Road King sees Fred Done launch on new track
VETERAN entrepreneur Fred Done has literally hit the road with his latest business venture – motorway services for hauliers.
The multi-award winning Salford-born businessman, 70, has bought Hollies Truck Stop, near Cannock in Staffordshire out of receivership and plans to open 50 new truck stops nationwide over the next five years.
After investing to improve Hollies, turnover has rocketed from £10,000 per month to £100,000 per month as truckers started returning lured by good value food, secure parking and clean facilities.
The owner of the 1,365-strong Befred betting shop chain said his new venture originally started life as a one-off property deal, but he is now hungry for a crack at the transport market. Mr Done, who is known as the Bonus King in bookmaking circles, has chosen Road King as the name for his latest venture.
He said:”We aim to give people good service, good surroundings and good value and the money usually follows from there. I’d hope to open up around 50 nationwide in the next five years.
“The initial plan here was just to buy it and sell it after buying it off the administrator. It was old and tired and there was no love and attention lavished on it. No wonder nobody wanted to call into the place.
“It was a real hovel – I wouldn’t have eaten here. It was bought as a property flip as there were virtually no lorries staying here. And you could see why they were struggling to get them on. Then by accident a plan developed – we saw the place flourish and I thought I am going to start a chain of these.”
He said a second, larger site is being developed on an 11.5-acre plot, which should be open by the end of this year.
He added: “We’ve put up fences and made the place secure as that’s important to drivers with valuable loads on board. It’s something that doesn’t really exist in a chain now and I feel like getting stuck in and making it happen.
“It’s a new concept and an opportunity to make money. It doesn’t exist at present other than here and if you give them what they want then people will come and this place is the proof of that.”
