Sandown Motors Group has completed the acquisition of the Sytner Group’s Mercedes-Benz car dealership in Newbury – extending its footprint into Berkshire.
The Dorset-based AM100 car retail group has almost 40 years of experience selling and servicing Mercedes-Benz and adds the new location to franchises held with the German premium car brand in Basingstoke, Dorchester, Farnborough, Guildford, Hindhead, Poole and Salisbury.
The addition of the London Road site is the latest Mercedes-Benz addition to the group’s portfolio since its opening of the new dealership site in Farnborough back in 2019.
Sandown’s managing director, Gavin McAllister, said that he was honoured to welcome Mercedes-Benz of Newbury and its staff into the group, describing the acquisition as a “special moment”.
He said: “In terms of its location and proximity to our other retailers, Newbury is a perfect fit that enables us to reach into West Berkshire so its addition is an important step in our ongoing growth.
“As a business, we are completely dedicated to delivering excellence and remain passionate about providing the very highest levels of service to existing and prospective customers across each and every one of our sites.”
The Mercedes-Benz of Newbury facility features a seven-car showroom and an Approved Used display of 40 vehicles, increasing Sandown’s group stock to more than 700 cars.
It also features an eight-bay workshop.
Sandown said in a statement published on its website that “the majority of Mercedes-Benz of Newbury’s existing 44-strong workforce will remain with the business”.
The group said that the business would be overseen by new general manager, Keith Jackman, who has been a member of the Sandown’s senior management team for many years and previously headed up its Basingstoke and Guildford sites.
“Newbury is a fantastic operation and I look forward to working alongside a very knowledgeable and experienced team that has already established an outstanding reputation for customer service and is committed to maintaining this,” said Jackman.
“With Mercedes-Benz accelerating its journey towards CO2 neutrality in 2021 with the unveiling of four new Mercedes-EQ all-electric models as well as the further expansion of the ever-growing family of plug-in hybrid cars, I have every confidence that Mercedes-Benz of Newbury’s best years lie ahead.”
Sandown Motors Group reported a 3.83% increase in turnover to £259.7m in its latest annual accounts, to December 31, 2019, alongside a 232.9% increase in pre-tax profits to £476,000.
Mercedes-Benz’s UK registrations declined by 35.5% last year, meanwhile, falling from110,883 to 171,823 as retailers shifted their sales focus towards a new virtual showroom in a bid to mitigate the impact of COVID-19 lockdowns.
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