Holden Group acquires seventh dealership, outlines Volvo investment plans

Car dealer Holden Group has grown its business to seven locations across East Anglia following the acquisition of Cecil & Larter in Bury St Edmunds.

 At the same time, the family business has announced plans for a new multi-million-pound, state-of-the-art facility for Hylton Gott Volvo, which it acquired in 2019.

Tim Holden, chairman of Holden Group, said: “Our family business is 95 years old, dating back to 1928 when my grandfather was first employed as an apprentice. Cecil & Larter is another local family business with a long history, having opened in 1927.

"With an emphasis on family values and delivering quality service, the business is an excellent fit for us. We’re looking forward to welcoming our new colleagues to the team and continuing to provide local customers with the same high-quality sales, servicing and aftercare that they currently enjoy.”

In the past Cecil & Larter held new car sales franchises for Volvo and Seat/Cupra, and it remains a used car and service specialist for those brands.

All 35 colleagues from the site will transfer to Holden Group, taking Holden's total workforce to 220.

In addition to its Volvo Selekt status, offering approved used Volvo vehicle sales and aftersales, the rebranded Holden Bury St Edmunds will continue to be an authorised Seat and Cupra repair facility.

This latest acquisition means that Holden Group now has three Volvo dealerships in East Anglia. In addition to Holden Volvo Norwich, Hylton Gott Volvo will relocate to Kings Lynn from Downham Market in 2024, and Cecil & Larter will become Holden Bury St Edmunds.

Martyn Webb, managing director of Holden Group, said: “As part of our ongoing strategic expansion, we will be investing a significant amount in a new facility for our Hylton Gott business in Kings Lynn.

“The 1.2 acre site will incorporate the Volvo Retail Experience corporate identity throughout and will feature a welcoming customer showroom, hospitality area, dedicated handover bay and modern state-of-the-art workshop where customers can view their car being serviced. There will also be an open plan office on the second floor and a large external display of Volvo Selekt Approved Used Cars.

“Following on from our recent investment in solar panels at our dealerships in Norwich, we also plan to install solar panels on the roof of the new facility in Kings Lynn as part of our commitment to sustainable energy use.”