Britain's longest-established Volkswagen and Audi dealer Gilder Group has opened a new trade parts distribution operation on a site separate from its five dealerships in South Yorks and Derbyshire. The 30,000 sq ft Sheffield site houses an expanded team of 25 trade parts staff, plus a call centre operation and nine distribution vans.

According to Allistair Carmichael, group trade parts manager, “By relocating trade parts to this dedicated site, we have been able to improve delivery times, speed up our response to enquiries and generally offer a much improved service to the trade." He said the new unit would put Gilder's trade parts division on course for a 10% growth this year, with a predicted turnover of £1.5m.

In 1953, J Gilder & Co. Ltd. made history by taking on the first Volkswagen franchise in the UK.