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CASE Helps Fund New ATV Fire Control Unit & Repair Service

4th August 2003

A Sutherland-man with a passion for All Terrain Vehicles (ATV) has come up with a novel way to help estate workers tackle out of control hill fires.

Richard Munro has converted an ATV into a fire control unit, which can access blazes on rough and difficult terrain. He came up with the idea following the spate of hill fires across the north of Scotland earlier this year.

To compliment his all-terrain fire fighting services, Richard - who lives in Halladale - has also started his own ATV and farm machinery repair business.

Richard has been awarded a HIE-Starts grant from Caithness and Sutherland Enterprise (CASE) to help get his business off the ground. HIE-Starts is a Network-wide initiative designed to help new businesses by providing a regular income for the first twelve months of trading, usually the most difficult time for fledgling businesses.

Commenting on the establishment of 'Highland Game Keeping and Vehicle Services', Richard said: "I am grateful to CASE for their financial support but also their invaluable business advice

"I always wanted to start my own business and being a qualified mechanic and the son of a gamekeeper, I was keen to specialise in the repair of ATVs. The converted ATV to tackle hill fires is a further service that I will be able to offer."

Ian Thomson, a business counsellor with CASE said: "Richard's new business is very innovative. He has seen a problem and come up with the means of tackling it. I am sure his services will prove very valuable to estates and farms in the community."