PERSONAL THREATS & ONLINE ATTACKS

Following F.R Jones entering administration, Justin Jones, ex-managing director has issued a statement to Service Dealer.

Justin explained that he couldn’t say anything before now, until the Administrators had completed certain statutory duties and given him the OK.

Justin told us: “For me, personally, this has been the hardest time of my life and has made me quite ill; seeing a 65+ year old business fold, that was successful up until 2019.

“I've been overwhelmed with the support from some manufacturers and customers who have reached out to me personally. On the other hand, I’ve also had personal threats and online attacks that are unnecessary and quite frightening when you know your address is in the public domain and have a young daughter living at home.

“Most of our suppliers had good RoT and have had the opportunity to collect their goods. I'm sure there are lots of rumours regarding the amounts at play, but they are just that - rumours and exaggerations. STIHL was nowhere near the quoted £1.6 million for example. All customers with outstanding orders were contacted by the Administrators and advised to claim back from their payment providers, so none should lose anything. All the people with machines in for service were also contacted and given two weeks to collect their items.

“I've spent the past two weeks trying to look after the staff and help them get jobs elsewhere. Most of these guys were, and still are, personal friends that have been with us for up to 25 years. I put them before myself, my wife and my boy who were also made redundant along with the rest of the staff on Friday the 30th of June. I've been successful in placing people with AL-KO, GenPower, Arbortec, Godfreys, Ron Smiths and ATS, to name a few and two have already started their own local service company.
 
“The race to the bottom on pricing will have been a big part of losing money and our demise, but also the effects of the supply chain issues from 2022, over-investment on the back of some very unusual trading years during Covid and manufacturers going direct to consumers. I realise that I am the face and name of the company, but the reality is that since 2017, I was only a 10% shareholder and then had CEOs brought in above me who had no experience of our industry and would not listen to my advice. They were only interested in shifting boxes and showboating about large online turnovers, at the expense of our trade customer service.

“I really hope that this is a wake-up call for the industry, and some big lessons are learnt. The stock loading that the big two insist you take is the cause of the discounting - when you look round a warehouse with millions of pounds of stock on the shelves and the bills need paying, people go into panic mode and start discounting. It only takes one dealer with a cashflow problem and then everyone holding large stocks must join in.

“I love this industry; I started back 1989 and it kills me to see us disappear. I really hope I can stay in the industry and I advise anyone that gets an offer from a big PE company to beware and think it through.”