Netherlands-based motor retailer Van Mossel has announced its takeover of the UK car dealer Jacksons Group, which represents 29 automotive brands in the Channel Islands, the Isle of Man and the Isle of Wight.
The deal gives Van Mossel its first motor retail business in the UK, one with annual revenues of around £215m, and reaffirms the company's ambitions to expand from its Benelux heartland - it recently bought German dealer group Hugo Pfohe.
The transaction, which is subject to the approval of the Jersey Competition Regulatory Authority, will give Van Mossel two locations in Jersey and two on Guernsey in the Channel Islands, one on the Isle of Man and one on the Isle of Wight, and will transfer 500 staff to the new owner.
Its sites are multi-franchised retail locations to attract car-hunting islanders.
Eight of Jackson's 29 brands are new to Van Mossel's current portfolio: Aston Martin, BMW, BMW Motorrad, Honda Motorbikes, Lexus, Mini, Porsche and Toyota.
With annual vehicle sales of around 6,000 cars, its annual sales have reached around £215m recently.
Jacksons' chief executive Paul Collier said: “I'm delighted to announce the agreement with Van Mossel. We have been negotiating for a significant period of time and I'm confident that their investment and expertise will further enhance our performance and service offerings. Van Mossel is a leading automotive group in Europe and a significant reinforcement of our operations.
"I look forward to working with them to future-proof the business on the islands. All employees will be retained to facilitate the growth of this unique company.
"Moreover, the proven concept of Van Mossel allows us to offer our customers more and more services under one roof in the future. A win-win situation.”
Eric Berkhof (pictured), managing director of Van Mossel Automotive Group, which sells more than 150,000 new and used cars annually, said: “The acquisition of the Jacksons Group is another step in the ongoing evolution of Van Mossel Automotive Group. Paul and the team have built a great business on the islands where they operate.
"We believe that we can further enhance it by investing more in facilities and product offerings, so that island customers can benefit from competitive offerings within the automotive sector.”
In 75 years Van Mossel Automotive Group has grown into the largest automotive company in the Benelux,region of Europe, with 349 branches in the Netherlands, Belgium, Germany, France and Luxembourg, representing 34 car brands.
It also has repair shops offering nationwide coverage in Belgium and the Netherlands, and its International Car Lease Holding division, with a lease fleet of 110,000 vehicles, trades as Van Mossel Autolease, J&T Autolease, DirectLease and Westlease.
An award-winning journalist and editor, with two decades of experience covering the motor retail industry, and accredited by the Institute of Leadership and Management (ILM) plus the National Council for the Training of Journalist (NCTJ)
As editor of AM since 2016, Tim is responsible for its media content, planning and production across AM's multiple channels, including the website, digital reports, webinars, social media and the editorial content of AM's events, Automotive Management Live and the AM Awards. His focus is on interviewing senior leaders of franchised dealer groups and motor manufacturer national sales companies to examine latest developments in UK motor retail.
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