Hendy Group has launched a recruitment campaign to attract 18 new members of staff to its new £9m Honda, Kia and Mazda dealership development in Eastleigh.

The new showrooms, which stand on the town’s former magistrates court site and gained approval from local planners back in 2016, is set to officially open in December with the group’s current site in Leigh Road set to be dedicated to Ford car and commercial products.

Around 90 people are set to work at the new dealerships – developed through a joint initiative with Eastleigh Borough Council – and recruitment is now underway for 18 new service advisors, vehicle technicians and sales executives.

Hendy Group chief executive, Paul Hendy, said: “We’re delighted to that we will have three new state of the art dealerships which will also provide valuable employment in the area.

“This investment in new facilities is part of our overall expansion plans and we are now looking for a wide range of skills to join the new team.”

Hendy’s new showrooms will have space for 27 new cars, 120 used cars and will feature a 20 bay workshop.

The facility is being built on just over one hectare of land and features include solar panels on the roof, water recycling in the valet bay and electric charge points to meet rising demand from motorists switching to hybrid and electric cars.

Hendy currently has 12 franchises in 25 locations and employs more than 1,000 people in Hampshire, Sussex, Surrey, Kent and Devon.

For more information, or to apply for these new positions, please visit www.hendy.co.uk/join-team-hendy/.