Member Article

Harrogate motor group to open second Manchester dealership

Vantage Motor Group, which claims to be one of the UK’s fastest growing motor retail companies, has announced plans to open a second Hyundai dealership in Greater Manchester, bringing new investment to the area and creating up to 25 jobs.

The Harrogate business has purchased the site of a former car dealership at St Mary’s Way in Oldham for an undisclosed figure and following a £350,000 refit, the new dealership is expected to open in October. Occupying a prominent corner position, the site was previously home to a Volvo car dealership, however following the closure of the business five years ago, the unit has been left unused

Trading as Vantage Hyundai Oldham, the new centre will be expected to sell 800 new and used cars each year, contributing an additional £10m to turnover. The Oldham dealership will create 25 permanent jobs with roles at the site ranging from sales and servicing, to valeting and management.

The property purchase is the group’s eighth deal in ten weeks as the business looks to increase its presence in existing territories, while expanding into new markets.

Its growth mirrors the recent revival in the fortunes of the wider automotive industry, which saw a 12.7% increase in new car sales this month (August), prompting industry bodies, such as the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders, to increase forecasts for the year.

Andrew Mallory, operations director for Vantage, said: “This expansion will significantly strengthen our presence in Manchester, providing customers in places like Oldham, Rochdale and Tameside the convenience of a Hyundai centre near them. It’s also great to be able to bring this site back to use again after years of being derelict and to create new jobs.

“We opened our first dealership in Salford two years ago and since then we’ve had a really positive response from customers, so much so, that it now makes sense to open a second dealership in Manchester to enable the business to continue to grow. We are still the only Hyundai dealership in the area and in Hyundai we have a manufacturer that has similar ambitions to match our own to grow their national footprint.”

Following a period of significant growth, the company now employs over 350 people at 14 dealerships across Yorkshire, Lancashire, Greater Manchester, the Lake District and the West Midlands.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by David Gatehouse .