Up to 45 new jobs are being created in Guildford following Richmond Motor Group’s £1.35 million deal to buy a prime site which became available when a truck dealership collapsed, it was announced today.
The company, which already has dealerships in Portsmouth, Southampton and Bognor Regis, has acquired a 2.1 acre site at Slyfield Industrial Estate, national property consultants Lambert Smith Hampton (LSH) revealed.
Richmond Motor Group has earmarked the site for a major investment, creating a new state-of-the-art Hyundai car dealership.
Charles Wood, director of industrial and logistics at LSH in Guildford, secured the deal on behalf of administrators Duff and Phelps. The property was put on the market last year following the collapse of Iveco truck dealers Grays of Guildford.
Charles said: “This is a prime motor trade site fronting Moorfield Road on the Slyfield Industrial Estate and it is the ideal location for Richmond Motor Group’s new venture. There are already several major motor dealerships located adjacent to this site so the new Hyundai dealership will be in very good company.
“After a long period in the doldrums there are now clear signs of a recovery in the motor trade property market. This is the first significant automotive industry transaction for some years in the Guildford area and it is clear that the Slyfield Estate is a magnet for the industry.”
The new Hyundai dealership has already opened to the public but three phases of work are set to start this month (May) to transform the site. LSH’s building consultancy team has been appointed to co-ordinate the substantial refurbishment programme, which includes re-cladding and complete refurbishment to provide a modern retail outlet of about 21,000 sq ft. Work is expected to be completed by November.
Michael Nobes, managing director of Richmond Motor Group, said the dealership would remain open while work takes place to build a new 12,000sq ft showroom – tripling the size of the existing showroom. Additional workshops and a valet area, totalling around 9,000 sq ft, will also be created.
The dealership has kept the existing service bays but will have capacity for four HGV service capability bays, three light commercial van bays, as well as two MoT bays and seven car servicing areas. Already, 21 people from the local area have been employed by Richmond Motor Group at the Guildford site, in Moorfield Road, including trainee sales people and technicians.
“We sell more Hyundais than any other dealership because we give people the best deals. I’ve been looking for a Hyundai dealership in the Guildford area for some time and when the chance to take one over came up, it was a golden opportunity for us,” said Michael.
“It is ideally located in motorpark alley – this is a prime site for us because all the big dealerships are here, including Audi, Mercedes, BMW, Ford and Vauxhall. This is a significant investment for us but Guildford is a place we wanted to be in and I’m pleased to be creating jobs and training opportunities for the local community.
“We are delighted to now be able to offer our deals in Guildford – and the people of Guildford have already responded by packing out our new premises every weekend.”
LSH is a national commercial property consultancy that works with investors, developers and occupiers across the public and private sectors, and it is single-mindedly focused on UK and Irish property markets.
