6:33 pm, October 12, 2010
MARSHALL has sealed the deal on a clutch of new Mercedes-Benz outlets in the north west, taking over from Pendragon.
The family-owned dealer group signed last night, meaning that Blackpool, Preston, Blackburn, Bolton and South Lakes, and smart in Blackpool and Bolton are part of the Marshall Group portfolio.
Mercedes-Benz makes up the 25th brand in the group’s portfolio, with the new dealerships bringing the total held to 62.
Marshall chief executive, Daksh Gupta (left in picture) said: ‘This is a hugely significant deal for Marshall and the new businesses will take our turnover to a running rate of around £675m, nearly double our 2008 turnover.
‘This is a great acquisition for Marshall which fits our stated strategy to expand our group with strong partnerships in scalable territories. The North West represents a great opportunity for us with one of the World’s leading brands’, he added.
Gary Savage (right in picture), managing director Mercedes-Benz Cars UK, explained: ‘Marshall Motor Group is a welcome addition to our retail network. Marshall has an excellent record in the trade, and more importantly, with customers, and I know the team in these five sites in the North West will work hard to ensure excellent levels of service for their current and future customers.
‘I’m particularly looking forward to working with all our retail partners, to help them maximise the opportunities Mercedes-Benz and smart is offering with an exciting line-up of new cars and services on offer for the rest of this year and throughout 2011’, he concluded.
by JAMES BATCHELOR
