Former trainee buys out owner of garage

A mechanic from Ashby has taken ownership of the garage which trained him 13 years ago after landing funding from NatWest.

Chris Wileman has used a £50,000 funding package to allow him to buy Castle Garage Ashby from the previous owners.

Castle Garage was established by Claire and Martyn Topley in 1996 to service and repair vehicles in the area and to complete MOT inspections.

Martyn Topley hired Wileman as an apprentice in 2006. After becoming a fully qualified mechanic, he was promoted to assistant manager in 2012 and acquired 10% of the business in 2014.

Now, Wileman has become the 100% shareholder of Castle Garage.

He says he plans to become the first garage in Ashby to offer servicing for electric and hybrid vehicles. He has also introduced free basic car maintenance workshops for people in the community, giving them the skills needed to keep their own vehicles safe.

Wileman says he will also create two jobs.

He added: “The training Martyn gave me has been invaluable in my career and it has always been my dream to take over ownership of the garage. My fiancé, Caitie, has helped me push forward my ownership plans and the funding from NatWest has enabled me to expand the business Martyn established and create new services for our growing customer base.”

Paul Mills, relationship manager at NatWest, said: “Since joining the business as an apprentice, Chris’s passion for mechanics has made the garage a great asset to the Ashby area. The funding we provided has enabled Chris to become the business owner he’s always wanted to be, and we look forward to supporting his growth plans in the future.”