TrustFord has gained planning permission for a brand new dealership website in Guernsey which is able to enable the enterprise to convey its Ford retail, aftersales and physique store companies beneath one roof.
Stuart Foulds, the president and chief government of the Ford of Britain-owned AM100 automotive retail group confirmed that planners on the island had given the inexperienced gentle to the event plans at this time (February 9).
Information that work might get underway to develop the location, which additionally consists of the island’s Hertz automotive rental enterprise, will probably be a reassurance to clients and employees, he mentioned.
“I feel the data that out lease on the present retail website was coming to an finish may need generated a little bit of uncertainty, however the plans actually do emphasise the truth that TrustFord, and the Ford franchise, is on the island to remain,” Foulds informed AM.
AM understands that the group employs round 50 members of employees on Guernsey, the place its operations are at present cut up between a gross sales website at La Grange and aftersales facility at Longue Hougue.
All operations will probably be moved to Longue Hougue beneath the group’s new plan.
Work is predicted to start out round Could, forward of a gap later this yr.
Foulds described development of the plans, first submitted to the native authority again in October, as “transformative for us.”
In an interview with AM earlier this month, Foulds mentioned that TrustFord had seen its automotive gross sales volumes decline by round 40% throughout COVID-19 ‘Lockdown 3’ buying and selling in England and Northern Eire, however revealed that dwelling supply growth is driving industrial automobile data.
He mentioned that the enterprise was driving forward with the teachings discovered from buying and selling in H1, 2020, and had been capable of preserve robust aftersales efficiency whereas reaching higher than predicted success with LCVs throughout January.
Foulds mentioned that automotive gross sales had been operating “at about 60% of the place we’d usually be”, however added: “From a industrial automobile point-of-view now we have been completely smashing it out of the park due to demand from individuals within the dwelling supply sector. Our order books are full.
“We’re properly over 100% of the place we’d count on to be, properly forward of final yr and properly forward of our plan.”
