made a small fortune within the Nineteen Sixties, he moved to the USA, and it was there that he absorbed gross sales strategies he would adapt for the Kwik Match chain he went on to discovered.

He had an modern, disruptive response to the oily unbiased restore garages his firm changed, with a brand new strategy to branding and advertising.

What actually made Kwik Match stand out was customer support and workers coaching. As a person of religion, Tom Farmer conveyed humility with a recognition that each particular person mattered.

Every worker had a job in customer support. The intention was not simply to fulfill clients however to depart them “delighted”.

Relationship gross sales, in a service which had the shopper at an obstacle in understanding what’s required to fix a automotive, relied on constructing belief within the model.

The promoting underlined that. You were not simply shopping for new tyres; you have been shopping for a service from expert workers, and the promoting portrayed them as delighted to serve.

That a lot turned normal in buyer care. It was Sir Tom Farmer who introduced that to Scotland, and constructed it out throughout different international locations.

Arguably, on-line commerce has sacrificed a lot of that human connection.