Hendy Group celebrates 165th year with new £1m Kent showroom opening

Hendy Group has opened a new multi-brand showroom in Tonbridge for Vauxhall and Peugeot.

This £1 million investment on a brownfield site has created over 40 new jobs. The Hendy Vauxhall and Peugeot facility offers state-of-the-art vehicle service and repair capabilities, Motability support, and specific sales and service for the latest Vauxhall vans.

To support the growing range of Vauxhall and Peugeot electric and hybrid vehicles, the new site includes charging bays for both the on-site team and visiting customers. The workshop features a Class 7 MOT facility and eight bays for car and commercial vehicle servicing, ensuring rapid and high-quality service, maintenance, and repair work.

Founded 165 years ago, Hendy Group represents over 20 vehicle brands at more than 80 locations across the south of England, employing over 1,700 people with a turnover of more than £1.2 billion last year.

The Hendy Vauxhall and Peugeot Tonbridge site, which has been operating on a limited basis since April, will officially launch with a celebratory public event on August 1 which will feature culinary delights from local chef and TV personality Rosemary Shrager, a display of classic Vauxhall models, and Formula 1 racing simulators.

Paul Hendy, chief executive of Hendy Group, said: “It’s been great to see the transformation of the site on Tudeley Lane, which has already started to attract many new Vauxhall and Peugeot customers who previously had to travel much further. This latest opening underscores our commitment to Kent.”

As part of an ongoing commitment to the local community, Hendy Vauxhall and Peugeot Tonbridge is working with Bishop Chavasse Primary School to support the safe arrival of pupils each morning. The dealership will provide a free drop-off parking facility for parents and will host a ‘Walking Bus’ that will ensure the safe transfer of pupils to the school gates. The initiative, which goes live from the start of the new school term in September 2024 and is in place indefinitely, will alleviate congestion and cut emissions on roads around the school, as well as enhance safety for pupils.